Les Hommes Menswear Fall 2009
Les Hommes Menswear Fall 2009

MILAN, Jan 18, 2009 / FW/ — Tom Notte and Bart Vandebosch, the design duo behind Les Hommes give the term Renaissance Man a double meaning for Fall 2009.

As they mentioned in the press notes, the collection was inspired by early Renaissance paintings; in particular from portraits of young men on the battle field, and from the androgynous and innocent beauty they express, thus they touched on the original meaning of Renaissance Man.

The second and perhaps the more important meaning that pertains to this collection is how the Belgian design duo envision men’s clothing for the next decade. Technically, the Fall 2009, Winter 2010 is the first collection wherein designers are proposing the looks and silhouettes for the next ten years.

Tom Notte and Bart Vandebosch see clean and minimal silhouettes with accessories reduced to the minimum, a somber color palette of black, white and different shades of gray, with flashes of shiny or antique gold at times.

And while they see these men as strong, warriors in fact wherein the clothes and suits are the armors they wear, the Les Hommes lads also have androgynous tendencies, that perhaps in a deeper sense, the androgyny we see today in men’s collections is the designers’ vision that we have to a big extent reached an equality of the sexes.

And thus, Notte and Vandebosch changed the proportions: jackets while slim and close to the body, are shorter, trousers get narrower. To emphasize their masculinity, fabrics and yarns of jackets and blousons, of waistcoats and knit sweaters and leggings create the effect of cuirasses and suits of armor, through applications, braidings and stitchings.

The materials range includes: wool, jersey, feather-weight or structured lace, brocade, nappa leather and suede, along with a group of fabrics whose innovative finishing creates an unusual metallic glow.

The classic, two-pieces suit is covered in metallic beads, nappa leather or brocade waistcoats – thanks to a hidden side opening – enhance the cuirass effect, the thick wool of a handmade maxi-sweater reproduces the see-through pattern of an armor painted by Titian.

And thus, Tom Notte and Bart Vandebosch introduce to us the New Renaissance Man.

[MARI DAVIS]

Related Post:

Milano Moda Uomo Fall 2009