There’s always been a sporty flair to Tim Coppens‘ designs, from the hockey padding in his Fall 2012 collection to last season’s skatewear-inspired sweatshirts, but always with a uniquely modernist European feel that separated them from other takes on so-called “sportswear” being shown in New York. For Spring 2014, Coppens looked back to the world of Seventies-era racing, giving his sleek menswear—and, for the first time, womenswear—a bold color-blocked palette and a feeling of speed. The clean silhouettes, all smooth lines and curves, were given an upgrade from the innovative high-end materials, like the coated leather of Duncan Proctor’s clean black-and-white jacket or the metal of Abel van Oeveren’s shimmering silver shorts. Andrew Westermann’s varsity jacket had padded leather sleeves that would not have been out of place on a driver careening around the streets of Monte Carlo, while Felix Reiss’ closing sleeveless bodysuit would have given any pitstop a little extra style. Coppens’ womenswear proved to be a similarly successful experiment, with clean dresses and skirt sets that had the same sharp, minimalist aesthetic of his popular pieces for the guys. Several of the models carried glinting helmets which, especially when paired with Coppens’ fresh, youthful clothing, made them look ready for anything the world had to throw at them.
Text by Jonathan Shia
Images by Kirt Reynolds
