The Yellow Banana
This one's a juicy one. A quick one, but juicy.
Outfit
I’m currently trialing outfits before packing for Paris, and after taking this one for spin, I can confirm it’s coming with me.
Honestly, kind of a banger fit — definitely one worth wearing if you’re a ghost, or if you want to get stopped by a stranger that proceeds to ask what religion you practice, and yes, this actually happened three days ago. The man loved the fit so much, he needed to know what God to believe in to help step his fitussy up.
The outfit was kind of plain at first, since the ol’ sweater over jacket vibe is timeless, but seen throughout the streets of, well, everywhere really. So, to give it a bit of oomph, I threw on the clown pants that leave older white folks confused. Is he a clown? Is he a ghost? This castle’s haunted, and coincidentally, this outfit makes me look like the ghost roaming its halls.
Most tourists would expect some Victorian ghost, but surprise, it’s just a guy with a buzzcut, and an irrational fear of rundown buildings, that’s actually haunting the spot.
What I’ve Been Loving
WWD dropped a piece on four designers/students to look out for after their Central Saint Martins’ annual Reset Show. For context, the Reset Show features first-year designers that are tasked with creating one look entirely from a white ultrasuede fabric — an artificial alternative to suede, though still feels like suede leather. One of the standouts listed is MILO, who designed the stunning look seen below:
Seeing how the garment moves is mesmerizing, definitely a look that could slide perfectly into a collection by Noir Kei Ninomiya. Looking forward to seeing more from Milo, and by the looks of it, they’re based in both Vancouver and London, so shout out to local talent.
On the topic of natural materials and textiles, John Alexander Skelton is another designer who deeply cares for his craft and the quality of his work. Sustainability seems to be a central focus behind the brand, which is evident by his choosing of having customers visit stockists that carry the brand to try on and purchase his garments. This can be refreshing to some, especially considering the surge in online shopping after the pandemic and its environmental impact — the back-and-forth shipping, and all travel associated with it.
With Fall 25 shows underway, John Alexander Skelton presented their FW25 menswear collection. Now, I won’t front with you, I’m not too familiar with their work, but this collection is truly everything I’d want to wear on a daily basis. John designs for himself; adding a more personal and unique touch to his work. By rejecting the idea of mass appeal, Skelton prefers individualism — personal style shaped by someone’s lifestyle, age, preference, etc. He is articulate when he speaks about his work, which comes as no surprise when you see how cohesive and detailed his collections are.
Someone worth keeping tabs on moving forward.
lol of the day (new segment, no one’s safe)
Vogue recently released an article featuring eight menswear experts (lol) to discuss what to expect for Fall 2025 ahead of the FW25 shows coming up. After reading this, it made me wonder how some of these “leading experts” landed the roles they have now, as half of this article was a whole lot of nothing.
Luke Leitch, a contributor for Vogue Runway and Business, quoted Christian Lacroix (when speaking on Jean-Jacques Picart, a legendary consultant in fashion) saying, “Picart had a very good motto. He said fashion is like a banana. When it is green it is not good. And when it is black it is not good. But too early is even worse than too late. The skill is to be there at the right time.”
He proceeds to list designers such as the late Virgil Abloh, Giorgio Armani and Hedi Slimane, who have been the yellow banana of their era, before ultimately saying that the banana is up for grabs (pause) in 2025. To summarize, Luke Leitch said nothing other than there’s an opportunity for someone to take the reigns in menswear this year. Okay, cool — we knew that and have been patiently waiting.
Next, Miles Pope from GQ says he wants to see a little more sex - don’t we all - in fashion today. Nothing screams sex louder than the brands he lists, such as Auralee (which they misspelled as Aurelee), Margaret Howell, Our Legacy, Magliano and Commission. If I had to pick one brand that could ooze some kind of sexuality in their collection, it would be Commission, but even so, I don’t count on it.
(It would be cool seeing a sexed up version of MHL tho)
One thread connecting the majority of these blurbs is the mention of Mathieu Blazy at Chanel and the demand for menswear from the label, and the mentions of Auralee, Lemaire and Our Legacy. Haider Ackermann’s appointment at Tom Ford was also brought up a few times, which I genuinely am excited for and could help pivot menswear to — as mentioned in the article though was also mentioned in an older post of mine before this article — a cleaner, refined look of “subtle elegance” with a stronger appreciation for premium fabrics.
To summarize, my main critique about this article is how much it lacks in diversity of opinion, or honestly, the lack of thought in general. Most of it was filler, so why not tap a fresh batch of voices that can provide a clearer picture of what’s to come in menswear, rather than talking about “goofball swag.” If that becomes an actual term this year, I may have an aneurysm.
Anyway, for me at least, I believe menswear will have somewhat of a cultural reset with the loss of Tik Tok (maybe?), as the overbearing number of “how to” videos will drop thankfully, and individuality may finally rear its much-needed head again. We are seeing the desire for staple, everyday garments that can be worn for various occasions, as we see brands like The Row, Lemaire and Dries Van Noten continuing their dominance, along with the rising Auralee with Ryota Iwai, founder of the Japanese brand, setting a higher standard in design by caring for quality over quantity; choosing higher-tier materials and textiles in their collection. We’re seeing this with smaller designers as well.
I’ve also covered brands like Rier, Hodakova, Aviva Jifei Xue, and Unkruid using either natural fabrics, or repurposed deadstock/vintage goods, and creating genuinely interesting, refreshing collections. People are wanting day-to-day pieces with versatility, but they’re also wanting life and character in the garments they’re purchasing; buying into this lifestyle of higher sophistication. Parting ways with the Y2K and grungier looks from the past few years.
For myself, one clear indicator of where menswear’s going is seeing how many businesses are bringing in the same brands as their competitors. Here in Vancouver, we’ve got Store A doing an exceptional job with their buying, while everyone else is taking notice — copying their formula, but not yet yielding the same results as they had hoped.
It is leading to market oversaturation, as the diversity in brand lists continues to shrink. Shops prioritize carrying the same names like Lemaire, Our Legacy, and other high-demand brands, since they sell well. And, on top of this, they’re bringing additional brands with similar collections; diluting the original, high-demand brand’s appeal by seeing the same garments, just different price points, and some of lesser quality.
It’s disappointing, the lull in menswear is real. Here’s to hoping that someone grips onto that yellow banana with two hands this year, but hey, these are just my thoughts.
(I’m here if Vogue ever wants to feature smaller creators to discuss the state of menswear. Or, if they have a segment to just talk shit.)
Thanks for reading!
Your support is greatly appreciated as I continue working towards growing this newsletter and slowly turning it into something bigger. The end goal is to turn this into a publication, featuring interviews with individuals within the fashion realm, covering collections and shows, etc. Maybe we can make it to fashion week - who knows.
My only ask is if you can please like, subscribe and share this post if you found it helpful, fun, or if it just helped pass the time tbh.
As always, thank you for your support. Love ya.
- Chris
No one was spared in the lol of the day oooof
we will never be free of starter pack fashion educational content sorry to say