THE MANY MILES. From Paris, London and even Bikini Bottom, this year’s Plaza Indonesia Men’s Fashion Week (PIMFW) finds inspiration from everywhere
A look from Lanvin‘s fall/winter 2017 collection
With “sneaker Culture” as its theme, Plaza Indonesia Men’s Fashion Week (PIMFW) 2017 presented a vast number of brands (22 in total) from Indonesia and abroad. The event lasted for five days from September 25 to 29, and drew a vast audience, including celebrities to fashion enthusiasts alike, who came fashionably dressed to the Function Hall of Plaza Indonesia. As an official media partner of the event, DA MAN recounts the highlights of the first two days right from the front row of PIMFW 2017’s runways.
DAY ONE
Opening the first day of PIMFW 2017 was Lanvin, which showcased its Winter 2017 men’s Ready-to-Wear Pre-Collection and Winter 2017 Menswear Collection. The maison presented all kinds of looks, from sartorial suits to streetwear that were sometimes blended together, mixing the classical tailoring codes of Lanvin with the elements of sportswear.
For the Winter 2017 Pre-collection, the clothes were presented with a strict uniform spirit, which was translated through the use of lines on the black pants and baseball jackets. This season also saw design combinations of multiple prints such as large and small checks, stripes and micro-prints, thereby creating an optical-illusion-like effect. These were presented using a color palette dominated by red, navy blue and black.
It seems that Lucas Ossendrijver, Lanvin’s Creative Director of Menswear, is very into the concept of “reworking” this season; not only for his Winter 2017 Pre-collection but also for the Winter 2017 collection. Stripes and Prince of Wales Check patterns are reworked this season; check shirts, parkas, duffle coats and chino pants have all been sublimated into the essence of design, construction and proportion. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there is no specific theme or source of inspiration this year for Lanvin. Instead, the collections are all about the subtle shifts, the modesty of a fabric and the play on proportions.
With cotton, leather and wool as the three primary materials, over-sized sweaters are shortened to be worn over check t-shirts, collars are draped to give it subtlety while quarter-zip pullovers come in mesh, nylon and fleece. Chino pants are blended in a patchwork of fabrics and uneven color gradient hand-dyed cotton. meanwhile, diving shoes are dividedly cut in precise shapes with color contrasts lace, making a statement that luxury is not seen through decoration, but through simplicity.
DAY TWO
Continuing the show on day two was Indonesian brand Parang Kencana, which blended military and batik patterns together. Titled “Coup d’état,” the runway show exhibited 25 ready-to-wear looks with models sporting painted faces and utilitarian boots. These contrasted deeply with the light tones of the clothes, which include clay brown and dusty blue. Additionally, there were baseball jerseys that featured camo patterns on one side and geometric batik circles on the other. These, again, were juxtaposed by striped sleeves and clean shorts with camo details.
Following Parang Kencana were two British brands, namely Marks & Spencer and Ben Sherman, which presented their collections together. For Marks & Spencer, urban simplicity was the theme for the season. The runway show started with casual looks enveloped in colors like camel and navy blue. Layering was the key for Marks & Spencer this fall. In one look, a striped t-shirt was layered with a light blue shirt and a grey bomber jacket; a fedora and chinos completed the look. Towards the end, the runway became a lot more formal as business-ready suits took over. Coming in indigos and grays, the suits looked classic and relaxed. Naturally, the feel of this closing act is very synonymous with Marks & Spencer’s brand DNA.
The cool full-of-bass instrumental music for Marks & Spencer soon changed to a groovy and playful dance song when Ben Sherman’s show started—a hint on the change in theme. While Marks & Spencer provided an interpretation of what the urban man is all about, Ben Sherman looks to the past to relive the spirit of mod. The brand took inspiration from iconic British music legends such as John Lennon to create a collection that’s undeniably British. Gingham was used as the backdrop: shirts and neutral-colored bomber jackets were juxtaposed against gingham patterns underneath. Suspenders were used, striped t-shirts were contradicted with ginghams and bright colors were mixed with neutral hues, insinuating that the collection was not only about mod, but future mod.
The day was eventually closed by Tities Sapoetra, whose show was, without a doubt, the most crowded and star-studded for the day. In a way, it was similar to Dolce & Gabbana’s recent shows, where social media influencers walked down the runway. The seats were jam-packed. And so was the collection, which was made in collaboration with Nickelodeon’s Spongebob. Yes, the cartoon character. With golden hues as the primary color, Spongebob prints were blended with traditional fabrics. There were some really vibrant pieces in the collection, particularly the ones in satin. The true highlight of the collection, though, was when the Spongebob prints were blended with minimalist influences, like a glen plaid pattern jacket or striped pants; creating a subtle friskiness that is not only fun and modern, but functional and modest.
FINAL THOUGHTS
A look from Tities Sapoetra’s collaboration with Spongebob Gold
It was, all in all, a very miscellaneous runway filled with very different ideas from every designer. From the constructional and proportional philosophy of Lanvin to the batik-meets- military design of Parang Kencana, the urban simplicity of Marks & Spencer to the spirit by mod of Ben Sherman, not to mention the playfulness of Tities Sapoetra X Spongebob, there was everything for everyone. This year’s Plaza Indonesia Men’s Fashion Week proves that there will be no shortage of innovation and creativity among the nation’s foremost designers.
Photography Joe Sabarto and Tony Narotama
Text Ricky Ronaldo
SHARE THIS ARTICLE
