LCM SS17 Round Up

London Collections: Men Spring/Summer 2017 finished earlier this week in London. It seemed a little odd this time as we jumped on and off the merry-go-round that we were looking so far in advance when a lot of the other shows are available to shop instantaneously. The air was thick and close and darting around central London made us wish for proper summer to begin and for the humid spring air to stop teasing us.

The standout presentation was YMC. Fraser Moss and Jimmy Collins had a band, a small space in Covent Garden and a really great collection. It was, in short, fun. The collection was classic YMC and was influenced by the bi-lateral cultural influence of Africa and the U.K. Every piece seemed powerful, prints were bold and shapes interesting but not alienating. It was YMC all over and it was great.

E. Tautz's Patrick Grant always cuts a dashing figure in real life and also cuts a dashing cloth. This season the inspiration came from a photographic exhibition by Dutchman Hans van der Meer. The subject of which was lower league European football. The models seemed as though they were just about to go to leave to watch a game, save the shoes; you wouldn't wear Louboutin to a muddy field would you.

You know what you will get at Margaret Howell and what you get is beautiful and wearable clothes that have elegance engrained in them. They’re classy. This season saw a ‘just in case it rains’ kind of jacket steal the show. Brilliant it was. There were pops of colour in boxy shapes and a blown up grid check.

Did you know that Oliver Spencer's favourite house is in Capri? I bet that it's beautiful. The SS17 was also beautiful with collarless embroidered silk suits and various checks and stripes creating a feel that felt luxurious and Mediterranean. The button print two piece was especially fun.

Pretty Green's presentation had both the collaboration with John Smedley and Christy's hats present as well as a selection from their SS17. The standout piece was an embroidered smock with a quarter zip. It was divine. Checks and bold knits dominated the rest of the collection.

Qasimi's presentation had three pastel tones colours: green, blue and a reddish pink and a lot of voluminous shape. Layers were key; it is menswear afterall. There was a feeling of a definite Arabian influence was here and it was felt in one or two other shows too.

If anyone was proving that wide leg trousers are here to stay it was Universal Works. Definitely a trend and a theme in a lot of shows it was here that it was done best. Check, pinstripe or chino all had a suitable width. The rest of the collection was peppered with palm prints and classic shapes.

Matthew Miller had been to see Deadpool, or maybe he was a fan before the film. 'Inb4' indeed. The Negasonic Teenage Warhead patch that was glimpsed through sharp deconstructed tailoring and cleanly through others was also on a t-shirt. It stood out along with butterflies in an otherwise strong but quiet collection where almost everything matched and there was little contrast but in the best way possible. It all fit.

Private White’s presentation was all about being on the move, travelling through airports and dressing as such. A fantastic collection from a brand that make a great deal of their product from their Manchester base, each season the clothes are dreamt up as part of the wardrobe of the brand’s namesake. Oh, and there was a dog that everyone enjoyed almost as much as the collection. Almost.

Hand washed bleaching process? Sunspel vests? You wouldn't have necessarily thought that you were at the Hardy Amies presentation but that is in fact exactly what we saw when we landed at the Salon at No. 14 Savile Row. The suits were there of course but some looks were paired with ripped denim or with a denim jacket underneath.

Nigel Cabourn's aesthetic is always seems perfectly realised each and every season. This time saw Desert Rats generally influence the usual wider shapes and workwear vibe. There was also a really cool gym wear collection which supplemented the mainline.