Neil Barrett Spring/Summer 2016 Milan

LA Laker’s shooting guard Nick Young sat court side as Neil Barrett‘s Spring/Summer 2016 runway show unfolded.

“Barret’s my man,” Young said, pointing out that he was wearing jeans and a baseball jacket made by the English designer. “It never surprises me how awesome his collections are,” Young added.

A fresh break from the last two seasons, Barrett’s starting point was a blended print designed with layers that incorporated Palestinian Keffiyeh checks, batik patterns, and black and white camouflage. With the venue drenched in this mixed print, Barrett showed that his collection was more about playing with fabrics than it was about churning out new trends.

Through his designs, Barrett took the crowd on a modern journey through Mesopotamia.

The linear prints of Barrett’s 1950s-era collared knit shirts were reminiscent of desert caravan blankets, while tees and spring coats conjured the tiles of Ancient mosques.

Models wore cross-shoulder sacks and moccasins and athletic shoes were adorned with the same motif as the venue, blending into the dizzying runway set.

In terms of style, trousers were cropped and cut with a low crotch, while cuffed jeans and denim jackets were crafted with Japanese denim and sometimes dotted with leopard spots.

Barrett filled the house, not only with NBA stars who love his clothes, but also with fellow Milan-based designers like Ports 1961’s designer Milan Vukmirovic and the Dsquared2 twins Dean and Dan Caten.

Given his audience and the hearty applause that closed the show, Barrett demonstrated that he has the industry’s respect without having to impress with newness every season.