As in his women's diffusion line, LOVE, Richard Chai pursued heavy layering in his men's collection, which focused on lightweight knits and multi-plaid shirting combinations.
It may not have been the most focused of line-ups, nor was there much to decipher in the way of design inspiration (maybe we're missing something?), but Chai succeeded in crafting a very wearable and highly sellable men's collection. Wholesalers like Barneys, Saks, Bergdorf's and so on will revel in his range of tissue-weight henleys and slim-collared oxfords, and the universally appealing palette of purple-greys, blacks, and navy blues is sure to get him some retail lovin'.
More experimental were the plaid shirts smeared with black paint in an ombre-esque fade, or the almost Shakespearean-looking coat with massive, pouf sleeves. Fashionable fellas are sure to get a kick out of Chai's practical, heavy duty parkas, skinny-fit blazers and tie-waist pants, which can be mixed and matched every which way. There was something for everybody to love, but we can't help wishing he'd focused a bit more on designing a collection for the sake of its art, rather than its sales.
