Image via Complex Original
While it was fun to look back at all the dope shit that happened in 2013, stylish dudes know that it's most important to always be looking forward. Now that 2014 is in full effect, it's high time that guys start paying attention to the lookbook and runway shows that previewed the spring and summer gear that will be hitting stores in February, if it hasn't already.
In the flood of spring/summer 2014 previews and debuts, there were a few that definitely stuck out. The reasons could have been that crowds were floored with what they saw. Or that a collection's news and hype immediately split guys into two polarized camps. Whatever the case, these are the labels we're salivating over and waiting on, while rubbing our hands and muttering, "Soon..." Well spring deliveries are about to roll in, and these are The Most Anticipated Collections to Hit Stores in 2014.
RELATED: 11 Style Trends We Hope Happen in 2014
A Bathing Ape
A Bathing Ape seems to have been at the forefront of streetwear for what seems like forever. And though the brand has consistently released collections fans still lineup and camp out for, the upcoming spring/summer 2014 collection will be the first time the streetwear gawd Nigo is not at the helm. BAPE fans will be waiting with bated breath to see if the brand can still pull through, but from the looks of things, they have nothing to worry about.
The upcoming collection looks pretty out of this world. Glow-in-the-dark camo? A sick white-to-plaid gradient shirt with matching shorts? If you thought you were done with streetwear or couldn't trust BAPE without its founder, this might just be the year—and the collection—that will reel you back in.
Stampd LA
Stampd LA quietly was ahead of almost every single trend last year. While the L.A.-based label got a huge amount of attention (and fandom), 2014 will probably be the year that Stampd gets true recognition for leading the trajectory of directional streetwear. The spring 2014 collection deals in mainly black & white territory, with elongated button-downs, jersey-inspired tees, baseball jerseys, and other gear that will spawn plenty of imitators. Perhaps the best part of Stampd is that it rolls in at a very accessible pricepoint, meaning the pending drop will advance your style levels without destroying your credit score. That is one combo that deserves anticipation.
Raf Simons x Adidas
Raf Simons has helped bring adidas to the forefront of fashion—specifically high fashion—and establish a presence in a world far removed from the athletic arena. When the news first broke that Simons and adidas were working together on sneakers, everyone went crazy. And after a few releases, celebrity co-signs, and leaked images later, the collab definitely stands as one of the best fusings of high-fashion and mass-market labels.
The second occurrence, expected to hit stores in February, will surely receive the same love as previous drops did. From the looks of things, this partnership will continue to take cues from Simons' progressive mind without alienating guys who don't want to get too obtuse with it. There will be plenty of people refreshing their tabs and camping out to get try and get themselves a pair of these futuristic but very wearable kicks.
Visvim
There isn't much needed to be said about visvim, except that it's unfuckwittable. The spring/summer 2014 collection we're about to be blessed with can only be described as—and should (probably) be considered—art. There probably isn't another brand out there that is crafted with such precision and (not to be corny, but seriously) love, sourced from designer Hiroki Nakamura. Now that the label is stocked at Dover Street Market NYC, not to mention Union Los Angeles, stylish dudes should take the time in 2014 to actually check out the goods in the flesh. Merely handling the apparel will magically cause money from your wallet to disappear and your swag levels to increase a-million-fold.
En Noir
En Noir built a dedicated following and hands-down changed the landscape based off its leather output alone. And while the brand could hang its hat on dominating this one lane, it's branching out in serious ways in 2014. With proprietary prints lacing progressive silhouettes and cuts, don't be surprised if En Noir and leather stop becoming synonymous with one another. Instead, the spring '14 collection might assert the brand as king of quite a few castles.
Off White
Just a few weeks ago, Virgil Abloh debuted Off-White, a full cut and sew line made in Italy that was meant to be the next evolutionary step of Pyrex Vision. Unlike that brand and his other success Been Trill, Off-White is a lot more than just T-shirts. This collection will also consist of hoodies, outerwear, pants, and even footwear and accessories, all of which were inspired by the "geometric lines of Mies van Roche's Fansworth House near Chicago."
According to Abloh, he wants to "bring a Ralph [Lauren] take back into streetwear", starting with Off-White. You can bet there are already kids waiting for a release date, who are planning to skip school and work to get their hands on this gear. And there are also definitely haters in the wings who are set to pounce upon the apparel when it drops. It will definitely be one of the most polarizing collections to occur in 2014, and we can't wait for the conversation to continue.
Hood By Air
Shane Oliver's Hood By Air absolutely killed it this year, and there are no signs of slowing down. Building on the logo long sleeve shirt that kicked things off for the brand early on, HBA put on an incredible spring/summer 2014 show at NYFW. It was literally one of the shows everyone—including J.R. Smith, Kanye West, and Mike the Ruler—wanted to get into.
What went down the runway and what will be in stores this year was both a progression of the label's offerings and of its wearability, which is exactly what Oliver wanted to do. People may no longer be as impressed with how Oliver absolutely re-interpreted what a T-shirt could be, but everyone's about to get punched in the food-hole with HBA remixing button-downs, denim, and outerwear into something that no one else is doing. While HBA has definitely started a damn-near revolution of blurring streetwear and high-fashion, it's clear who is still progressing the blended genre into its own thing. And despite some people voicing doubts about HBA's desirability, when the spring 2014 collection hits shelves, get ready for this stuff to flood the streets.
Public School
No brand has more momentum than Public School right now. After crushing it in 2013, the label is poised to take its success from last year and absolutely merk it in the upcoming 365 days. The brand's spring/summer 2014 presentation at NYFW gave everyone in the room the sense that this was a new frontier, and Public School is leading the pack in forming a new space that is informed by both high-fashion labels while also incorporating elements of streetwear. This really is the type of gear that provides instant swagger to the wearer, and when this spring collection drops in the next few months, expect to see it in the streets ASAP.
Saint Laurent
The controversy surrounding the deletion of "Yves" plagued Saint Laurent throughout 2013, as did designer Hedi Slimane landing on Kanye West's shit list. But through all this noise, Slimane put out a spring/summer 2014 collection that had people going nuts and heralding the return/re-launch of SLP. The influences may have ranged from rockabilly to glam, but Slimane made rock 'n roll cool again in an instant, both by harking back to its heyday and pushing the badass aesthetic forward.
When this collection hits stores in the next few months, expect dudes to start rocking out again. And, to paraphrase Ye, while rappers may be the new rockstars in terms of cultural weight, the much older truism that "rock 'n roll will never die" will very much remain in place.
Kanye x adidas
Without even seeing any photos of product, this collection has garnered the most buzz of any label heading into 2014. Starting in the fall of 2013, we were treated to soliloquys, rants, and/or visionary streams of consciousness that were actually both a smokescreen and a method of securing a lucrative and autonomous deal for Kanye West.
Adidas stands to gain as well, and while we here have heard some whispers about what will be in the upcoming Kanye x adidas collection, every single detail that leaks from this collaboration nearly shuts down the Internet as people digest, speculate, and give their opinions on what could be. Well, in September 2014, all speculation will com to an end.
