What you may have missed at London Collections: Men

London - The 9th (and albeit last) edition of London Collections: Men has come to an end, as the British Fashion Council aims to rechristen the men’s fashion week London Fashion Week Men’s from next season onwards. Although some industry insiders have begun to wonder what the future for men’s fashion weeks may hold, with the rise of unified catwalk shows, LC:M (or LFWM) will remain a vital platform for both upcoming and established talent. In honour of London Collections: Men, FashionUnited has compiled a list of some of the most memorable presentations and shows which took place over the four day event.

40 years of Punk #PunkLondon

The British Fashion Council was drafted to help curate a series of events during London Collections: Men in honour of the 40th anniversary of the Punk movement. To celebrate 40 years of punk heritage in London, designer Sir Paul Smith hosted an exhibition in his Albemarle Street store which featured the work of acclaimed British photographer Derek Ridgers. The two also teamed up to create a limited edition run of t-shirts featuring Ridgers’ seminal photographers. The exhibition officially opened on Thursday night, marking the start of LC:M.

Astrid Andersen

Astrid Andersen was among the growing number of designers to feature both female and male models in her spring-summer 2017 collection catwalk show. The event also marked Andersen move into women’s wear, a step which is likely to reflect well on the designers growing clientele list. Her SS17 collection, which was a-washed in beiges, sands and neutral hues, featured knit polo dresses, long tunics, pants and shirts which beard resemblance to martial arts uniforms featuring named and logos, giving it an urban feel.

Henry Holland

Henry Holland decided to take things one step further with the new ‘see now, buy now’ business model taken on by an increasing number of designers by launching an augmented reality payment app during his spring-summer 2017 men’s wear showcase at LC:M this season. Unlike other augmented reality apps on the market, the app launched by House of Holland does not need a QR code in outdoor to function, but rather scans the entire item in question before letting the user purchase it online for next day delivery. The future of shopping? Perhaps, although the app was limited to a group of VIP guests during House of Holland’s show.

Agi & Sam

The design duo Agi & Sam managed to turn a number of heads with their spring-summer 2017 collection, which aimed to study what it means to be masculine in 2016 and how the traditional gender roles have changed. The resulting collection, presented on both male and female models, included accents such as marigold washing up gloves, flowers and pink socks, with statement pieces such as brown and white cow hide jacket and a loose, straight cut checked blazer.

Jermyn street

Jermyn Street, located in the heart of London’s West End was transformed into an open air catwalk as St James hosted a series of catwalk shoes open to the public. Over 30 brands with stores located on Jermyn Street and Piccadilly came together to show their collections during LC:M, including Tiger of Sweden, John Smedley, Turnbell & Asser and Sunspel. “LCM is one of the most influential moments on the global menswear calendar and it’s fabulous we are able to share this with the public on Jermyn Street once again,” said Dylan Jones, editor of GQ and chair of London Collections Men on the event. “St James’s is the ideal setting with its combination of heritage brands and contemporary fashion labels.”

Matthew Miller

Matthew Miller’s SS17 collection brought together the best of loose tailoring with punk accents, as one of the designer’s main influences for the collection was the first wave of skinhead culture to land in the UK. Key looks included a slouchy tailored suit, with the shirt covered in butterfly safety pins and a denim jean and jacket combination featuring a soft colour print all over.

Aitor Throup

Rather than presenting his designs using more conventional methods (or models), designer Aitor Throup decided to take things one step further by showcasing his “trans-seasonal prototypes’ on giant, life-size puppets during London Collections: Men. The resulting collection is said to be part of the designer’s New Object Research project, which builds on a year and half of Throup’s work. The designer worked together with puppet designer and engineer James Perowne to created a one of a kind fashion performance named ‘The Rite of Spring/SummerAutumn/Winter.’ The one-off garments and puppets are slated to be sold as art works on Tuesday at Dover Street Market.

Ximon Lee

Ximon Lee's SS17 collection is said to continue on from last season’s main theme of childhood, but with an added edge and hardness which is designed to reflect on the hardships of growing up. The designer presented oversized denim jackets, with acid washes and open seams during his debut show in London, transforming a child’s pinafore into oversized apron.

Coach

Coach presented a very Americana-vibe for SS17 as the label celebrated classic USA items, such as the leather biker jacket and hawaiian shirts, with an updated twist from LA-based artist Gary Baseman. Stand out pieces included cherry-re leather jackets, a la James Dean, Hawaiian print trousers and varsity and bomber jackets, bedecked in colourful characters from the world of Baseman.