from the chiasmus archive: "Craig Green. London Fall 2018 Men’s collection" January 12th, 2018 by CHIASMUS MAGAZINE BLOG

(Images:  Craig Green 2018)

The proficiency of Craig Green is his exactitude.  Able to move from costume design (I cannot urge this enough for the younger designers to consider) back into runway expose.  Skilled and adaptive in its presentation.

The military/mountaineering styles or trends from 2017 have spilled over into 2018.  Which may have something to do with an emergence in pushing for a return of the adventurous male, the explorer, the risk taker.  That, at times, is the solitariness of masculinity.  Of not only going beyond society’s expectations, but defying nature.  To be faced alone.  When you are young, a boy, you want to see what is over the horizon.  Even if others won’t follow you.   To imagine, to create.  Move forward and conquer.   These are such missed strengths that, when a designer like Craig Green, reinvents these visual evocations,  he must be applauded.

The “mold” aspect of Green’s Men’s Fall 2018 showing, refers to the ideal fit.  In references to toy or miniature action figures.  Not the “rigidity” of military aesthetics as I have read from some reviews of this collection, it is more of what can be set and layered onto the male form without it looking sloppy.  The blazer and shirts, both trends of 2017, once again, hold a aesthetic dignity within male fashion.  But, it also represents a conservatism.  Since fashion tends, through all its peaks and troughs, backlashes on itself once in awhile.  If designers choose to rediscover the blazer with its accompanying  business/evening style shirts then it should be reinvented.  A reworking with an imagination of how to reconfigure the form of traditionalism in fashion.  Make it relevant into the now.  Such is experimentation in all it’s adventure.

For Craig Green’s Fall 2018 collection with a mix of reworked conservative styles, shirts and pants, unique cutting and propped up folds.   A very original restyling of traditional men’s looks.  The military influences is there with outdoor inspired jackets, tactical and futuristic ‘special forces’ style long and short jackets.  There is an even combination of both polyester (and possibly Viscose) blends and polyamide, materials we may see more of on the runways in 2018.  With touches of wool and denim for various pieces.  Some theatrical style meandering with conceptual pieces, with the stand out aspects of Green’s collection being the long draped, tribal (humanistic) hooded style jackets.  The imagination of when you are young, the creation of styles, influenced by science fiction and fantasy.  To become a reality.  Beautifully cut and structured draped ensembles, once again polyamide appears to me the main fabric.  With it’s slight crinkle and shimmer.  Geometric shapes, primary colors such as orange, blue and green with earthy yellows, reds, khaki, tan and desert colors.

Outstanding collection.

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(A.Glass 2018)