Great expectations

The fall 2012 market is well on its way. The menswear industry’s Twitter feeds are a buzz over in Italy at Pitti Uomo and the New York market will kick off next week. Before we know it, we’ll all be out in sunny Las Vegas shopping the shows. We asked these three retailers what’s new, next and what they hope to find for fall 2012.

Joey Gonzalez, Fred Segal Man

“I see contemporary moving towards the world of tech. It started within the streetwear market and these technical elements are creeping into fashion. Brands like Nanamica are doing it well. It’s a Japanese designer who also designs for North Face Purple label (a Japanese-exclusive), but he’s injected some of those tech elements that make the Purple label so great into this line.”

Eric Jennings, Saks Fifth Avenue

“I’m looking forward to fall 2012 because we’re going to start seeing more of that gritty, new sartorial look. It’s a similar aesthetic to what you see on Boardwalk Empire—that sartorial street edge.”

Ryan Eccles, Union in Los Angeles

“We’re looking to fuse higher-end menswear with wearable fashion for fall 2012. We want to build off of the success we’re having with brands like Junya Watanabe. It’s a designer label with a whimsical, playful vibe and our customers are responding well to that.”