The burgeoning partnership between Topman and Fashion East, MAN, has put an international spotlight on menswear for the last four seasons and last week celebrated its third year at Fashion Week. Four designers showed at The Old Sorting Office on New Oxford Street and Topmanzine was there to take it all in.  

Menswear Designer of the Year Kim Jones launched his KJ BY KIM JONES diffusion line (exclusive to MAN). Joining forces with Saville Row tailors Norton and Sons, it was a more tailored look at the sportswear for which Kim is best known.

Aitor Throup, currently shaking up menswear with his transformable outerwear, showed an animated film featuring his clothing that metaphorically told the story of the flooding of New Orleans. Accompanied by a piece of sombre, funereal jazz, it was both utilitarian and moving.

Cassette Playa was back again this year, further evolving her signature cyber-symbolism and cartoon couture, this time taking inspiration from organic sources such as geology, crystals and volcanoes. Skate culture featured heavily in her collection, including some limited edition salmon pink Nike Blazers that evoked the rebel spirit of the Bones Brigade and Santa Cruz skate crews. Coupled with the thugged-out male models wearing the clothing, it was compelling, exciting viewing.

Topman Design this year retained a demure sensibility with an accent of Oxbridge school culture through clean, slim silhouettes and classic, refined colour palates. They now boast a prime concession in London’s Selfridges and a queue inducing Tokyo outlet in Harajuku’s Laforet Mall.

MAN boasts an advisory panel that includes GQ’s Charlie Porter and Arena Homme Plus Editor-in-Chief Jo-Ann Furniss among others and this year welcomed new panel members Luke Day, Fashion Director of Attitude, and Andrew Davis, Fashion Director of Arena. This panel of industry insiders - and of course the designers themselves - have ensured that MAN is putting new menswear talent firmly on the radar.

Click here to see the A/W show.