The Winners and Losers of New York Fashion Week: Men's

We round up the winners and losers of New York Fashion Week: Men's.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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There’s always a lot to digest from a single fashion week. The event gives outlets endless content in the form of best trends, most noteworthy people, designers to watch, street style to be catalogued in your mind, and this season around, even important political statements. And how can you be expected to keep up with next season’s trends when countless pieces on the state of fashion week need to be consumed?

All this can result in sensory overload, and while fashion ultimately remains subjective and up to individual's likes and dislikes, clear takeaways absolutely emerge from the broader conversation.

Fact of the matter is that NYFW: Men’s can be boiled down and summarized the way nature intended: winners and losers.

Winner: Mancessories

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One of the most unusual (and biggest) trends to come out of NYFW: Men’s is the hyper-long extended belt—as Drake would say, “swanging.” Tim Coppens, Rochambeau, Landlord, and John Elliott all hopped on the trend.

Also, while chokers have waded their way over to the menswear world, NYFW: Men’s designers gravitated towards scarves for the man who’s feeling particularly swanky. The neckwear popped up at John Varvatos and David Hart.

Winner: Water Shoes

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It was hot enough in New York that even the most fashionable men relented and wore shorts last week.  Fittingly, designers seemed to put a premium on one’s ability to go easily from land to water by throwing water shoes on the runway. They made a splash on N.Hoolywood’s aquatic-themed show and then the next morning John Elliott used Nike aqua socks to bring his “watching water” theme home.

Winner: “Not” Streetwear

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Winner(s): Kellen Lutz and Travis Mills?!

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Winner: Pokémon Go

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How could you write about anything that happened last week and not make mention of Pokémon Go? The phenomenon made its way all the way to fashion week where male models apparently made the mobile game part of their workout routine. They’ll never skip leg day again.

Loser: NYFW: Men's

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Much of the talk coming out of NYFW: M was the week’s continued inability to find itself. “Men’s New York Fashion Week has an identity crisis,” read one headline. Others were less constructive: “The Final Word on New York Fashion Week Men's: Meh,” W wrote.

Others involved in the industry weighed in on Twitter, noting that “Men’s fashion week in NYC is completely uninspiring and boring.” The lack of energy around the shows has plagued NFYW: M since its launch, but it’s only three seasons in. We remain optimistic that the event can be a quote-unquote winner soon enough.

Loser: New York and/or American Pride

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One of the ways NYFW could get a whole lot better in a hurry is to bring its homegrown talent back. NYFW could have an assortment of up-and-coming, trendy, and powerhouse brands on its ledger if American designers actually stayed put. However, Ralph Lauren, Virgil Abloh’s Off-White, and even Rick Owens prefer to show in Paris over New York. Rick, we’re begging you, think of what some dick shots or 69ing models could do for NYFW: Men’s profile.  

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