Walter Van Beirendonck, SS12, Paris.
Walter Van Beirendonck must be one of the most consistently fun menswear designers. His collections are always filled with eccentric shapes and he has a way with oversized, eye-catching show pieces. But don’t be distracted by the novelty factor, there are beautifully chosen fabrics in here, and the suits are always really well cut. Of special note is the pattern making used in this collection which shows an incredible degree of innovation. The beautifully cut suit jackets that were panelled with triangles, rather than using darts for shaping appear so effortless, but possibly took many a toile to achieve just the right balance.
Sometimes menswear can seem more limiting than womenswear, especially within the scope of a suit and shirt combination. But the attention paid to recutting the suit in this more geometric way gives the suit jackets a new dynamic. Pockets have also been added in along the horizontal seamline for these geometric tailored pieces, and the corners of these appear to have been reinforced by hand with a small bar tack of buttonhole stitches.
Images from Totem and Vogue.co.uk»
