All eyes are on men’s fashion as New York Fashion Week: Men’s kicks off Monday. And many of the trends bound for the runway will be readily available at Project Las Vegas, taking place Feb. 5-7 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.
From upsized silhouettes to the strong return of outerwear, the trade show will offer a first look at the Fall ’19 collections from contemporary sportswear and denim pure players.
Here, Lizette Chin, president of men’s, and Informa/UBM Fashion’s trend partner, Fashion Snoops, shares with Rivet the key men’s denim and fashion trends to hunt for this week in Las Vegas.
Rivet: Which jean fits and washes are gaining momentum in the men’s category for Fall ’19?
Fashion Snoops: Denim is loosening up again. Super skinny fits are not on trend whatsoever. Easier going, straight fits inspired by Levi’s 501 is where it’s at. By and large, we’re seeing lighter washes with true blue casts. Nothing that looks too artificial or at the other extreme, too precious and raw. We’re also seeing some cool surface effects with the denim like tweed-like specs and dimensions of color.
Rivet: Are there any other denim trends you expect to see less of for Fall ’19?
Fashion Snoops: We’re seeing a continuation of less super-dark resin washes, less raw denim, less skinny fits and less exaggerated rips and tears. Everything is pretty organic and natural in its appearance. It’s almost a return to the classics. Project Las Vegas has all the leading denim brands in this space such as Paige, 7 For All Mankind, DL1961 and Mavi to name a few.
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Rivet: Which brands at Project Las Vegas are emerging as leaders in sustainability?
Lizette Chin: Save the Duck is a key brand in this space. Their garments are 100-percent animal-free and favored by a bevy of celebrities. They replace goose down with a new state-of-the-art technology. Additionally, Selected Homme is on their way as well. During this past New York show, they showed a sustainable capsule collection called Selected Lab that will also be showing in Las Vegas. Sustainability has become an important concept in fashion and both of these brands are at the forefront.
Rivet: What impact is luxury streetwear having on men’s brands at Project?
LC: Luxury streetwear has taken the industry by storm. With designers like Kim Jones, Virgil Abloh and Ricardo Tisci all leading the major fashion houses, the attitude and design aesthetic that make up luxury streetwear is here to stay for a while. A majority of designers in the contemporary men’s market has taken note of these fashion houses over the years. With design leaders who have backgrounds in streetwear leading these houses, the industry can’t help but to take notice of luxury streetwear and core streetwear alike, as well as the impact it has on everything from design and marketing, to fashion shows and even fashion events like Project. As a trade show, this convergence of lifestyles and fashion is what makes all of this so fun and enables us to continue to evolve with both our brands and retailers each season.
Rivet: Are there any major outerwear trends to know for Fall ’19?
Fashion Snoops: This is a loaded question since there are so many, but most important outerwear trends are “dad coats, or overcoats in all colors and fabrics—the longer and cozier the better. [There is] still a big push for cozy Sherpa Patagonia-style jackets, but don’t buy as deeply as we are starting to see this down trend slightly for Fall ’19. And when it comes to good transitional outerwear, the anorak and windbreaker are the new bomber jacket. Bold colorways, color blocking, patterns, etc. In Project Las Vehas, Barbour, Save the Duck and Fisher + Baker are on top of their game in outerwear.
Rivet: The recent runway shows emphasized men’s jewelry, bags and scarves. Which men’s accessories do you expect to trend at Project? And are there any particular themes to pay close attention to?
Fashion Snoops: Jewelry is still up trending for the men’s market. Masculine “charms,” for lack of a better word, prevail like coins and lost relics. Return to classic hats like driving caps is starting to be seen on the streets. Take a look at Tateossian for jewelry or Borsalino for hats at The Tents at Project Las Vegas.
Rivet: What’s the status of gender-fluid fashion? Do you think it’s stuck at the high-end market?
Fashion Snoops: It’s still not being done perfectly at most retailers. Right now, the industry is stuck in thinking non-gender clothing has to be just sporty basics like sweatshirts in super-oversized fits. I think it’s stuck there right now, and definitely in the streetwear market. We need to see how other designers start to incorporate dual genders in the design, things like silk shirts for men, furry coats and sweaters.