In a smaller and more intimate venue this season, Rick Owens’ Spring 2010 man grows into a more sophisticated and cultured man. Though do not let the collection’s swift move to maturity fool you, the edge, innovation and intrigue still runs as deep as it did last season. Displaying a cast of unpredictable and less than dull models, including Donatella Versace’s new model love Keno Weidner, this season’s Rick Owens man no longer wears knee-high furs boots as he did in Fall 2009, but instead opts for a slightly shorter boot in a rich snake skin or supple leather with zip at the side.

Playing largely into shapes, asymmetrical cuts, and the idea of ‘longer is better’, in what I would call the prefect harmony of colors, the casual make up of your everyday pieces gets, in a way, dipped luxury and sprinkled with your favorite recurring goth associated items. With his noted sleeveless ensembles now coming longer, ribbed far beyond the expectation of any ribbed sweeter, and not to mention longer than ever, fingerless gloves and even handless(?) gloves now take to the spotlight.

Well tailored but made with enough room to blow about in the wind and make extreme movements, kind of like the blown back hair on of some of the models, the treated denim of last season is now traded in for a more grownup selection of fur, tweed, and leather that doesn’t look as worn as seen in the past.

One of my absolute favorites of the season.

The Full Collection / 45 Pics
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Always one to each season deliver a refreshing presentation on the pulse of what today’s man would want to wear, Bulgarian designer Petar Petrov turns away from the muted tones of his Spring 2010 collection, conjuring up a rebel with a knack quality pieces.

As screens perfectly aligned against the wall of the showroom both displayed Petrov’s latest collection in the form of a collaboration with photographer Christoph Pirnbacher, and slightly paid homage to the designer’s background in advertising and music videos, on racks and shelves close by, the collection stood with an attitude much darker and fitting of the season. With the relaxed and emotion filled appeal put into most of Petrov’s works, knits take center stage, appearing in big and heavy, and in a metallic form which almost appeared as chains.

Zipper detailing also appeared up the sides of jacket sleeves, on coats, and even as a new closure to a pant pocket, while cool shirts with metallic X staples also made and appearance, with strategically ripped shirts not too far away.

Simple and without fuss, light casual shirts and jeans whether pants or jackets with snap closings, Petrov’s turn to the recreation of a basic men’s piece perfectly embodied the naturalness of how most men today go about their dress routine, or would likely dream of.

The collection’s black combat style boots won me over from start, the knits left me in heaven.

My Snaps + Christoph Pirnbacher Photos
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Once again introducing a new collection with the added aid of an artistic short film, this season we witness legendary photographer Bruce Weber capture Terron Wood, Simon Nesssman, Paolo Anchisi and a few other faces in rhythmic and intimate moments for, roughly, seven minutes. With human sexuality at the film’s forefront for almost all of it’s entirety, for his latest Yves Saint Laurent collection, Stefano Pilati continues on with his journey away from the silhouettes adopted from the Hedi Slimane era of Dior Homme.

Managing to get his point across in a little less looks in comparison to his Spring 2010 collection, billowing fits this season coincides more slightly tailored detailing to rebuild modern youth. Though a little more conservative than the relaxed man seen back in June of last year, bath-robe style coats with fringed belts, suits with pleating at the back, surging harem pants and scoop neck all-in one’s blur gender lines, giving a new definition to what makes up a sophisticated and rounded man’s wardrobe.

The Full Collection / 25 Pics
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Titled, ‘Urban Greys’, for his latest collection Alexis Mabille looks into the idea of a grey Paris. In a series of hues ranging from black to lighter greys, the designer deconstructs the city of lights, transforming it into a dark yet romantic ghost town, with industrial details appearing on standard classics.

Opening the show with a more relaxed silhouette of baggy Bermuda shorts over long johns, a look almost reminiscent of a look that Ricardo Tisci has perfected at Givenchy for a few season now, Mabille injects light blue into scarfs and in the form of streaks on shorts to capture the essence of the the Parisian sky, a factor which played in as large role of his inspiration for the season.

With the aspect of nature and one’s surroundings in mind, detailing was kept a bit harder, contrasting the softness of fabrics such as silk and wool blends, cashmere, and fox fur, showcasing the architecture that is always certain to be found when venturing into a city. Saftey pins were embellished and made to glimmer, as a cardigan was covered in button closures that were were visible throughout the show.

Tying in his first underwear collection into his presentation, we see Mabille play up an array of briefs and boxers, displaying a man in process of getting dressed, almost reminding us the base starting point of a full-on look.

At the collections close, grey fades to black as day turns to night, or night awakes to morning, with jackets and coats quilted and sprinkled to appear as a fresh mist of water from a sky’s unpredictable weather.

The Full Collection / 66 Pics
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Adrian Wlodarski | YNY Model Management
Backstage at Gianfranco Ferré Fall 2010