Think of the most memorable landscapes you’ve ever seen, the slickest interiors, or even the most delicious of dinners, and you’ll realise there’s something they all have in common – texture. Life without it feels predictable, boring and bland, so there’s no wonder we’re on a quest to find the excitement of variety, change, or surprise. This desire to search out the new is represented in almost every decision we make on a daily basis, but none more so than the way we choose to dress.
Fashion is a discourse, not a forgone conclusion and because of this, the power to communicate our taste, our interests and our aesthetic ideals falls on us, the individual. For AW21 Menswear, Studio Nicholson urges us to shake up the predictable and introduce a new formula that captures a sense of experimentation, risk and freedom. It’s time to look at clothing in a different way; it’s time to enjoy the journey.
Cut moves slowly for menswear, so ingenuity lies in the layering. Getting dressed in the morning should feel creative and exciting. A pick & mix approach instantly re-boots the attitude. Shredding the rulebook and playing around with archetypal ‘male’ garments guarantees a powerful, noticeable final impact. Tasteful rebellion with a focus on intelligent fit that instinctively feels like modern masculinity at its very best.
Forget the formalities and team the softest double-faced Lak in merino with the bold stripe Santo Shirt. Or dip into double outerwear with the wafer-weight of the Sephon Parka and the fresh crunch of the everyday Oriel Mac. Texture worn together reigns supreme – with the cloud-like Teo Gilet in eco-down, combined with the bold cotton Voli Pants, knobbly Trinity in bouclé wool and the Rafi jacket in reliably substantial leather. Translated to clothing, AW21 praises the engineered mistakes, the awkward proportions and maximalist layering techniques.
It sticks two fingers up to the industry establishment and puts control into the hands of the masses. A continuous use of zip-through knitted collars grounds the collection, dry canvas accessories, technical nuances and sports inspired drawcords bring a real practical improvement to the life of the wearer. There’s no point serving up identikit versions of the same menswear uniform, year on year, because if the last year has taught us anything, it’s that nature is a process of decay and regeneration – sometimes it pays to throw caution to the wind and forget the rules of logic. The modular wardrobe just gives you the components – it’s up to you how you wear it.
Discover The Men's Autumn-Winter '21 Collection Here
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Leanne Cloudsdale is the Studio Nicholson Editor-at-Large