What you don't want to miss this menswear season

Kick the January blues with this season’s AW15 menswear collections: a gender-blurring juggernaut of bold print, fresh cuts and innovation. Britain’s menswear is officially booming, and London Collections: Men is kicking off the season – from tomorrow until Monday, 70 designers will exhibit in showrooms, and 37 will have spots on the official schedule. Over the coming weeks, prepare to hold back the tears at Craig Green, and expect the unexpected as Hood By Air touches down at Pitti Uomo in Florence. Here’s our don’t-miss guide to the shows ahead.

THE MAN & FASHION EAST MOULD-BREAKERS

This season, support initiative Fashion East welcomes Grace Wales Bonner, who impressed Dazed back in June with her 70s blaxploitation inspired Central Saint Martins graduate collection. “I have tried to mix couture techniques with specific African crafts,” explains the burgeoning designer. “That is definitely something I am developing more this season.” Marques’Almeida will also be showing at Fashion East for the third time, hot off the back of their win at the British Fashion Awards. Over at MAN, Rory Parnell Mooney has joined the line-up, after a powerful graduate collection inspired by European rioters, exploring ecclesiastical garments and the ritual of clothing. Liam Hodges and Nicomede Talavera are also returning for a second season.

CRAIG GREEN’S SECOND COMING

Last season, Craig Green reduced audience members to tears with his heartfelt, poetic debut solo show. It was the moment that we saw Green really grow up, and become a jewel on the London menswear crown. He graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2012 before rising through the ranks at Fashion East and MAN, developing signature moves that include plywood scaffolding, hand-painted fabrics and radical masks. What to expect from round two? We have our tissues at the ready.

MARTINE ROSE X #BEENTRILL#

Martine Rose’s exploration of the cultural uniforms that dominated her youth has held our attention for several seasons, as we have watched her cross-reference club flyers, S&M and memories of her youth, articulated in patched jackets, zips and PVC. For AW15 she is collaborating with internet polymaths #BEENTRILL# for a gender-blurring, sloganised, club-kid mash-up. Read our exclusive interview with Martine Rose here.

HOOD BY AIR TAKE ON PITTI UOMO

2014 was the year that the Hood By Air cult really hit the ground running, as Shayne Oliver shook up fashion week with Perspex shackles and leather suiting, helped by a hyped-up fanbase which includes the likes of Mykki Blanco, boychild, and Readers’ 100 queen Hari Nef, both of whom walked in the show. Having shown in both New York and Paris during womenswear, before returning to MoMa and teaming up with Arca and Jesse Kanda, Oliver is now taking his cult troupe to Pitti Uomo in Florence. Expect straps and shorts, bold lettering, loud music.

GOSHA RUBCHINSKIY RETURNS TO PARIS

Gosha Rubchinskiy’s Paris menswear runway debut was one of last season’s highlights. When the Moscow-born, Dazed 100 ranking designer unveiled his rebel army in patchwork shirts, leather and signature sweatpants, you knew you were watching something very special. Behind the scenes of the designer’s debut was captured on film for Dazed by Lea and Roberto Colombo, and to celebrate the show, Rubchinskiy and his DJ friend Zhit Vredno premiered a playlist online. Watch out this season for an exclusive stream of AW15’s soundtrack. 

BALMAIN BRING IT UP A NOTCH

Last month, Balmain offered up a Kimye Christmas, as the French fashion house unveiled their SS15 campaign featuring none other than Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, poised in almost the same lip-lock that broke the internet back in May. Whether Kanye will make a star appearance in Paris is yet to be found out, but Olivier Rousteing’s decision to move the show to a new dedicated venue promises a fresh style of presentation, no doubt imbued with the designer’s hedonistic twist on decadence.