It's Coachella out in the desert this weekend and although I'm quite happy not to be there, a big part of me would love to be wafting around in a selection of these beauties.
The Spring 2016 collection was inspired by the 1990s and starts with a full sportswear look I suppose as a nod to the music scene of the time but it's these whimsical, colourful magical pieces that make me want to lie back in the long grass and stare at the little fluffy clouds.
And when it would rain it would all turn, it, they were beautiful
The most beautiful skies as a matter of fact
The sunsets were purple and red and yellow and on fire
And the clouds would catch the colors everywhere
Prada World
In Prada World women are tough magical creatures (who can also layer clothes and bags masterfully); they are timeless, yet use historial and futuristic accents; they are ladylike even in tough boots and can probably swear like a sailor whilst striding around in heeled sandals.
The glorious mixture of fabrics, textures, proportions and influences suggests a global vision from and for a woman who travels, reads, looks, sees, listens, absorbs and knows herself.
Prada Fall/Winter 2016 presents a wardrobe for today's woman.
Precision tailoring
There are a few labels that bring out the nerd in the male clothing consumer. Stone Island springs to mind. Maharishi is another, as is Engineered Garments.
Like Manrepeller-style clothes, this is the sort of stuff that leaves most birds wondering what the hell Him-indoors is wittering on about; three kinds of weave in a wool blazer, single needle stitching on a shirt, special stitches around the neck to stop it from stretching.. Don't get me wrong, it's a wonderful thing to hear a dude bang on about threads.
Engineered Garments work with heritage fabrics (Daiki Suzuki has a long standing partnership with Woolrich), heritage and military clothing (Suzuki has a huge vintage collection) with a relevant modern take for Today's Man regardless of age.
I'm digging this collection for FW16. The tones and colours, the textures, the attitude and the beard.
Bye Bye Bowie
We lost a creative genius yesterday. The man who once fell to earth and then all but disappeared from the public eye for the last few years made a final poetic exit from this world. I hope he knows how much he was loved and how inspired he left us all.
Gorillas in the missed
Not sure what to make of some pieces in the current Marni collection. Fur sleeves on tailored garments are lost on me.
I'm a huge fan of Marni, I love that it's a label for women, I love clothes that men don't generally understand or that don't obviously appeal to a basic instinct.
Who knows, perhaps these furry brachiams reflect the primate power in women, perhaps they're just to keep us warm, perhaps this season they'll be a huge hit with the dudes.