There is no better time than spring to take a deep breath blow some new air on your wardrobe. Refreshing your life and your wardrobe is a fun activity and it doesn’t take much to transform something old into something new. Just like nature has an organic way of reinventing itself while maintaining some rules and patterns, in the same way any guy can change his clothes while staying true to his style and vision.
The Michael Bastian spring-summer 2014 menswear collection was presented last year at New York Fashion Week and is a great source of inspiration when it comes to style. The designer found his inspiration for his French-like looks while spending some time online. “It started with watching The Red Balloon for the first time in twenty years,” he said after the launch of his collection. “It snowballed into this French-guy thing.“
The collection is remarkable and very promising.
The essential pieces specific to a French man are enhanced with a lot of leopard and other prints, including pineapples and balloons. And the prints were not only where you could see them. Some items actually had very subtle prints that could only be notice if you took a very close look at the clothes. In Michael Bastian’s own, words it was “print abuse“.
This fresh French look could not have been complete without masterfully crafted short pants and printed trousers that fit the season very well. Even though Bastian created a new universe, he kept the classic staples, such as precisely cut single breasted, as well as double breasted jackets.
“This season I wanted to do something more colorful, more joyous– play around a bit more with pattern mixing and unexpected styling, in a loose, easier, sexy way that typifies, to me, the best of French men’s style. The inspiration initially came from observing the French guys in my life. (…) I also drew inspiration from the incredible spirit and joyfulness of the late American designer Patrick Kelly– no one loved Paris more than he did. I often think the true essence of a place can only be reflected through the eyes and experiences of an outsider, and for me, Patrick’s vision of Paris– bright, romantic, frenetic, sexy and chic– is the one that stays with me” is how Michael Bastian commented on his designs.
With Paris-printed caps can camera props, clothes in colors such as French Blue, navy, cadet, parrot green, Balloon red, slate gray, washed fuchsia, and of course this spring’s trendy white, one must not travel to reach new distances. Discover more from the collection in the gallery of our favorite looks:
Fraquoh and Franchomme
P.S. What do you think of the collection? Share your comments and don’t forget: you can subscribe to our website to receive updated every time we publish a new article and follow us on our social network pages!
4 replies on “Fashion Review: Michael Bastian Spring Summer 2014 Menswear Collection”
I really enjoy your spotlights on designers. You always do such an amazing job with this. It’s always great to hear from/about the origin of these pieces. As for the collection, I think what I appreciate about it is that each of the items from your selected favorite looks can be the center piece of an entire outfit. Versatility in a piece, aside from amazing color and pattern, is nice.
Thanks Daniel! We are happy you like our articles focusing on fashion inspiration. We always try to select the looks we feel our readers could use best as their inspiration and those that offer the most, so it’s nice that you perceived them as such!
Oh, yeah, these outfits scream 1960s French movie!
Yes, they are a good reference to the classic French style, but brought up to date!