NEW YORK MEN’S DAY REPORT

by John Russel Jones Feb 10, 2025

New York Men’s Day always provides an inspiring start to fashion week, and last Thursday’s edition set a real vision for the coming season. While the collections were directional, most also seemed quite salable (depending on the market). Clothes emphasized comfort, texture, and fabulous prints, echoing—or maybe magnifying—many of the trends we saw in the market over the last few weeks.

A. Potts

I was particularly intrigued by this exploded leopard print from A. Potts that seemed to take the popular feline print into a decidedly masculine direction, more evocative of camouflage. The collection was balanced with several pieces in an almost corporate gray flannel hue, as well as with variations on pinstripes

Hold NYC

It wouldn’t be NYMD without at least one brand showing off lots of skin, even for the Fall/Winter season. In this case, it was Hold NYC, a new brand to NYMD that showed a collection dubbed Après Rush, or as designer Holden Akerley described it, clothes designed for après-après ski. As evidenced by the tight knits, tank top, and short skirt below, this collection is focused on the guy who doesn’t skip leg day…or any other day at the gym, for that matter. Still, there were key knits, pullovers, and outerwear that those of us who don’t skip a pastry could also add to our wardrobes.

Sivan

Updated classics is a term that’s incredibly overused in our business, but designer Jack Sivan nailed the assignment. We loved the palette, the wearable outerwear, the sophisticated tailoring, and…hey…I might even be tempted by that floor-length skirt!

Joseph McRae

Joseph McRae’s collection was entitled Growth and was definitely the more fashion-forward of the brands displayed. All of that talk about volume on the runways (but not necessarily at retail) found its way into this gorgeous collection, which also celebrated various shades of the key hue of the season, green. There was also a mocha brown capsule that was delightful.

Max Esmail

You know this guy. He always sat in the back of the bus. He’s Danny (John Travolta) in Grease. He’s John Bender (Judd Nelson) in The Breakfast Club. He’s Johnny Strabler (Marlon Brando) in The Wild One and Kyle Scheible (Timothée Chalamet) in Lady Bird. Sigh. Yet you want to dress just like him. This collection nails mid-century bad boy.

Peak Lapel

Peak Lapel by Jack Milkes and Ben Stedman was the debut of two Parsons students. Keep an eye on these two wunderkinds. My personal take on the collection was to imagine a mid-century party at the home of Ray and Charles Eames. Easy, approachable, wearable. We can’t wait to see more.