MAN Presents: Astrid Andersen, Agi & Sam, Shaun Samson Spring 2013

Colin Dawidziuk | June 17, 2012 | 0 Comments

MAN, currently in its 15th consecutive season, has proven to be Topman and Fashion East’s most truly successful platform for launching newer, extremely talented designers. At Saturday’s show, MAN presented Astrid Andersen, Agi & Sam and Shaun Samson’s spring/summer collections for next year, and believe us, this show was well worth the pounding bass-lines and almost deafening music. Check out our singular reviews below…

ASTRID ANDERSEN

This is a woman after the hearts of stylish men everywhere. With her neon-skater sportsman collection, Andersen pushed the boundaries of sportswear this season, adding in a special feature which she exclusively revealed to KENTON’s very own me, but more on that later. Not much can be said about the shapes that one cannot find in a sportswear collection regardless – however, these clothes are much more street savvy than your run-of-the-mill sportswear. The bright, fluoro-neon colours were contrasted against black, as well as luxurious fabrics including lace and silk organza. The man was one who worshipped himself, yet not in the narcissistic realm of worship. No, the Astrid Andersen man treats his body as a temple, both appearance-wise and in his mind. The juxtaposition of the softer fabrics like lace and organza and the harder colors like the deep Bordeaux red and of course black highlighted her focus on the man as a singular being, and one who is focused and with a forward focusing mindset. But the most interesting thing about the collection? Andersen revealed at the Fashion East Installation later that day, that the neon lace that you see was created by the same manufacturers in France that provided lace for Kate Middleton’s Alexander McQueen wedding gown last April. And that’s when we knew – Astrid Andersen isn’t someone to mess with. She is the real deal. (And for the record, we spotted around 14 hunky beefcakes in that show, and we’re in love. But that’s off the record.)

AGI & SAM

After their spectacular fall collection back in April, Agi & Sam had nothing to prove for their spring collection. Nevertheless, they too pushed boundaries. The boys said that the collection was inspired by ‘behaving at your grandfather’s house’, and the inspiration shines through in the idyllic prints that adorn the menswear – everything from old school floral wallpaper, to the weaved pictures on the wall, the nostalgia ran through the Topman venue during the show, but this is what made it such a success. The classic cuts and tailoring were of course present, but there was an aura about the clothes that gave one that feeling of reminiscence and memories that fashion so oftentimes only reference. Jersey, cotton and lamb leather dominated the collection, making the perfect combination of fabrics and textiles for a spring collection. A new take on the dapper, young gentleman, Agi & Sam is surely a brand to focus your eyes on, you young whippersnapper!

SHAUN SAMSON

We’re going to say one thing about Shaun Samson before we start: we do not condone socks with sandals, though he might. In saying that, Shaun’s impeccable ability to create an androgynous collection not only made us swoon to our knees, but surprised us greatly. Yes, the 90s grunge skater look has been making it’s comeback this season for the men, but Shaun took it one step further, with a clear message – androgyny is SO in next spring. Why, he took that message to the point of putting two slender female models in to his spring collection (check out looks 3 and 15 for photographic evidence), which delighted us even more. The simple palette of white, black, and grey was met with pastel oranges, as well as grungy plaid shirts in an array of styles, and cats with spikes through their faces. Er, yeah. Regardless, Samson created a collection made us fall in love with him. And to make us love him even more, the mirrored pants and other mirror adorned pieces gave a little glitz and glamour to the otherwise baggy and deconstructed collection. Now, when is this available and can we have some of those fantastic ear cuffs that we saw on the runway? Thanks!