“It’s really about collage . . . you see it everywhere, not just in design. Look at social media,” said Perry Ellis’s creative director, Michael Maccari, this morning. The statement held fast and ended up being tepidly provocative; Perry Ellis’s Spring 2017 blueprint, all mashed and mixed and layered, is inspired by the now (that is, a world that is also mashed and mixed and layered), and for the most part Maccari was successful in his splicing and manipulating.
The biggest takeaway, product-wise, was a shift into what Maccari and his team are calling “relaxed activewear.” We’ve heard that term for a while now. Yet even though the trendiness of athleisure has come and gone, pretty much, it doesn’t make anoraks and baseball jackets appliquéd with geometric florals or loose-fitting “tech-twill” trousers any less desirable. In a way, the dynamism and dressiness apparent in these pieces felt a little like Dries Van Noten’s take on color, print, and shape. Only this being Perry Ellis, there’s a broader, everyman appeal.
What might be more challenging for Ellis fans: a nylon trench in a marigold-esque color, or an ombré linen sweater that faded from mustard to blue and back again. These marked a section of the lineup that seemed a little overly crunchy and not quite as clean as the sharp army/navy palette and well-calibrated balance between sporty and stylish seen elsewhere. But when broken down, there’ll be plenty to pick from, with those aforementioned jackets being the strongest of the lot.
