Michael Bastian S/S 12 – Of The Minute

Michael Bastian with the models from his S/S 12 show. Image by Richard Gerst

The spirit of James Dean watched over Michael Bastian’s showing of his Spring 2012 collection—literally. With a faint outline of one of Dean’s most iconic images as the backdrop, Bastian opened with a model who served as the gone-too-soon actor’s doppelganger: his hair tousled, he slouched down the runway, darting his bespectacled eyes from side to side with a wounded look, in a red canvas windbreaker that mimicked Dean’s famous look from “Rebel Without a Cause.” The rest of the collection followed similar lines, without quite as much literalness; the Michael Bastian customer expects the grown-up glen plaid suits and sharp tuxedo jackets with an edge that were shown along with the repurposed and modernized preppy sportswear that seemed more in keeping with the youthful attitude of the star of “East of Eden.” This was an assured and coherent outing from a designer who is known for his mining of mid-century Americana, with clean pieces in bright colors that were luxurious to the touch if unsurprising visually. It takes a certain kind of man to wear Michael Bastian, one who is confident in his own style and knows what works and has the courage to stick with it.

Designer: Michael Bastian
Casting director: Roger Innis
Behind the scenes photos: Betty Sze for models.com

The opener, Brennen Steines (Ford)