As has become the norm, New York Men’s Day kicked off fashion week again this season with morning and afternoon presentations at Daylight Studios near Hudson Yards on Friday. The showcase staged by Agentry PR brought together an eclectic group of 12 new and emerging brands that offered up a variety of menswear categories — everything from embellished eveningwear to handcrafted knits.
Outerwear was a key category for several of the brands including Cross Eyed Moose, the menswear label introduced last year by One Jeanswear Group, traditionally a womenswear company. The fall collection has a street vibe infused with technical elements, or what Jack Gross, chief executive officer of OJG, described as “Born in the city and raised in the wild,” or “street to peak.”
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That translated into trekking pants with cargo pockets and no side seams that could work as well in an urban environment as when climbing a mountain. Other key pieces included convertible parachute pants with a 21-inch leg opening that can be cinched and zipped off into shorts; a puffer made from mechanical stretch poly and tapered at the waist offered in both a futuristic landscape print or a solid, and a parka that comes with a reversible vest featuring sherpa knit on one side and a water-resistant nylon on the other. Quilted bombers and a shacket were also in the line.
Outerwear was also the star for Nobis, a Canadian company that is known for its technical yet fashionable jackets. Designer Michael Kerr said every piece in the fall collection is 100 percent waterproof so they’re high-performance, but the silhouettes are also trend-worthy enough to fit in on city streets.
Puffers and an Army green parade coat worked well with the midlayers, vests, knits and technical accessories in the collection, which was titled “Off the Grid.” New for fall, the brand introduced performance bottoms.
Offering a different take on menswear was Victor Lytvinenko, creative director of Raleigh Workshop, who made his first appearance at New York Men’s Day. Although the Big Apple is a far cry from his home base of Raleigh, North Carolina, Lytvinenko brought along a group of creatives from the city to walk as models in the presentation. Raleigh is best known for its selvedge denim — and there was plenty of that — but these looks were customized with an array of embellishments that made every piece look like a work of art. Some of the pieces will be in the commercial line, Lytvinenko said, but most were one-offs intended to showcase a creative spirit.
“During the day we make jeans,” he said, “but after dark, we invite creatives in and we make new things without fear — clothes, music, dance, poetry, paintings, friendships and conversations.”
At A.Potts, designer Aaron Potts found inspiration in an unlikely place, the 1994 film “The Little Rascals.” The designer was drawn to the film’s rebellious spirit and blended that with his memory of New York City in the ‘90s.
“It was like superchic people in all black hustling and bustling through the streets and looking amazing,” he explained. “That’s what imprinted on me as a young person moving to New York City, so I wanted to capture that feeling.”
The bulk of the fall 2023 collection is created in all black with varying fabrics and textures such as faux leather, heavy duck cotton and Neoprene designed in A.Potts’ signature oversize styles. The designer wanted to juxtapose the heaviness of the black pieces with an array of lighter styles created in all white, such as fringe-embellished separates. Potts explained he “punctuated” the collection with a few red pieces to “give it a little more emotion.”
Stephen Mikhail is venturing once again into dark territories, with his latest collection for Atelier Cillian, inspired by the “Malleus Maleficarum,” a detailed legal and theological document (published in 1486) regarded as the standard handbook on witchcraft.
“We went dark again — it’s where I thrive the most,” said the designer during his presentation, a dark lineup (literally) but with clean silhouettes driven by tailoring, such as a sheer black suit with black embroidered tree branches, a silver armor-like built-up coat played into the persecution bit, and a collarless version of a black moto jacket with cuff overlays. This time around Mikhail’s staple tweed suit was offered in black and white.
Cropped jackets were featured extensively in tweed and other versions while Mikhail’s recurring raffia pieces (including one in silver), cutouts on draped shirts with visible slices of skin, and a black mesh long-sleeved shirt added a dose of sensuality to the lineup.
“This collection feels like an extension of me — as artists we always look back and say, ‘I can’t believe I did that,’ but as of now I am very happy,” said Mikhail.
A Newcomer to New York Men’s Day, Beam Ratchapol Ngaongam, presented his debut collection for his knitwear line Bulan.
What began as a side project, and two years in the making, has morphed into a genderless knitwear collection in a variety of textures, shapes and colors.
Ngaongam said the collection is inspired by mental health issues he has witnessed in his family. “They have to wake up and fight everyday, and I wanted to bring awareness to these issues,” he said. He illustrated this through the various holes seen on oversize cable-knit sweaters and matching shorts ensembles, as well as the asymmetric draping, twisting and imperfections on pieces such as vests, knit dresses and pants, all finished in colorful neon, pastel and neutral tones and patterns.
In an industry where a wave of exuberant knitwear designers continue to emerge, Ngaongam’s first outing is shaking up the market with new ways of thinking about colors, shape and technique.
Playfulness continued to permeate the namesake label of Nicholas Raefski, who offered a collection inspired by the heroes he looked up to as a child. These included notables such as hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, Queen’s Freddie Mercury, John Lennon and even one of Star Wars’ most famous characters, Obi Wan Kenobi.
Each of Raefski’s chosen heroes was represented in separate vignettes: a graphic white button-down shirt depicted a huddle of hockey players; a red, white and black moto jacket paired with black leather pants was very Mr. Mercury, and a double-breasted black-and-white trench was printed with John Lennon’s portrait.
Suits continue to be a key category for Raefski, who this season presented two youthful versions: an all-brown corduroy and a black-and-white graphic model with all of the designer’s heroes front and center. New this season was womenswear. “I wanted a new challenge,” said the designer. But while he gets points for effort, this is one avenue that will need some refinement.
Initially launching in 2016, Jahnkoy designers Burkindy and Marusya Tamboura debuted their ready-to-wear men’s collection that merges traditional textiles with contemporary silhouettes. The collection features a handwoven textile made in Burkina Faso, which appears in many of the collection’s outerwear.
“We’re creating the new modern man, it’s not one thing or the other,” Burkindy said. “You can mix things and you won’t be intimidated. You can wear the hat with something else. You can mix the colors — it’s like how do you put the whole thing in a pot and pull something that everyone can wear.”
The collection also continues Jahnkoy’s partnership with Puma, which the brand debuted in 2019. The collaboration offers codesigned Puma and Jahnkoy tracksuits customized with leftover fabric from the collection’s pieces. Tamboura described the collaboration as a “merge of athleisure and hand craftsmanship with the message to revive global cultural heritage.”