Christopher Shannon’s understanding

Christopher Shannon’s eponymous menswear label is an accomplished reflection of the burgeoning interest in fashion that London’s men have finally grasped. Refuting the limitations of a monotonous wardrobe, his Spring/Summer 2012 collection employs contrasting materials, colours and prints that manage to work in harmony with one another, producing a resultant line which could be worn without the diffusion of other labels, while still maintaining individuality and variation.

Experimenting with the traditional shape of the uniformed wardrobe, his collection features elongated coats and low-hanging shirts. The subtlety of these changes emboldens his designs without undermining his aesthetic through its novelty. Similarly, the prevalence of graphic prints allows for the interjection of playful colour; this continuation throughout his collection fixes his designs within the traditional sphere of male fashion while escaping the clichéd tedium of graphic print shirts. By deviating only slightly from the uniformity of high street menswear, Christopher Shannon’s label is approachable, appeasing the sartorially nervous by utilising conventional design motifs. Thus, the accessibility of his label signifies Christopher Shannon’s understanding of the difficulties of menswear and this perception provokes a collection that is as wearable as it is stylish. Yet within these self-imposed boundaries, Christopher’s creativity occasionally repudiates the apprehension of the timid: his use of tassels addresses the daring, to which the safety of this wearable collection requires superfluous touches.

While much of the menswear which parades down the catwalk alienates the majority of men, Christopher Shannon’s sensitivity towards the quotidian dresser expounds the success of his label; he needn’t seek out the alternative individual to wear his pieces since his collection brings sartorial success to even the most unwilling.

Ryan Brown