Top Trends at Men’s Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2013/14

Down and dirty at (from left to right): Lanvin, Saint Laurent, 3.1 Phillip Lim

The men’s autumn/winter 2013 collections in Paris and Milan seemed like an evolution of where we left off last season. It was all very sensible and predictable, so I want to talk about anything but that! Instead I thought it would be fun to highlight the clothes and designers that grabbed my attention, flirted with my emotions, and every now and then, swept me off my feet.  While my favourite looks may not be for the faint hearted, I am sure that they will unleash the fashion demi God in all of us.

Dirty Boys

Forget boring suits, it seems that designers really want us to express ourselves through our clothes, post-recession. There was a definite return to grunge with a lived-in, nonchalant and raw approach to fashion. It suits the mood perfectly although it’s completely contradictory because so many of the looks were executed in the most luxurious way. Of course, no one does it better than Saint Laurent where Hedi Slimane’s indie punk boys wore tartan, extra long striped scarves and torn skinny jeans. I’m just worried about the weight I need to shed to fit into everything!

(From left to right): Givenchy, Neil Barrett, Maison Martin Margiela

Show Me Some Skin

Hard, dark yet elegant, leather was used as a second skin throughout the collections.  I will be slithering in some leather so I suggest that everyone gets themselves a pair of leather trousers as seen at Phillip Lim (some were voluminous, others ankle length or embroidered). The ultra brave can swap the denim-on-denim look of last year with a leather-on-leather look from Givenchy by Ricardo Tisci for the coming season.

(From left to right): Louis Vuitton, Vivienne Westwood, Burberry

Animal Instincts

There’s something inherently tribal about animal prints.   If done right it brings out  the most masculine version of you. My favourites include miharayasuhiro’s snake prints in his sport inspired collection and Louis Vuitton’s sartorial yet edgy, rock-inspired collection.  Make the look fresh and new by choosing oversized silhouettes. Anyone can be the King of the jungle.

(From left to right): Lanvin, Kenzo, Mugler

Bold and Beautiful

Colour was a strong this season. It takes real confidence, an adventurous spirit and natural swagger to pull it off.  From brilliant blues at Mugler and ethereal teal at Jil Sander to the vibrant reds at Lanvin, this coming winter will be anything but dull.  So man up and embrace more colour either through separates or – if you really want to live on the edge – go head-to-toe.

(From left to right): Dior, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana

Button Me Down

Amazing wools and heavy blends are constructed into classic military styles. Coats come double-breasted and severe, but are made modern and fashionable through the use of colour.  Dior was all about winter whites while Gucci’s turquoise blues are sophisticated yet non-traditional. These styles are built for a man on a mission to look tough yet elegant.

(From left to right): Neil Barrett, Alexander McQueen, TopMan

Pattern Play

Another amazing way to have fun with colour is through patterns.  Play with colour blocking as spotted at Kris Van Assche or choose printed winter coats as seen at Alexander McQueen. Go loud or go home.

Columnist and men’s style expert, Ayub Mohamed, is the former Global Men’s Director at Levi Strauss & Company. He has been involved in conceptualising brands, developing product lines and managing the business of fashion at a various levels over the last 14 years.