Fall Fashion: Tricks & Treats

Fashion can sometime appear to be overly costumed, but it really comes down to choice. Whether you choose to push boundaries, make a loud statement and show your courage through a visibly charged wardrobe, or whether you feel the subtleties of chic tailoring and quieter colors truly reflect your inner personality, either way, clothing is a way to express yourself, how you feel and who you are.

For inspiration this October we’ve picked out a selection of Fall’s coolest looks with the spirit of All Hallow’s Eve in mind. We’re channeling somewhere between Tim Burton’s monchromatically stylish Jack Skellington and the burnt orange of Jack O’Lantern, from the extreme style of Thom Browne’s exquisite gothic suits to the pared back chic of a sleek Tom Ford leather look. No matter your true self, find a synergy with designers that speak to you and you’ll find clothes you really want to wear.

Brit Kim Jones has designed at Dior Men since 2018 and shifted the line to amongst the most desirable menswear labels. This Fall, his deft expertise at textures and tailoring were heavily influenced by the collaboration and artistry of fellow St Martin’s alumnae Peter Doig and milliner Stephen Jones.

At Saint Laurent Anthony Vaccarello frequently revisits his favorite Parisian retro influences to high acclaim, here with a 60s beatnik mood mixing up an 80s abstract print flourish, certainly topped off with very much now 2021 attitude.

Virgil Abloh is proving himself to be a masterful designer at Louis Vuitton, shifting the norms and paradigms within menswear and classic masculinity, and showing that fashion as art can express what perhaps words cannot.

As the relatively new kid on the block, Mike Amiri has quickly found his footing as the Californian designer with the rock chic aesthetic, but he shows he has the golden touch when it comes to knowing what works season after season.

Gucci turns 100 this year, and they are certainly celebrating more than an anniversary, with the longterm success and inestimable influence of creative director Alessandro Michele. His lifting and updating of key pieces from the archives — not to mention the Hacker Project alongside Balenciaga — turned this Fall season in to a triumph of then and now.

Typically sharp and immaculate tailoring is in the DNA of the Alexander McQueen brand, given his original training on Savile Row in London. This season, designer Sarah Burton adds her rich take with paper cut inspired prints and exquisite embroidery.

There is another anniversary in the house, as Olivier Rousteing celebrates ten years leading Balmain, with his modern take on all things dramatic, styled in his ubiquitous manner with cinched belts, slick shades, and boots in which to takes steps on the moon and into the future.

The chicest of all men, Tom Ford, knows how to style any fellow in a flawlessly dressed look, but following the pandemic he played more with deconstruction than usual, of course remaining high on luxury, but with a softness that mirrored the sweats and leather in his women’s collection, something he thinks will stick around for forseeable seasons.

Known for his suiting of course, the ever-evolving Paul Smith is also a dab hand at updating other classics from his own archive and reference, including this colorful take on the everyday workman’s donkey jacket, a striped mohair sweater reminiscent of the early punk days, and crepe soled loafers worn with pants cropped just short enough to show off a white socked ankle.

Rick Owens is a designer of whom you can say, ‘if you know, you know.’ His loyal followers are secure in the knowledge that he is quietly influential, with an irreverent and emotional take on today’s fashion, and indeed on the state of the world today, breaking the rules and setting the template for others to walk in his footsteps, with fashion that is both timeless and timely.

One of the originators of fusion clothing — a sweater and shirt loving mated, a parka and flannel jacket seamlessly grafted — Chitose Abe’s genius lies in her understanding of combining the unusual with what we all actually want to wear, and her superior ability to complement tech with design, making Sacai a favorite label in our wardrobes and around the world.

Named ‘The (Re)Set’, this Fall Ermenegildo Zegna collection was created with a post-pandemic life in mind, with designer Alessandro Sartori lifting the indoor/outdoor collection to practical new heights by incorporating seventy five percent recycled fabrics – an in-house ‘Use the Existing’ policy – and a technical know-how infused throughout the pieces.

Thom Browne is laying a new path for menswear. From his original shorts suits, to now incorporating corsets, skirts and more – and dressing actor Lee Pace, our WTF? subject, for this year’s Met Gala – the man knows no creative limits, and the success of his business (plus an 85% stake investment from Ermenegildo Zegna) shows that his aesthetic is wildly popular, not just for pomp and show, and not just for Halloween.