Nothing can stop the force that is London Fashion Week Men’s. Come rain or shine the fashionista’s marched through the capital’s streets to celebrate the events 5th Anniversary. Asian designers have been on the rise recently and the buzz around them at LFWM saw that they were a force to be reckoned with in the industry this year. It was exciting to see the range of emerging and established Asian designers having a huge influence and offering a range of visions in both the showrooms and on the runways.
We’ve narrowed down our favourites from the four days to Michio Koshino, Songzio, Pronounce and Wan Hung. The range of both up and coming and established designers all showed off their unique styles and talented skillsets.
Respected by the capital’s fashion society as one of the industry's firsthand trendsetters, Michiko Koshino was in the upsurge of Japanese genius to arrive into Europe during the early 80's, bringing with her an completely original way of designing. Koshino’s pieces have been worn by numerous A-List celebrities, such as David Bowie, Stella McCartney and Candy Ken, which has allowed her already highly respecting reputation to enhance. Her new S/S18 collection drew inspiration from baseball teams in the 40s and 50s, which is incredibly popular in her hometown, Osaka. The exceptional casting of models with their warrior paint make-up and tribe-like socks created an anime baseball team air, which juxtaposed effectively with the sophisticated ICA interiors and faux floor turf. Dense tartans and pinstripes were united with lightweight, cut-away nylons and tight cottons. The experimentally creative collection shows off Koshino’s abilities as she successfully combines both contemporary and historic aesthetics.
Established in 1993, this South Korean designer, famous for his extraordinary skill to craft intangible wear that is both a work of art and a conceptual fashion piece, did not disappoint. His new collection breaks the limits of what is feasible with the fusion of fashion and art. The intensely bold collection is kindly balanced with elusive prints. The tight tailored fit jackets against loose, lively trousers create contrasting silhouettes that are a success without being too overpowering.
As we mentioned earlier it is really exciting to see Asian brands doing so well at LFWM, particuarly the emerging designers. Both Pronounce and Wan Hung have proved that how fashion is seen and formed in China is changing. The manufacturing process in the East is not usually known to cater for personal brands, however this is slowly evolving. Slow seems to be the new fast fashion as more and more younger talents are studying abroad and bringing their skills back to China. Pronounce and Wan Hung are strong examples of this as they both studied at Central Saint Martins before starting their own brands back in China. They are continuously growing and with the more established brands paying attention to this such as GQ China, who presented Pronounce’s show this year, these emerging brands are able to progressively develop and flourish.
This high-end designer brand, founded in 2016 by Yushan Li and Jun Zhou form contemporary refined menswear attire by uniting the east with the west. The show was presented by GQ China, which allowed the brand to emphasise the significance of Chinese menswear in London. The S/S18 collection explored a ‘Poetic Workwear’ concept by combining the designers’ oriental culture aesthetics with western up-to-date customs on menswear design and established skills.
Born and raised in Hainan, China, Wan Hung established his brand in 2014. He uses clean-cut with fine 3D cutting details and classic silhouettes reinvented through textile and print to enhance his eponymous label. Hung’s S/S18 collection was inspired by fitness and gym culture. Using Michelangelo’s David as an inspiration, his prints reflect the man of the past, with the man of the present.