It would be enough to make nice clothes guys want to wear, but Abdul Abasi and Greg Rosborough go the extra mile. Their offbeat approach to menswear means each piece comes with a story, and this season it was all about the tribe. Be they the Hopi and Navajo peoples Rosborough grew up learning about in Arizona, or the Bedouin and Berber nomads Abasi cited as a reference, the pair were drawn to the idea of community and the ephemeral nature of culture. “We were trying to capture this really poetic idea of we’re all one tribe,” shared Rosborough preshow. “Our lives and spirits are vanishing, and there’s this interesting juxtaposition, so how do we capture that within the clothes so that it touches on spirituality and humanity but is also a reaction to our times and the divisiveness.”
Dubbed Desert Phantom, the collection addressed its underlying meaning via a global range of references and a series of inventive techniques, including the use of typography designed by artist Corey James that spelled out the name on parkas and flight jackets in shades of navy and crimson. With one-man band Marc Mueller providing an otherworldly soundscape, Abasi and Rosborough set a mood that carried through the show’s 30 looks. Eclectic, with attention paid to details like texture and pattern, the clothes represented a melange of cultures. The loose-fitting silhouettes of blazers called to mind Japanese haori; rust-colored stripes and frayed black linen on dusters and anoraks channeled all manner of traditional dress.
The clash of past meets present, East meets West, could have felt unfocused, but the collection was anchored by an of-the-moment sensibility, from the sleek tabis to the drawstring track pants.
