By Nicholas Isaza

Setting the Stage

Menswear has been in an exciting renaissance as of lately. For better or worse, men have been much more invested in how they look. This renaissance can be traced back to the early 2010s, when a generation of men began to look up to certain rappers, athletes, and celebrities. At the same time, the major fashion houses began shuffling around designers, many of whom are still influential to this day. Kim Jones transitioned from early days at Louis Vuitton to Dior, Hedi Slimane worked at Saint Laurent and then Celine, Alessandro Michele directed Gucci, and, yes, Kanye West was well known for his budding entourage of creatives. These designers fabricated an era of fashion marked by multifaceted creativity. Their ideas went directly on the runway with little corporate intervention. This eventually culminated in the iconic year of 2016, when hypebeast culture was at its peak, logos mattered more than anything, and streetwear was the dominant dress form. Men had started to care.

Flash forward to 2018, when Virgil Abloh married streetwear and high fashion in his iconic debut show for Louis Vuitton. Around the same time, Alessadro Michele perfected his maximalist aesthetic at Gucci, subverting gender norms and creating beautifully bright collections that embodied the gorgeous Italian countryside. Meanwhile, a relatively small designer named Demna Gvasalia, who founded what can only be described as an antithetical brand called Vetements, had been creating a nightmarish, dark, yet loud identity for the legendary house Balenciaga. All of this continued to build up as more men experimented with their style, figuring out what they really like.

Recent Developments

With that background in place, we can talk about the current day. Legendary designer Virgil Abloh tragically passed roughly a year ago, after a battle with cancer, leaving behind an unrivaled legacy. Out of respect for him and his vision for the house, Louis Vuitton has yet to appoint a new creative director, instead using the plans he left behind to create beautiful collections. However, the fashion world is constantly moving, and whispers have already been circulating surrounding who will take over the crown jewel of the LVMH conglomerate. A month ago, Gucci and Alessandro Michele parted ways in an unexpected turn of events, following years of Gucci competing as one of the world’s most famous and best-performing brands. Who exactly was Gucci going back and forth with, you may ask? Balenciaga, arguably its aesthetic polar opposite. Balenciaga had only gotten bolder and bolder over the years. Muddy runways, gimp masks, thousand-dollar trash bags, and comically large mickey mouse reminiscent boots were only the beginning of the social commentary Demna Gvasalia was crafting. That was until a recent scandal — one of Balenciaga’s campaigns posed children with BDSM-harnessed teddy bears, officially crossing the line from creative performance art to thoroughly off-putting and disturbing content. The backlash was immediate, with major celebrities such as Kim Kardashian publicly reconsidering their relationship with the brand. This type of backlash is rarely enough to bury a brand, but the scandal would go on to devolve into all sorts of conspiracy theories, involving the ulterior motives of the lizard-overlord-fashion-elite-Illuminati. If this turmoil wasn’t enough, Raf Simons also announced he was closing down his eponymous label, further disrupting the menswear industry.

What the future holds

With so many developments, it’s clear that the world we grew accustomed to for the past couple of years is in for a change. But as to what direction these changes will take, we’ll have to wait and see. Balenciaga, as shock-value art, went too far, and Gucci’s brand was not pushing sales as it once did. 

One possible direction of retreat from these fragile positions is for menswear to reground itself as a more digestible art form, shying away from the vast brushstrokes of eclectic creative directors. This move would bring back sharp, clean tailoring and a focus on “classic” attire. If done correctly, this shift would revive the silhouettes and formality of trousers, jackets, and collars — but with a modern edge. We already see traces of this trend in the beautiful collections from Matthieu Blazy’s sublime Bottega Venetta and Anthony Vaccarello’s cinematic Saint Laurent. Both designers are deeply knowledgeable about fashion history, and have turned their knowledge to good use, updating classic pieces to give them a sartorially modern flair. By keeping the pieces similar to what many men identify with while simultaneously elevating each piece with each designer’s personal touch and unparalleled quality, both brands have managed to keep a seductive and compelling tone to their collections. 

Another possible direction is the continued dominance of the arthouse creative, pushing the boundaries of menswear and even clothes. Jonathan Anderson has had an incredible year, with both Loewe and the JW Anderson brand, incorporating varied social commentary. See, for example, the viral “minecraft hoodie” a comment on the world’s increasing dependence on tech and the metaverse. Another collection featured grass grown on clothes, to warn about the dangers of climate change. However, these sort of creatives tend to lean towards emphasizing artistry over conventionality, and as consumers turn their focus back to wearbility, will the creatives have to tame their ideas? 

Lastly, an entire generation of new, young designers has already established themselves in mainstream culture with a cohesive look and a strongly dedicated fanbase. What Teddy Santis has accomplished with his brand Aime leon dore cannot be emphasized enough. Just one look at the @nolitadirtbag Instagram account will point you towards a subversive new form of classic prep, replete with the white socks and loafers. What ALD has done is take a traditionally very exclusive style of dressing, and mixed it with pieces that bring prep into a more democratic sphere. We see blazers styled with yankee fitteds and jeans, while other looks provide big black puffers with knit sweaters, silk scarves, and the aforementioned loafers.  Meanwhile, French designer Jacquemus has carved out a name in both womenswear and menswear, focusing on mood and color palettes to create immersive collections filled with statement pieces. Jacquemus does so well instills his joie de vivre into every collection he puts out, while simultaneously dressing the models to perfectly suit their environment. His recent spring 2022 collection dropped the runway in Oahu, bringing out models in tonal blues, greens, oranges, and pinks to capture the spirit of a spring in Hawaii. His now-iconic Fall 2020 collection, set amidst the backdrop of a lavender field in the French countryside, mixed a unique androgyny with light pastels. Every collection embodies a different aspect of the world Jacquemus loves, drawing us in to consider the beauty around us. Rounding out this cohort, CFDA menswear designer of the year Emily Adams Bode’s eponymous label Bode continues to push its vintage-inspired, upcycled vision. Bode takes vintage fabrics and pieces to new heights with expert tailoring for the modern man, while emphasizing unique patterns. Both Bode stores, one in Manhattan the other in Los Angeles, are need-to-visit spots, with their moody ambiances and gorgeous interiors cementing Bode as a brand.

With so many different options to suit every palate, men now have unlimited choices to decide what stylistic avenue they want to pursue. The large fashion houses will eventually decide who will be helming their creative departments; we can only hope the choices they make will continue to push us to new heights.