NEW YORK MEN’S DAY CELEBRATES FALL/WINTER 2023

New York Men’s Day held its biannual menswear collective last Friday, as always efficiently organized by the team at AgentryPR. Kudos and thanks to Erin Hawker, Joe Yang, Henry Kessler, Sally Ruan, and the whole team at Agentry — not to mention the teams assembled for each of the brands represented at the event — for making this one of the highlights of New York Fashion Week every season. NYMD transcends being just another (group of) fashion presentations to being a full-on menswear hub of sorts, transcending trade and consumer; retail, press, influencers, and educators, allowing for a unique exchange of ideas. Oh, and it’s also a lot of fun! As always there was a great mix of both the imaginative and the prosaic, with some pieces leaning right into the cerebral.

Generally speaking, I’ve also found NYMD to be a fantastic place to get a bead on the season’s trends, and I’ve got to say that I was surprised by the ascension of severe black or stark black-and-white combinations. I’d been seeing that a bit at some of the trade shows (more on that later), but it was really brought to the fore here. Otherwise, the Fall/Winter palette is rich and saturated, with warming influences of reds and oranges. Also reflected here was the renewed emphasis on rich texture, from cuddle-worth fleeces to hand-knit cables, and even outlandish, costume-worthy effects. Silhouette continues to veer looser, wider, and more voluminous.

Cross Eyed Moose

Event sponsor Cross Eyed Moose debuted its “Urban Explorer” collection, which featured “hot reds, arctic blues, forest greens, and desert neutrals.” We loved how these vivid oranges could brighten and warm-up any fall or winter day.

All Beneath Heaven

Colorful, artful, almost irrational. I couldn’t quite place my finger on it until my husband, looking at images later that day said “It looks like costumes for ‘Godspell.'” Nailed it.

Atelier Cillian

The hair and makeup in this presenation veered a little towards the “Edward Scissorhands,” but we’ll forgive the macabre statement for these statement-making, red-carpet-ready clothes. Texture, metallics, and a touch of gender-neutrality…Oscar night stylists, pay attention!

Kent Anthony

Seems I’m not done with movie references today. Fans of David Lynch’s “Dune,” will recognize the “stillsuit” allusion on the back of the jacket, above, but more importantly, this brand showed deft use of texture for updated and understated elegance.

Terry Singh

Singh continues his theme of making the skirt or kilt look more masculine than  we ever though possible. This season he’s done many variations on the theme and continues to make this gender-bending genre very approachable.

Nobis

Although this fashion-forward outerwear collection nailed trend after trend, we also were also blown away by the presentation of a moving digital background that evoked ski slope to city winter adventures.

A. Potts

Yeti chic, anyone? A. Potts brings an almost couture-like eye to this season’s collection, offering wearability with some serious drama. Loving the bold red statement as well as the fluffy, furry texture.

Raleigh Denim Workshop

Raleigh Denim designers Victor Lytvinenko and Sarah Yarborough have always had a refreshing take on Made in USA denim. This collection proves that they’ve both taken a creative leap forward.

DIONYSUS

What more could a New York fashion editor ask for than striking black-on-black ensembles? We particularly like the wider, yet nipped in and cropped, trouser silhouette.

Bulan

Google “Bulan,” and you’ll come up with both a king, circa 740 to 786, or a word for “moon.” Seems apropos for a collection that is thought-provoking, gender neutral…and probably not something you’d wear to walk the dog. Still we love all that texture play and the palette was striking.

Jahnkoy

This collection features bright, cheerful, feel-good clothes that seem like the kind of thing to wear when you celebrate being alive. We love the mish-mash of patterns and color, as styled here, but so much of this would look great with a pair of jeans or a crisp white shirt.

Nicholas Raefski

Finally, we loved Raefski’s almost Warholian take on prints, color, and pattern. It’s a conversational collection with a sophisticated attitude. Now…can we talk about the L.A. Lakers doing a collaboration here…?