James Long staged an all-out glam offensive for AW15, rivalling his signature wear-and-tear utility with exaggerated functional details to keep us warm next winter. Threading each look together with a distressed edge, Long brought out his best urban traits for swooping leathery hoodies and show-stealing combat jackets trimmed with loud pelts of shearling. Daring to do double denim, the designer, who Glass recently interviewed in the lead up to this season, also shot any preconceptions about denim, which hasn’t been favoured heavily elsewhere, to cut a hardened bohemian figure.
Elsewhere, the menswear fixture’s keen eye for an occasional burst of statement iconography allowed for the work of illustrator James Davison of the Sacred Ban of Thebes to pop up on vivid jersey pieces. A collection composed of numerous highlights, Long didn’t skimp on the experimentation front, fusing lace and mesh for a neo-beatnik baroque effect, paired jauntily with more jersey tracksuit pieces.
When James revealed to Glass back in November that accessories, namely the bags, became his starting point this season I don’t think it was possible to foresee just how literally he would take that. With drawstrings and suspending straps aplenty, his latest collection was a tight, well-orchestrated trek towards a little more sophistication, tied together of course with masterful style.
by Liam Feltham
Images courtesy of Style.com