Stepping away from his sporty, street-smart aesthetic, Neil Barrett referenced masculine classics from around the world to produce a convincingly universal wardrobe. The look was still urbane and fresh, yet more ageless in design. “It was basically a voyage through different cultures, composed of Eastern and Western notions,” the designer said after the show.
He employed batik prints, camouflage, nautical stripes and kimono patterns — reworked and fused together to conjure “an idea of a global masculinity.”
The potpourri of patterns could have easily overwhelmed, but Barrett kept them together with one color story: all gradations of navy and indigo, with touches of black and white. The tight palette counterbalanced a wider spectrum of fabrics, including Italian jacquards — which deceivingly looked like prints — and denim. Low in the crotch but narrow on the hip, cuffed or with rolled-up hems, the handsome indigo bottoms let off an air of American workwear.
Barrett performed the trick on non-denim, too, experimenting with slouchy and easy silhouettes as opposed to his usual sharp-cut look. As for tops, the designer went with spring’s hot new category: sleeveless V-neck tunics. His were knitted like a fine sweater.