PERRY ELLIS LOOKS TO THE LAND FOR FALL COLLECTION

Perry Ellis’ creative direction Michael Maccari took a simple approach to the creation of his fall/winter 2016 collection that was shown Wednesday, February 3 at NYFW: Men’s. Through reinterpreting menswear essentials, Maccari introduced new iterations of classic silhouettes. For inspiration, he focused on the concept of using various textures and colors to create an image which appears distorted up close, but reveals a simple, uncomplicated form from afar.

“We’ve been playing with the idea of images appearing differently in the distance than they do up close―like landscapes,” said Maccari. “When you step back, you start to get the bigger picture of shape and proportion, but when you get closer, that image is actually made up of many complicated textures and colors.”

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To bring this idea to life, Maccari examined the work of famed American painter Richard Diebenkorn and his use of layered, color-blocked shapes and minimalistic representations of nature. This concept is applied to various pieces within the collection to create abstract micro prints which appear as solid prints from afar. This impressionistic approach also grounds the collection’s seasonless color palette, which is inspired by sun-washed, waterfront shipping containers.

Maccari credits the “simplistic and often military-inspired fashion sense of the 1960’s and 1970’s,” for the significant role it plays throughout the collection. Traditional field jackets are reimagined for the colder seasons in plush wool blends and nylons; track pants replace the jogger as trouser silhouettes become important; vests transition from undergarments to layered statement pieces; and proportions are generous throughout the collection.