When you officially open the second day of New York Fashion Week: Men’s at 9 a.m., it’s the gracious thing to do to treat your guests to breakfast.
That’s just what Joseph Abboud did on Tuesday, serving editors and retailers some hot (or cold) victuals prior to his spring show.
“We wanted to be civilized,” the designer said backstage before the show.
While the format may have been different, the collection was classic Abboud.
The tailored clothing and heavy line was “all linen-driven,” he said, in a traditional palette of white, ivory and a “Havana brown.”
Admitting that he is “not a huge fan of exaggerated, big silhouettes,” Abboud did make a few tweaks to the line, with trousers that were slightly more flared and deconstructed jackets that felt “breezy.”
There were also a few frayed edges, “but in a controlled way.”
This complemented the textures of the open-weave sweaters and served to enhance the Cuban flavor of the line.
Overall, the collection was classy and luxurious — and very men’s wear. (He even cast a who’s who of classic American models including Alex Lundqvist and Sean O’Pry.) And that’s just how Abboud wants it. “You can’t be all things to all people,” he said. “I know who I am and this collection is very consistent with my philosophy of clothes.”