James Long, Iceberg’s new creative director, has adopted a mash-up technique to give the Italian label a much needed jolt of cool. “I juxtaposed masculine and feminine and then put some glamour on top; I split the logo apart, then added a punk vibe,” he said after presenting his Pre-Fall collection. “It’s a London-Milan grungy machine. I’m throwing everything in the sink; either it works or it’s a complete disaster!”
Long, who is British, is recalibrating Iceberg, adding an elevated fashion element to its casualwear roots. Let’s call the results glamorized but utilitarian sportswear, tinged with ’80s pop references. Iceberg’s archives are bursting with the cartoon graphics that have long been its most significant visual trait, and Long explored them with evident relish. Resuscitating Tom and Jerry, he abstracted the characters’ outlines and slapped them on the back of wool sweaters, exposing raw threads or using an inside-out knitting technique. Different pyrotechnics were applied to Iceberg’s logo, which appeared on patchwork puffa jackets in high-gloss silver nylon or on intarsia knitted sweaters in block colors.
A sporty street vibe permeated the lineup. Outerwear had impact, yet feminine elements gave a gentle feel to the confident look. Plissé skirts with striped lateral panels complemented zippered anoraks; Lurex lent a luxe ’70s flair to ribbed turtlenecks; and see-through black lace added a naughty feel to boyfriend sweaters. All of it made for a cohesive collection, one that Long seemed to have a jolly good time making.
