Designer Andrew Buckler makes clothes for the guy who wants to add a bit of bloke to traditional men's sportswear. Since the British invasion of Buckler in 2001 with a single pair of jeans, the line expanded into full menswear with stores in Toronto, London and New York. Again this season he took to the streets, literally on Gansevroot Street in Manhattan to show his line.
Colors: Gray, black, blue, ivory
Materials: Cotton, leather, denim
Loved Looks:
View Full Collection at GQ.com
When styling menswear, its often difficult to find a line that is younger, and less boring. Buckler's clothes are great when it comes to men dressing like men and not just high fashion experiments. Though a striped hooded sweatshirt and matching harem sweats may be too much for some guys, piece by piece, every guy can find something a little special in Buckler's line. The tuxedo jackets were fantastic with strategically placed pockets and inverted "v" cut. An essential leather blazer can be dressed down with a pair of his dark denim. If to make comparison's to other designers, the line is similar to Varvatos without the pompousness.
Unloved Looks:
If anything, the stone-wash gray denim would be a hard sell for most sloppy straight guy clients.
People, Scene and Music:
Admiting that there was a bit of bitching going on because it was hot, once I realized that closing down an entire street provides excellent visability, I was fine with that. At one point, I sat on the curb which I supposed would be "front row." My ass felt as if it was going to catch fire since the blazing sun pounded that very same pavement all day, but like I mentioned, I saw all the clothes in detail. I expected more of a crowd outside, but here's the thing I noticed. It's menswear. The construction workers who were eagerly standing on a near by roof disappeared once the first male model came strutting down the street to Prodigy's Fire Starter. So yes, I think that eliminated much of the would-be crowds that were hoping to see breasts through a sheer shirt. But the ladies in the crowd were impressed --as the pretty young girl next to me said "hubba hubba hubba" as one model passed by. Last, what is particularly brilliant about showing on the street is that you are able to envision the looks on that guy in his natural habitat--walking on the streets of New York.
Rating:
Three out of four Karl Lagerfelds.
