Make It Pop.

Sometimes.... it looks a little adventurous or maybe even a tad bit retro when prints are incorporated into the today's male wardrobe. It is, however, becoming more prevelant for men to show just how masterfully they have harnessed the ability to stylishly accessorize a look to garner fashion points on the style meter. 3.1 Phillip Lim is perhaps the season's runway favorite daredevil to defy convention. The house constantly reinvents the laws of design by overlooking the principles of proportion and creating contemporary formulas that are up-to-the-minute decrees of trend for the new-fashioned man. On this already great suit, we see just how powerful the hint of a pattern tranforms an ordinary look into a quiet statement that calmly whispers, "I have style!" This brand of expression and stylish tailoring is already taking a global and definitive stand and will hopefully govern mens design for years to come.

Brush Strokes

How can something so simplistic be so coveted? The process of printing on fabric is an exact science & such compositions are almost impossible to render in textiles. A screen has to be created for every color & the pattern has to repeat in a manner that allows every garment to be identical. While we're still waiting for digital printing to ease in to mass production the wholesale value of such items is always going to be in the high stratosphere.

Chloe's paint splatters are an example of this house's sophisticated style techniques and how no expense is spared to garner the mood of the season. I think this will be the most duplicated look in the mass market by far.

What is Urban?

Again, I took a dive in to the minds of my contemporaries to gain some clarity on what is now being dawned as a the new cliche' , "Urban." It was once a term used to describe something that is indigenous to inner city culture and largely influenced by the Hip-Hop community.

The celebrities & supermodels are driving the "street chic" look home from the runway to the red carpet and creating an aesthetic genre that is undefinable but clearly recognizable as "Urban." LuQman of Luzzine Media/Photography states,"Urban is the spice that gives historical depth and colorful flavor to all major metropolitan cities around the world." This easily translates to taking what we see and applying it to what we do, and in this case, what we wear.

The recent printed hoodie craze has led to the evolution of the sweatshirt by adding the dimensions of color & embellishment to rival its cousin the T-shirt. Above are textile renderings from the Prints of Orange studio depicting both the literal and abstract approaches to urban apparel concepts. The silhouettes of B-boys in various break dancing poses is a nostalgic hint to a historic movement that inspired a generation. However, on a more sophisticated note the framework of a computer's motherboard makes for an intricate pattern that stands as strong as any contemporary geometric and will debut in children's outerwear later in the season.