The dissonant sound of techno-pop and house playing simultaneously filled the entrance hall of Canoe Studios on the morning of Feb. 11. Five designers were showcasing their menswear and genderless clothing collections at Perry Ellis America’s New York Men’s Day Show A, competing for the opportunity to design a capsule collection for the brand.

PERRY ELLIS AMERICA

Perry Ellis America debuted a menswear presentation designed by Thomas Harvey. The red, white and blue collection had a clear U.S. flag-inspired theme, with “America” ironed or embroidered on many of the pieces. Presented together, the assortment of jackets, polos, slacks and hats were kitschy, but individually succeeded as a cross between comfort and style. Standing on pieces of wood, the models laughed and danced around with each other. Unlike the models putting on silent smolders in the other four studio spaces, these models created a fun and lighthearted atmosphere that matched their attire.

WILLIAM FREDRICK

William Fredrick showed a genderless collection by founder and designer William McNicol. The button-downs, overcoats and straight-legged slacks came in varied shades of gray, navy and tan. While McNicol fulfilled his company mission of designing high-quality garments with utility, he failed to create an eye-catching experience. The pieces were plain and displayed in the middle of a blank room.

This makes sense, though, considering McNicol’s inspiration for the collection.

“Just clothing. That’s it,” McNicol told WSN when asked about what inspired this collection. “There was no story, I just wanted to make great clothes.”

Model Tosin Popoola noted that McNicol called upon his friends to showcase the pieces.

“It feels like I’m presenting the family here,” Popoola said. “I don’t think anything beats that.”

A. POTTS

The most striking of the five showcases was A. Potts’ “SKINFOLK: Skin Tones, Sculptural Shapes and Noir-Romantics,” a unisex collection created by designer Aaron Potts. Against a white backdrop, the models were arranged by garment color in moving, choreographed rows of black, brown, orange and pink. The silhouettes were fluid and flattering, embodying the brand’s messages of unisex sensibility and self-expression.

“Seeing this medium and these colors brought together in such a layered, textural way is very refreshing,” said interior designer Becky Shea, who attended the show.

TEDDY VONRANSON

Teddy von Ranson’s menswear collection “North Beach” had the most classical setup, consisting of pouting, posed male models — many with slicked-back hair. Von Ranson used color strategically, placing bright pops of yellow, green and magenta against the gray background. The models stood on black platforms with piles of fake snow. The outerwear pieces stood out, including cozy scarves, heavy coats that looked hand-painted, and multiple varieties of leather. The upbeat house music added to the summer-in-winter atmosphere, complementing the collection.

STAN

Tristan Detwiler’s brand STAN is based on sustainability and storytelling. This unisex collection combined STAN’s usual beachy, adventurous approach with classic garments like suits, slacks and overcoats. The pieces spoke for themselves against plain backgrounds. Stand-out pieces were a long, gold brocade gown and a black and gold ankle-length coat and pant set. The collection is elevated from Detwiler’s previous works and clearly comes from the designer’s heart. Detwiler referred to this aesthetic as “the rugged gentleman” and told WSN that this collection was inspired by his grandfather.

“I kind of found a new muse — my grandfather as a gentleman, like a three-piece suit-wearing, top-hat-wearing man of the ’50s,” Detwiler said. “I used that, I used men’s tailoring, I was inspired by a few decades and I took that tailoring and the idea of this three-piece suit, the gentleman, and I crossed it with my more kind of rugged adventurous spirit to get this.”

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While Perry Ellis America and William Fredrick presented boring and basic themes consistent with many menswear and genderless collections in the past, A. Potts, Teddy Vonranson and STAN showcased their use of silhouettes, texture and color, bringing a new generation of genderless fashion to New York Men’s Day Show A.

Contact Tess Tamar at [email protected].