Alexander Wang was unable to join his men's collection in Paris, giving its transportation metaphors a certain irony. But even without him there to explain the emphasis on webbing or the D-rings as simultaneously decorative and functional, you could sense Wang's urban emphasis and fabric-innovation focus. For a Spring offering, there was a big thrust on outerwear: one coat in mesh bonded to nylon, a car coat in unlined suede, two more (long and short) that riffed on a classic nubuck-rimmed backpack, a waterproof resin-coated cotton coat, and a dressy, satin-finish option. His main point of differentiation is the material development; glazed raffia that approximated tweed and a foam-injected fabric mimicking tire treads would be fun to wear, in part because they are potential conversation starters. Slim utility pants, lengthened shorts, digital tie-dye-print knitwear, hybrid sweater-shirts, backpacks, and zip-front boots lined in orange like classic bomber jackets established a Wang travel wardrobe of sorts. And if you can believe, this is the first time he has designed a baseball cap available for purchase. If something—beyond Wang himself—felt missing, it might be that his guy looks almost too flawlessly styled to hit the road for fun. Throwing caution to the wind looks good on everyone.
