Burberry Prorsum SS13.

CHRISTOPHER BAILEY must have joined Willy Wonka in his chocolate factory several times over the last couple of months. Like unwrapping the Italian candy you buy in bulk at local supermarkets, his Burberry Prorsum’s spring/summer 2013 menswear collection crackled naughtily all the way through - from that very first metallic blue caban collar, through a stunning foil trench coat in electric fuchsia and the orange-lemony leather bomber jacket closing the show, Burberry Prorsum’s candy selection was one of its most flavourful so far.

Midnight blue, grey and black suits, trousers slim, long and high-waisted, formed the base. These were then dipped in seasonal micro-printed blue and dark yellow shirts, later to be cloaked in green, blue, yellow, burgundy, violet and fuchsia metallics – either as turtlenecks or low-cut shirts, trousers and bomber jackets. The reinvention of grandpa scarves – paisley substituted for baby squares – into full-scaled fabrics was intriguing. And as far as those reworked bomber jackets go, we want one in each colour combination.
Yellow and blue metallic strappy sandals will also make it onto our hit list. The problem with candy is that you can never have enough and hardly ever know when to stop. Watch out, Willy Wonka, Christopher Bailey is becoming our favourite candy man.

John Galliano SS13.

IN the beginning Bill Gayten created the sky, the earth and the seas. He then took elements from them – clouds, field flowers and one unfortunate lobster, respectively – closed them in a box, shook them up and rearranged them into John Galliano's spring/summer 2013 menswear collection. That is surrealism for you, ladies and gents. From the heavenly blue sky prints and matching bowler hats, via snail shell forms and floral embroidery, it was one heavy feast for the eyes. Salvador Dali would have loved it.

Surrealism was an overarching theme. Bias cut blazers were flirting with androgynous deconstructed forms, trousers were either fitted or roomy and either long or reaching just below the knee. Micro prints were replaced with XL checks in grey-blue and orange-red combinations, sometimes laid down diagonally. Black netted or textural origami fabrics were among the more inconspicuous pieces, with Cassiopeia and “manifesto” prints reserved for the more daring.

Due to the turned up volume of, well, practically every garment in the collection, it was often hard to spot coherency. Regardless, it represented the playfulness that the John Galliano brand has been founded on. Not many will imitate complete looks from the collection – but we’ll sure hang that gleaming red lobster round our necks. Even if it bites.

Source: vogue.co.uk