London Fashion Week Men's round up: from pick-me-up prints to hot pink, this week’s catwalks hailed a brave new world for boys

Hannah Rochell and Emma McCarthy spot next spring’s hottest trends
Hot pinks at Alex Mullins SS18 during London Fashion Week Men's

1. Blankets

Using his signature one-inch quilting and with the addition of plenty of artisan tassels, Craig Green showcased blanket capes in bright bold prints depicting golden sunset landscapes and jaunty blue and pink parrots.

Some had the addition of a scarf-come-hood and all were worn with ghillie-style driving shoes.

That’s festival season wrapped up, then.

Craig Green SS18 at LFWM
Catwalking.com

2. Hot pink

If the sugary-sweet millennial pink moment has left you feeling a tad nauseous, you’ll be pleased to hear that bubblegum hues are noticeable only by their absence next spring.

Instead, hot pink - the kind that might be called Barbie’s Dream House on the Farrow & Ball colour chart - dominated the catwalk as rising star Alex Mullins paired the highlighter hue with camel to great effect.

RCA graduate Per Götesson also made his name as one-to-watch by presenting wide-leg jeans in the shocking shade.

Alex Mullins SS18 at LFWM
Catwalking.com

3. Sheer shirts

Shirting is a cornerstone of British menswear and, therefore, something which often slips unnoticed to the background of design. But for Grace Wales Bonner - a designer who has form when it comes to elevating unassuming classics to inspired levels - the simple shirt became the hero.

Breathing new life into summer tailoring, the 26-year-old wünderkind made the sheer shirt a surprisingly accessible proposition, while proving that sometimes the quietest statement is also the loudest.

Wales Bonner SS18 at LFWM
Catwalking.com

4. Pick-me-up prints

“It’s the right kind of extremism,” read the show notes at Charles Jeffrey’s first solo show. “We’re dancing in the face of threats to freedom. It’s not enough to stay woke - we need to be alive.”

As a young designer cast as one of the most colourful on the men’s fashion circuit, Jeffrey’s latest homage to “queer hedonism” wasn’t backwards in coming forwards, from the trope of pink-painted dancers to the models stomping down the catwalk in ball- gowns.

If drag isn’t your thing, a host of shirts and knits in eye-wateringly bright and jolly prints also gave (slightly) more conservative dressers something to smile about.

Charles Jeffrey Loverboy SS18 at LFWM
Chris Yates

5. Cricket jumpers

As guests at Kent & Curwen’s presentation sipped Pimms and nibbled egg-and-cress finger sandwiches, David Beckham hailed the cricket jumper as next season’s big hitter.

“We’re lucky to have such a huge archive behind us as a brand,” said Beckham from the catwalk sidelines. “From day one we’ve tried to stay true to our sports heritage, so you’ll see a lot of cricket influences in this collection.”

To this end, the brand - backed by Becks and designed by Daniel Kearns - has revisited the iconic English staple which it is credited with creating back in the 1920s and put it back into the centre of play for a modern man’s wardrobe.

Kent & Curwen SS18 at LFWM
Catwalking.com

6. Eighties power suits

When it comes to tailoring next summer, be prepared for a large helping of shoulder pads and a side order of New Romantics.

Topman Design’s power suits were nipped in at the waist, worn with loose trousers and came with the added oomph of red shoes or socks. The Miami Vice vibe was also top of the agenda at E.Tautz and John Lawrence Sullivan. Eyeliner optional.

Topman Design SS18 at LFWM

7. Rucksack macs

One of the most practical offerings at LFWM was the rucksack jacket at Oliver Spencer - because who doesn’t need an anorak with built-in inner straps to sling over your shoulders and carry your coat hands-free when you get too hot?

Genius, and ideal for the gentleman who’d rather not carry a brolly... or a directional man bag.

Oliver Spencer SS18 at LFWM
Catwalking.com

8. Cycling shorts

Biker boys were ten-a-penny on the catwalk this weekend but we’re not talking the Hells Angels and Harley Davidson kind.

Instead, cycling shorts emerged as the latest form of athleisure to slip into everyday wardrobes. At Cottweiler’s showcase Lycra shorts, designed in collaboration with Reebok, played a starring role and came teamed with matching sports jackets.

Cottweiler SS18 at LFWM
Getty Images

Elsewhere, Martine Rose also championed the once practical, now high fashion item with fleeces and leather bombers.

Martine Rose SS18 at London Fashion Week Men's

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9. Mini man bags

When is a bum bag not a bum bag? When it’s oversized and worn across the body like a back-to-front asymmetric rucksack, as seen at Liam Hodges.

If hands-free is your bag but you’re after a smarter option, Martine Rose’s leather money belts looked dapper paired with bright coloured tailoring.

Man totes, be gone.

Liam Hodges SS18 at LFWM

10. Orange anoraks

There must be something in the air when it comes to orange anoraks (remember Liam Gallagher’s tangerine parka at last week’s One Love Manchester concert?).

In a collection inspired by the Paris-Dakar rally and the colours of its landscape, Belstaff’s burnt orange raincoat comes with the added bonus of being made from a lightweight, technologically-advanced fabric.

Belstaff SS18 at LFWM

11. Urban safari

For next spring, Christopher Raeburn sought inspiration from Slavomir Rawicz’s The Long Walk - an epic survival story tracing a 4,000-mile journey from Siberia to India - resulting in camo-print utility vests, hi-vis windbreakers and safari jackets to delight the modern urban explorer.

Christopher Raeburn SS18 at LFWM

Concrete jungles also influenced Astrid Anderson, who cited sun-scorched desert landscapes in her latest streetwear offering.

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