“There’s a whole menswear movement happening, so if there’s competition, competition is good,” said designer Carlos Campos at New York Men’s Day today. And after a phenomenal showing from six stellar designers, it is obvious that there will indeed be competition. Designers Carlos Campos, Gents, Timo Weiland, J. Lindeberg, Hickey Freeman, and Chapter all proved to be the best of the best of menswear. From avant garde to athletic chic to extreme sophistication, NYMD had it all.

The ability to make casual clothes fashionable is a rare and timeless quality that Gents seems to have down to a science. The monochromatic black and white front-zip sports jackets and shorts were cohesive and had unique touches of maroon, navy and metallic accents. Originally a hat designer, Gents made sure the caps were top notch. Overall, Gents showed an impressive and extremely wearable collection that is sure to be seen on many celebrities this season.

Carlos Campos showed the more sophisticated side of menswear with a luxury line inspired by Spanish graphic artist and art director Rafafans. Extremely tailored and classic looks were made modern with graphic twists, such as the silhouette of a face made with velveteen panels on the front of a navy neoprene bomber jacket.

Chapter proved to be the more avant garde of the collections with extremely interesting staging that felt like a MoMA exhibit.  It featured two models lying on metallic slabs and others lining the walls in front of narrow, lit metal sheets. The line was inspired by space exploration and the emergence of the cyberpunk sub-genre in the 1980’s. The ripped and heavily layered looks in dark hues were unique and had a science-fiction quality.

The highlight of the evening was the Hickey Freeman show by designer David Hart. Inspired by the days of early American aviation, this collection is for the modern working man. This is a man with a demanding schedule who needs to easily transition from the office to a lunch meeting, from the gym to an evening event. With casual pieces in knitwear and denim to compliment the classic menswear silhouettes of trousers and suit jackets, Hart has truly outdone himself.

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