TRENDS // Monochromatic Matte & Sheen

Jil Sander Autumn Winter 2012

Jil Sander Autumn Winter 2012

T By Alexander Wang Fall 2012

Louis Vuitton Footwear Autumn Winter 2012

A lot of designers take A/W as their opportunity to use a monochromatic colour scheme, this pattern can make things feel a little repetitive, so it's interesting to see how different designers make it feel new and also make it their own. This is usually done using some combination of textures and this season is no exception, I've noticed a lot of designers using Matte and Sheen (whether sheen be a treated fabric, leather or some form of plastic) to create the feeling of variety that's needed in a monochromatic collection and I think I kinda like it and it really reminds me of a recent purchase I made (more on that later).

Trend Spotted: (Building on) 'Florals for Men?'

Paul Smith recently released a pair of floral t-shirts for men, an interesting set if I do say so. I prefer the blue and I'd actually wear it with the right outfit:

TREND SPOTTED: FLORALS FOR MEN?

Florals are nothing ground-breaking for spring but for men?

Now, this is definitely a trend for the brave man, and isn't easy to pull off. Donatella plastered florals throughout her Spring/Summer collection this season at Milan and they all looked great on the quintessentially masculine models she used, I'm not sure they'd have the same affect teamed with a softer jawline but lets say no more.

I'm not sure I'd feel totally comfortable in any of these looks, but some more accessible and played down male florals I might consider can be seen below: