Budapest designer Sandra Sandor debuted menswear at her Fall presentation today in a homey ’70s-inspired set, energized by live music. The context worked for her clothes, which are quite livable, combining comfort, simplicity, and function at a great price point. You might call her aesthetic minimal nomad, and there’s a straightforwardness to her designs that makes menswear a natural extension of what she does.
Men were buying from the women’s collection before Sandor was designing for them. Now, she designs both collections at the same time; think more brother and sister than boy- and girlfriend. “When I look at it as a whole, I [see a] kind of fluid bond between genders. I really feel that’s where we are going, and where fashion is going—in a genderless direction,” said the designer, who titled her lineup “mystery child.” And really, who could resist a swirl of an intarsia paisley cardigan or a roomy, textured coat in pink or lilac?
This season Sandor expanded from her preferred muted ’70s color palette, adding welcome touches of color. She also played with transparency, using both organza and a certified vinyl with a tortoise-like pattern. Sustainability is the cornerstone of Nanushka (the brand’s signature piece is a vegan leather puffer, which was back for Fall along with matching bags) and the designer used faux fur for outerwear and accessories. Earrings, bag handles, and heels made of reclaimed wood were the result of a collaboration with Sophie Monet. Now that she has a men’s line, Sandor says she feels freer to play with more feminine and form-hugging, though never body-con, looks for women. A silk ensemble in pink was evidence of this and captured the mood—optimistic, playful, free-spirited—that Sandor said had inspired the collections.
