For designer Yohan Serfaty, fashion shows are an opportunity to explore his creativity. Characterised by perpetually high collars, rugged natural materials and bulky yet tailored cuts, his Y. Project menswear line has a futuristic edge with an air of dishevelled artsy chic. This sense is reinforced by the way his shows straddle the border between defile and animated art installation. For example, the spring presentation was a chilling scene in which guests were invited to visit a mental ward whose ailing patients lay fashionably askew on their sterile white beds.
With a budding reputation for spectacle, the latest collection lived up to presentational expectations, but the jury is still out on the clothes. As powerful aviators descended from a V formation to display their apparel, one couldn’t help but notice that a few looks felt heavy and sometimes lacked a proper fit.
Nonetheless, Serfaty’s explorative nature still carried the collection. Favourites include a light gray felted jacket with diagonal placket seams and a dark playful look with trailing belts inspired by a scissor-tailed flycatcher. Overall a congruent feeling ran through the collection that was something akin to a mix of ‘Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow’ meets Big Brother from Nineteen Eighty-Four. Time will tell if this talented new brand will manage to overthrow ‘the ruling Parties’ of the men’s fashion market, but with faith in his abilities, we look forward to Serfaty’s next creations.
Ford Leland
