Neil Barrett Men's Fall/Winter 2019 – Milan Fashion Week

As fashion brand conglomerates begin to acquire notable brands, just recently Vesace was taken over by Micheal Kors Pty Ltd, the independent designers who have run the course for over 10 yrs are up for possible acquisitions and mergers as the powerhouse corporate entities begin to set the offers. With mega sports brands like Puma and Adidas and also Asics setting the tone with branding via collaborations partnerships with smaller to mid size established designers.  From slow absorption (collaboration) to being bought completely could be a business trend for fashion in 2019.  This can be seen from two perspectives.  1.  Survival 2.  Cashing out or a mixture of both.  Normal, when a business cycle, such as the fashion industry, begins to tighten and profit margins start to dwindle. Depending on the companies liabilities, it may be attractive to a multinational conglomerate absorbing brand names – if fortunate enough to be in their sights, within a market that is probably pre-recessionary.  Selling out may be a viable option, sans the creative control.  But, there is a generalized fear, the brand that was once a stalwart fashion identity, may not be once it's diluted through mass production and/or directional change.  Fashion, more so the runways of 2018 were confused to say the least, back-lashing and then reinserting its self into 'normal' trends, trying to gauge markets that didn't exist.  More notable misfiring of sourcing trends, was the failing to see what is happening at street level, but there's also a paradox.  As it isn't always clear who influences the styles and digital markets have made it even more unclear.  The designer or the streets? Whatever the combination, ambiguity makes it more interesting and a true creative rises to the challenge.

2018 was also a year where designers, of all various manifestations, drew from the late 1970s and early 1980s.  It was punk overtures and disco, a lot blazers, mini skirts – but no mobiles phones or Internet.  A luxury to romanticize about period that is well and truly finished.  And it ain't coming back.  Still, a fusion of ideas (past and present) could assist in the emergence of something very new, a reflective indifference, but at the same time a moxie in all of its enchantment.   We shall see.  In the meantime.

Neil Barrett Fall/Winter 2019/2020 delivers a clean and focused impression of the mentioned eras that was the late 70s and early 80s.  Bankrupted Western cities, rebellion, drug use, the paint hadn't peeled, it was just left neglected.  Blazers, long coats, London is calling ala The Clash, the last remnants of the punk trend of 1977, rehashed into an sell point before it all became disco and morphed into Studio 54 excess and spilled over narcissism.  Fashion, back in the day was cut and paste and mix and match.   The innovations  of 80s early designers, particularly UK and Japanese - embracing the simple, reworking the complex and setting down the do it your self with price tags.

Barrett offers a nice rumination of  the past.