Mancunian style of the 1990s is ripe territory for menswear designers to find inspiration. "Fools Gold" by the Stone Roses filled the sunlit room at Industria Superstudio today as Duckie Brown presented its Spring 2015 collection, full of bucket hats, sneakers, baggy trousers, plaid, polyester, and classic outerwear. "There's an incredible influence of Manchester, where I went to college," said designer Daniel Silver before the show. "And the Verve—the Urban Hymns album cover." There were no Wallabees in the show, but the conceit was there, and it was still very much Duckie Brown—kooky, traditional, full of dichotomies.
"There's a slight oddness to the collection," said Silver. "It's not normal." But what Duckie Brown collection is? Masters of twisting proportions, Silver and his partner, Steven Cox, presented a collection that felt like a slight paradigm shift for the brand ("If it doesn't change, you suck," said Cox). Gone were the short-over-long, long-over-short layers. There wasn't a hard shoulder to be found. There were plenty of riffs on classic outerwear—the MA-1 bomber, the Harrington jacket, trenchcoats—but the overall concept was something more casual than what you might expect from Duckie Brown. "I think this is the most on-trend we've ever been," said Cox. "Which is not something we normally do."
Special attention to fit allowed for a collection that was both precisely tailored and full of interesting play with volume. Wide shirts and outerwear, long-rise trousers, and baggy shorts made the negative spaces between limbs come to life. The fabrics were an experience all their own—dense, dove gray poly trousers; sheer and shimmery pearl outerwear; camel plaids; and the vibrant glittery blue herringbone ender were standouts. It's funny that one of the most underappreciated brands in New York comes with such deep English roots. It doesn't seem likely that this is the collection that will win Duckie Brown a wider appeal stateside or elsewhere, even if it is more on-trend than it's been before. But who cares? As with the Madchester scene to which this lineup pays tribute, it's better off in the hands of a cult following.
