The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2019 - Issue 26

bite catwalk mens I t was a showcase of patchwork pieced together displaying traditional tai- loring and dystopian deconstruction when Per Götessen presented his AW19 collection at London Fashion Week Men’s. Based on his personal experiences moving from his small and quiet home- town in southern Sweden to the bustling busy city life of London, the collection saw an exploration of the transition from childhood to adulthood, leaving behind memories and items that sparked nostal- gia. Reflected in the chosen set design of a suspended bed strewn with blankets, teddy bears and empty beer bottles it was clear this collection was something personal. Oversized silhouette shrouded figures made it look like they were being wrapped in a blanket, providing a com- forting, stark contrast to garments that exposed the body. The collection explored an element of deconstruction mixed with Göttessen’s traditional style of draping and tailoring. Seams were engineered in clever subtle ways adding wide volumes into the side seams of trousers. A challenge of youth and sophistication, a vision of adulthood from a child’s perspective, the tailored black suits, and neck scarves were slightly oversized. The billows in the jackets due to excess fabric used and seam inputs added refined details. Glimpses of pho- tographs tacked onto t-shirts and hidden beneath jackets, it felt like the designer was piecing together memories. Dressing up in your dad’s suit jackets and wrapping your mother’s scarves around the body created some form of an over- sized shirt in the frame. A key reference throughout were images of ships seen in accessories; delicate brooches of ships that were pinned over the heart, showing a sense of journey and adventure. Describing the theme behind the collec- tion, Götessen revealed that it was about, “dreams of travel, ships in a bottle, prints of a rope appearing as details on t-shirts. There is a sense of free feeling and a calm clarity through the rough silhouettes, clean colour palette or pastel lilacs and seafoam greens broken up by pops of leopard print fur. With a combination of completely different styles that work in harmony, it is clear Götessen has a mas- terful eye for colour, print, and concept. http://www.pergotesson.com Per Götessen