When Luke Meier visited Tanzania three years ago, he had no intention of parlaying the adventure into a clothing collection. Presumably, though, enough moments remained ingrained because a collection has now materialized—and defies expectations. Meier, who oversaw design at Supreme before launching OAMC (Over All Master Cloth), took on the theme with deference. He explained how, despite all his efforts with his Milanese atelier and manufacturers, his Spring '16 clothes still don't rival the richly crafted designs of the Masai people. It seemed a humble assertion once you saw the panel-bonded, water-repellent cotton trench with its woven graphic detailing, or the viscose cotton crepe safari-style jacket trimmed in grosgrain. While this wasn't the first time the Masai's high-contrast blue and red plaid had been interpreted in high-end menswear (see Kim Jones' first collection for Louis Vuitton), Meier riffed via fabrication, from perforated patterning on a poplin shirt to a sweater that staggered the squares. But his inspiration registered so strongly because you could find context elsewhere, whether the beaded necklaces worn cross-body, a delicate mosquito pin, or relaxed-fit pants finished with striking brushstrokes around the waist like a suggestion of body paint (or a subconscious nod to Franz Kline).
Meier's equal interests in street and savoir-faire repeatedly converged, sometimes obsessively, as with the sneakers paneled with waffled neoprene, rubberized leather, and ballistic nylon. Typically, T-shirts can feel like an afterthought: his do not—and that isn't just because of the pima cotton and polyurethane detailing. On one, there were the eyes of the "big five" animal species in Africa. For another, dedicated just to the rhino, OAMC will donate proceeds to the Save the Rhino foundation. It's the trip that keeps on giving.
