Men's Spring 2008 - Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen has apparently fallen in love with 1950s surf culture and Americana. That's a far cry from his past collections, which have been inspired by everything from World War II to Lord of the Flies. It's safe to say that this collection is a whole measure brighter and enlivened than many have come to expect from McQueen. On the whole, his concept came off beautifully. Without any ideological theme riding too heavily on the clothes, every look was lighter and more approachable than ever before, without losing that signature McQueen edginess. He continued the season's trend of shorter shorts and cropped pants, paired with lengthier coats and parkas in more assertive colors. Fabrics spanned the range from cotton suiting in shades of white polka-dot, to slicked and soaked black wool Men in Black looks, with hippie cotton "love" shirts, extra-long sock-hop cardigans, and Technicolor neoprene diving pants all in between. While that sounds like a maddening mix, McQueen deft hand and sharp editing kept it all under control. With pieces like shark-print and flower-embroidered t-shirts, down-to-earth plaid shorts, and a few easy trousers and trenches, this collection was also built to sell. It was a bright, wet delight that was filled with easy statement pieces that I'm quite sure men will want to start wearing now. But, alas, we have until 2008 to wait!