New York Fashion Week, J. Sabatino: Military Time

Maybe it's because we're in a never-ending time of war that J. Sabatino has had the only military-themed collection. The uniformed utilitarian aesthetic with built-in masculinity is a common go-to for designers. But even if military were the huge trend (a la mountain climbing inexplicably was last season), J. Sabatino would certainly stand out.

There was a pan-armed forces approach to the clothes that yielded winning results. The clever designer Jay Sabatino deserves more than a cult following. The American Sabatino lives in Japan, which has seemingly influenced his peculiar and original worldview. The clothes are available in the US at Opening Ceremony and there will be a pop-up shop within the N. Hoolywood store in Tokyo. "Window displays are my day job," Sabatino says. "This is my passion." Sabatino always flexes his presentation muscle. This time, it was staged against a backdrop wall of sandbags while a TV monitor played static. Models stood in a mound of dirt wearing items such as loose fatigue trousers, jersey bombers, and even a three-piece linen camo suit- it takes skill (and balls) to make that and have it look cool.

-- WILLIAM VAN METER

All photos courtesy of Sarah Olin