Page 38 - The Book For Men Spring/Summer 2023

Going Gingham
Prada makes summer dressing easy with its understated craftsmanship
IF THERE IS A SINGLE JACKET THAT TYPIFIES WARMER WEATHER —
late spring and early summer — it would be Prada’s gingham cotton blouson jacket from the Milanese brand’s Spring/Summer 2023 runway show. The collection, designed by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons, was heralded for an airy aloofness that juxtaposed elements that didn’t necessarily make sense when combined. Or, as Simons was quoted as saying: an “anti-logic to the combination of the clothes, an oddness.”
If that’s the case, then the gingham Harrington-style jacket is the exception that makes the rule.
Gingham is a pattern that calls to mind picnics in a park on a warm late spring day or summery evenings dining on the beach as the sun is waning on the horizon. The Harrington jacket, too, is a silhouette one associates with warmer days that have a crispness to them when the wind is blowing, the cloud cover is thick or the sun is about to set. Originally conceived as a golfing jacket in the ’30s, the style was popularized in the ’50s and ’60s by the likes of Steve McQueen and James Dean. It’s characterized by its modest weight, stand collar with a buttoned flap, front zipper and a short, clean cut. Often, it’s a jacket that’s designed to blend in, rendered in dark navy, black or light tan — the classic palette of drab outerwear.
That’s what makes Prada’s take on it so refreshing, it transforms an understated links garment into a street-ready signature piece infused with the brand’s uniquely luxurious detailing and impec- cable craftsmanship.
Available at select Prada boutiques and prada.com for $3,050.
On a Wave
Dior’s new beachwear capsule is as eco-conscious as it is elegant
DIOR REUNITES WITH PARLEY FOR THE OCEANS FOR ITS SECOND
collaboration following the acclaimed collection they produced together in 2019. Spanning weatherproof shell jackets, knitted vests, footwear, bags, wetsuits, and other basics, the limited collection is as sophisticated and striking as you would expect from the mind of designer Kim Jones, but with a remarkable eco-conscious twist: more than half of the items in the collab are made using repurposed ocean plastics and other high-quality sustainable fabrics and materials. Functional, stylish, and hugely innovative, it’s the kind of step toward saving the planet that we hope to see more of in the world of menswear. Dior Men Beachwear Capsule is available at all Dior Men boutiques and dior.com
38 BFM / SS23 PORTFOLIO
TEXT BY MARC RICHARDSON. DIOR BEACH: PHOTOGRAPHED BY JACKIE NICKERSON.