Topman Design took its muse on a jaunt through Britain’s gritty seaside towns with a retro-tinged lineup.
As in past seasons, the tongue-in-cheek collection drew heavily on elements from British culture — and the nation’s subcultures. Take a salmon-pink sweater appliquéd with an ice-cream-cone motif that spelled out “Margate” — an English seaside resort — paired with salmon-pink shorts. Or a Teddy Boy-style pale gray frock coat and cropped pants combo, worn with a black mesh tank top. There was also a Mod influence, seen in sharp silhouettes such as a boxy jacket and slim pantsuit in black-and-white houndstooth.
While this outing didn’t stint on pattern, color or embellishment — with the extravagant animal motifs having an air of Alessandro Michele’s Gucci — its crisp shapes lent a grounding influence to the lineup. Flamboyant they may be, but these clothes had a fun, real-world appeal that’s been missing from some of the label’s past collections.