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July 2017

Fashion

CHRISTOPHER LOWMAN S/S 18: NYFW MEN’S

 

KNOWLEDGE. FINANCIAL DEBT. AGONY

 

There are those in fashion who play it safe, and there are those who use their own experiences and focus their inspiration on that. The latter is exactly what Christopher Lowman is doing, as he grows further into his own as a fashion designer, impresario, and provocateur. The New York City based designer who’s now staking his rightful claim in the fashion industry, unveiled his newest collection HARVARD PUNK’D on July 10th, 2017. The presentation for his Spring/Summer 2018 collection was held at Restaurant at Rose Hill within the HGU New York Hotel.

HARVARD PUNK’D is the follow up to his first collection The Outsiders, of which he based off of the iconic film. This would be his second New York Men’s Fashion Week presentation after his runway show this January.

What makes HARVARD PUNK’D so different is that it exemplifies and is inspired by the struggles that college students today go through, whether it be financial instability or mental health issues. It is this cycle of emotions that can bring people to their breaking point and become a dropout, which is what Chris wanted to focus on. “I am a college dropout so I’m expressing my thoughts.” It was his burning desire to have more of a hands-on experience in the design world while he was in school, and he felt interning was the best opportunity for that. “The highs and lows of college was the inspiration because college can be so beneficial but so depressing, it can be so fun yet be such a drag. I wanted to touch on this through my clothing.”

The pieces from the collection are something else, and unique in ways you don’t normally see. Think punk meets an Ivy League frat boy. It’s Lowman’s classic and refined fit of the garments that make them perfect for the modern man who has an individual brand of style, and that is culminated in this collection. The HARVARD PUNK’D presentation also brought an exciting array of collaborations with New Balance Athletics, luxury Italian shoe brand Angela Mitchell, Currency NY Jewelry, Vivid Eyewear, and Citizen Watches. Just to name a few!

The presentation had a very relaxed and intimate feel, as you could walk up to the models and see the clothing and accessories just as easily as you could the Christopher himself. The hotel was the perfect venue selection to give off the vibe of an Ivy League members only club, which only added more irony to the theme of the collection.The brand’s signature slashed denim was on display in many of the looks, some worn with more thrashed tops or paired with a refined PUNK’D turtlenecks. The look that stole the show however was the complete denim ensemble, consisting of the slashed jeans and a jean jacket that was hand painted with the words: Financial Debt, Never Ending Loans, Agony, Deadlines, and Knowledge.

Some of my favorite looks included the gray PUNK’D turtleneck with gray trousers, the aforementioned all denim look with the hand painted jacket, the Navy knit sweater with Currency NY Gold layered necklaces, and his all-out camouflage look. While sticking true to his core brand DNA and expanding at the same time, this collection only further showcases Mr. Lowman’s talents not only in design and styling, but creating them in unison with real issues.

For the full lookbook head to Christopher Lowman and check them out.