It was easy to imagine Alexander Wang working on his fall/winter 2015 show listening to the music of the Mama’s and the Papa’s. Humming to himself the infectious lyrics “California dreamin’ on such a winter’s day,” because the spirit of that song certainly seemed to be imbued in his clothing this season.
The southern California beachwear style looked extra cool when given the Wang treatment. And the choice to use the theme for a cold weather collection was also a smart way to reimagine the familiar starting point.
So instead of tropical Hawaii print shirts, the designer used the motif as flocking on dark tone-on-tone suiting. A Baja surfer hoodie came reworked in neoprene. While a cowboy bandana was cleverly woven into the weave of knit turtleneck sweaters for a tromp l’oeil effect.
Wang’s love of high-tech fabrics proved particularly fascinating on a terry cloth jacket, which upon closer inspection turned out to be laser cut lambskin. And thoughtful designer touches like oversized tops that were cut higher at the sides, to keep the untucked shirt looking sharp and straight even when the owner has his hands tucked in his pants pockets, underlined exactly why Wang is so admired by those who have a preference for urban streetwear.
This was a solid and saleable collection with attributes both in style and substance. It might have been a lineup inspired by a laid-back way of life, but there was nothing left to chance in this strong collection.
