JAMES LONG

Every now and then fashion switches it’s focus, and a trend from only a few years ago, thought dead and tired, can feel fresh and have meaning again. Take military uniforms, it’s camouflage prints and olive fatigues last had it’s serious heyday with the All Saints (the girl group) and Maharishi in the late 90’s. Whether it’s the recession’s subliminal influence, prompting thoughts of survival in an unsteady socioeconomic climate, or a reaction to the melodrama of recent men’s style and the shoulder padded power dressing in women’s wear, suddenly the stripped down, hard wearing, functionality of army surplus seems a relief.

Thus, a combat influence has resurged in designers’ SS10 collections: understated in Bottega Veneta’s menswear, extravagantly at Balmain in Paris. James Long is a London designer seasonally determined to re-imagining men’s dress, breaking down all expectations of how a man’s body should be clothed. In his hands, the inherent masculinity of the army, is redefined as something peacock like, with an aggressive undertone. Camo prints dazzle from foiled over prints in gaudy gold and green metallics, and their foliage mimicking patterns turn up as corroded burnouts on delicate, webbing inspired knits. These are more successful than a series of leather outfits: black gilets, multi pocketed or glossy skin tight pants with motor cross knee detailing, all perhaps SAS influenced, but slightly sombre when preceding the hi-shine of the final variety of heavily textured looks. Long now sells his range in the revamped men’s floor at Topman’s flagship London store, and it’s exciting to know such dramatic menswear will make it to a shop floor with the chance to sell, not just the fantastical confinement of magazine pages.

By Alex Mein