It’s not every day that I leave a fashion show wishing for the months to speed up as swiftly as possible so that I get to see the clothes from the runway available in store, but the strength of Topman Design’s offering for Autumn/Winter 2013 at their runway show in London on 7 January 2013 was such that I wished that most of these garments and accessories were available as soon as possible, if not immediately. This was perhaps my favourite offering of Topman Design in recent years (in a display made even stronger by the intensely meticulous styling by Bryan McMahon) confirming that this one of the most ingenious London menswear brands to which no man can be indifferent.
Structured around four blocks adroitly divided by colour gradations (in shades of white, orange, red and black), the collection balanced silhouettes in a very effective way. This was achieved by exaggerating shoulder lines with voluminous fur-lined parkas, cropping coats at the (belted) waist level to then widen the contour of the body with wide double-pleated trousers that narrowed again as the bottoms were tucked into boots or sandals, creating hourglass shapes that had the audience seduced throughout the show. Metallic fastenings and lurex threads in knitwear added a shimmering dimension to otherwise heavy fabrics, while double-breasted buttoning in suits and coats with fur-lined collars evoked the traditional elegance of heritage tailoring. In addition, a range of stunning oversized leather rucksacks that matched the colours of the garments complemented the urban explorer look.
Whether owing to the fact that the in-house design team at Topman is deeply creative or because an astute marketing group has researched the menswear zeitgeist thoroughly to apply successful sartorial recipes, one thing is certain: Topman Design collection for Autumn/Winter 2013 will go down in history as one of its most creative and undoubtedly most popular with fashion-savvy consumers.