At last, high-street designer style for the boys. While party girls will love the tiered and ruffled silk flamenco-style gowns or chartreuse birds-and-vines caftans trimmed in sequins for lounging poolside, Matthew Williamson for H&M's second summer delivery includes a full menswear collection. It's the British designer's first-ever foray into menswear (from $14.90 for a scarf to $249 for a leather jacket).
Across the pond, Mr. Williamson is known for crafting Technicolour dance-club frocks and for his signature peacock feather print. His is a wardrobe that's popular with Ibiza regulars -- jet-set girls like Jade Jag -ger, Helena Christensen and Kate Moss, who all walked in Mr. Williamson's very first 1997 fashion show.
After rummaging around his archives researching ideas for this collaboration, the designer is reinterpreting his greatest hits for women. But he sprinkles the same festive, flamboyant fairy dust on his H&M menswear: T-shirts are covered in trippy fuchsia geometric patterns and tie-dye prints and an otherwise sedate deep-blue suit pops when a multicolour pattern trim is piped along the lapels and trouser pockets. Even casual jeans and cutoffs come in hot pink, kelly green or royal blue with gold-studded waistbands. A multi-coloured embroidered jacquard jacket ($149) and matching trousers cropped at the knee ($59.90) are the stuff of late-night Cannes yacht parties.
With the exception of an understated seersucker suit, this is a collection for peacocks, not shy roosters, as evidenced by the bright men's swim brief that leaves little to the imagination (think Daniel Craig as 007). Ibiza and Bond girls not included. - The second Matthew Williamson for H&M's capsule collection arrives in stores May 14.
© Copyright (c) Postmedia News
