Boys R Us

I have been to many menswear shows and I have to admit that I often find them boring, repetitive and unimaginative. Lets just say that in the past two years at NYFW I have seen too many bowties, too many rolled cuffs, and too often find myself staring everywhere but the runway. The bottom line is that it takes a great deal of originality and attention to detail for a menswear designer to stand out in my mind.

This is precisely why I was so excited after Montreal designer Dimitri-Chris’s show at LG Fashion Week. His collection titled ‘Master of the Foxhounds’, was tailored without being stuffy and combined both classic and modern elements. My favorite had to be the way designer Dimitri-Chris Alexiou played with footwear introducing the boys to clogs (a ladies favorite this season after Chanel). The clogs were perfectly simple, fashioned out of brown leather, and I can totally see them taking over the whole loafer without socks/Sperry Top-Siders genre of footwear in coming seasons. Dimitri-Chris styled them with suiting and socks but I can totally see them looking great on bare feet.

In a word, the collection was dapper. Crisp suiting with fuzzy bowties, cozy knitted cloaks in warm yellows and charcoal grey, and two-toned (leather and suede or leather and mink) polo riding boots that I hope they make in my size.

I could have lived without the man corsets that were half cummerbund half man-girdle, and I doubt they’ll ever make it beyond the pages of a magazine editorial, but once again, they were a detail that kept my eyes on the garments.

Overall, I loved the entire collection. If every men’s show took notes from Dimitri-Chris I think I’d spend a lot less time looking at the pretty boys and a lot more time paying attention to what we’re really there for.