Photos: Dan Lecca
On Tuesday, Michael Bastian showed his latest menswear collection at Manhattan's Rubin Museum of Art, the former location of Barneys New York which now hosts stunning Himalayan artefacts.
After taking his inspiration from Frenchmen for Spring 2014, the Out100 honoree took us across the Pacific, with designs evoking the modern Japanese man. "In a world where the cultural differences between how men dress in different countries are blurring, the Japanese are emerging as the world's great 'editors', combining the best from all of the traditional menswear outposts in their own way," said Bastian.
Sticking to this observation, the designer matched preppy tailored suiting with more exotic fabrications, such as silk shantung kimonos or smoking jackets with metallic gold brocade. Outerwear was embroidered with traditional Japanese imagery -- dragons, Mount Fuji --, and beautiful jade bolo ties (pictured, below) provided a refreshing upgrade to formal neckwear. A chunky knit sweater embellished with gemstones (pictured, left) highlighted the Ivy League-meets-samurai vibe of the collection.
Completing the looks, velvet slippers designed by Bastian in collaboration with Stubbs & Wootton added a relaxed, loungey touch, as the models walked serenely through the audience.
Opening the show, we also noticed model Henrik Fallenius (pictured above, right): You might recognize him from Out's latest February issue, in which three-piece suits were completely optional.
Details of the jewelry at Michael Bastian Fall 2014
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