TOPMAN DESIGN F/W 2015 MENSWEAR

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: “Bombay City Rollers” is the title of the TOPMAN DESIGN’s collection centered mostly into 60’s & 70’s touchstones.

First were the souvenir garments brought back by a blissed-out generation of consciousness-expanders from the hippie trail: huge shaggy afghans from the East—ah, Bombay—and peyote-ready ponchos from the West, both with intensely patterned shirts beneath. More psychedelic visions swirled behind the models on the dot-matrix backdrop. Yet, as some off-message metallic-paneled bowling shoes hinted at, Topman’s proposition was richer than hippiedom alone.

Topman Design eased the audience into the day’s presentations with a collection that was both nostalgic and rebellious. Outerwear became a clear focus from the onset as the show opened with a statement patchwork shearling peacoat set against psychedelic LED visuals.  Riding on the 70s’ Woodstock reference last season, Fall/Winter 15 offered a more irreverent edge akin to the headiness of Glam Rock. AC/DC thunderbolts and star-spangled denim coordinates accented a series of flume-rich coats, ruffled shirts and ombre mohair oversized coats. Tartan suiting — emblematic of the 70s — and western overalls were the bread and butter of the collection.