I am still in the process of perusing the myriad runway shows that featured for NYFW: Men’s. I’ve come to really enjoy the musings of Kolor, Hermés, 3.1 Phillip Lim and Miharayasuhiro. All of their fashion shows proved refreshing, editorial and commercial (though I do love the ones that are specifically for the runway, truly artistic). Who I would like to hone in on is the Italian brand Au Jour Le Jour (AJLJ), comprised of designers Mirko Fontana and Diego Marquez. Their show was idiosyncratic, sometimes giving off a ’90s vibe and at other times a ’70s vibe. The use of cartoonish prints, Crayola colors and classically shaped pieces made their show just as much of an eye turner compared to other fashion walks.
What I thought was equally eccentric was their use of sweatpants with a button-up. Specifically, I am referring to look number nine: a baby blue button-up with a printed hairdryer near the shoulder tucked into black sweatpants with the print of cartoony keys. AJLJ is different in this way, which drew me to my wardrobe. I had worn tailored sweatpants and a dress shirt before, but the pants were a simple black and the dress shirt a light blue. So there was nothing special about the outfit. This time, I wanted to put something together that was a little more fun. Above, I am wearing a pair of harem pants, an abstract stripe shirt and white sneakers. To add a little more fun to the outfit, I borrowed a beaded necklace with a hanging lion’s head from my brother (that’s what brothers are for, right?).
Usually, I am not sporting sweatpants. I stick to chinos or skinny jeans; they are my forte. Printed shirts are a rarity for me as well. I enjoy a simple shirt with interesting fabric. But AJLJ’s runway inspired me to push my own envelope. And it felt good! The harem pants are baggy from the waist to the knee, but skinny from the knee to the ankle. It is casual, comfortable and different for me. I kept a few buttons undone with the dress shirt to keep with the casualty of the pants. I also drew inspiration from the Crayola colors in AJLJ’s show. So I made the particular choice to go with the vibrant blue with interesting stripes.
And there you have it! My inspired translated look from Au Jour Le Jour’s fashion show.
Get My Look: 1. Quirky shirt. 2. Harem pants. 3. Sneakers.
