Rag and Bone F/W 2013

If there were any grumbles about the early start to New York Fashion Week enacted by Rag & Bone men’s show on Wednesday, they quickly dissipated as soon as the first look hit the runway, replaced by oohs and aahs over the video installation that distorted and slowed down each model as he walked past to create a “digital echo.” The screens were, as co-designer (with Marcus Wainwright) David Neville explained beforehand, a revival of a popular installation last autumn at their London shop, one of the most recent in the label’s growing constellation of wildly popular locations worldwide. Some of those exclamations of delight, however, were surely reserved for the collection itself, a sophisticated and cohesive outing that hit what Neville described as the brand’s established sweet spot: “the combination of British tailoring heritage aspects and New York street style.” For Fall 2013, that meant Race Imboden’s gorgeous mineral green jacket, Paul Boche’s rich blue suit, and Max von Isser’s ivory knit beanie. The English tailoring came through in the houndstooth peeking out from Branko Maselj’s coat, in the slim cut of Alex Michels’ sharp grey suit, while the urban inspiration made itself felt in Benjamin Eidem’s denim jacket and Nicola Wincenc’s shimmering parka, but the secret to Rag & Bone is the way these disparate ideas came together as one. The collection ran through a gorgeous palette, all muted grays and blues shot through with hints of fluorescent orange and, in the case of Aiden Andrews’ hood, sunburst yellow. Neville explained that the pair had worked from the idea of recreating some of the iconic pieces in a man’s wardrobe, and their inspired new classics included Malcolm de Ruiter’s pretty-near-perfect khaki coat and trousers with a loose, high-waisted fit. With so many effortlessly cool options on display, it was not hard to understand why the models said the highlight of their fashion week was heading to the store to shop for their trade as soon as the show was over.

Text: Jonathan Shia
Photos:Backstage, Betty Sze for Models.com / Runway, courtesy of Rag and Bone