NYC FASHION WEEK: LODEN DAGER

Alex Galan, Oliver Helden, and Paul Marlow have quietly herded their Loden Dager collaboration along never before beckoning publicity with the hype of a runway show until now. Slow and steady wins the race. For fall they presented a scarce 14 looks, thickening out the march with some womenswear, you wonder why they even bothered and not have just left it to a lookbook. LD’s clothes are subtle, understated, and lack the drama you expect for a catwalk. In a way though, it’s the negative, that pared down elegance that lends itself to menswear and to these bleak times that made the prospect of their clothes in motion exciting.

Their references were NYC male artists of the 60’s (Rothko, Rauschenburg, Twombly), channeling their sensibilities for today. The archetypal self-absorbed tough man came in the plaid, flannel, in the field jackets, and parkas. The artistic side, a show of a man who might spend a week or two contemplating the perfect interaction of Alizarin Crimson and Phthalo Blue, came in the outstanding colors; a range of bright saturated navy and indigo, faded crimsons, and palette cleansing beiges and khakis. Subtle of course, but just enough color to make you notice. It all gelled together in vaguely new (a hint of vintage inspiration) and flattering silhouettes, the kind that suggest style and not fashion (victim).

It doesn’t hurt that the casting was impeccable offering a bigger perspective on the boyishly handsome LD world, those models sure do make you think about the clothes inside and out. For a show it’s not the most exciting, but the clothes? They’re superb. Alex, Olivier, and Paul made clothes you can actually wear; you actually want to wear, odd that it takes such a big production to make you realize.

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