Reiss: On the Road

Reiss: On the Road

Reiss’ new beatnik-inspired look brings a bohemian style to the dominant trends and influences of spring/summer 2012. This approach champions authenticity and alternative approaches – much like the era-defining Kerouac novel it is named after.
Shot entirely in black and white, and heavily featuring a vintage pickup truck, it is retrospective to the exclusion of all else.
Denim plays an important role in the collection: it’s the foundation of some looks and a constant influence across the whole. The use of a Chambray shirt with a patterned pocket square shows a mixture of pieces and an approach not often seen before – proving that endless possibilities can be opened up by using patterned accessories. As the pocket square has become a standard part of men’s formal attire, looking for other opportunities to expand on their use is a nice idea – maybe we will see pocket handkerchiefs becoming another way to inject formality into a casual outfit going forward.
Their approach to prints, a trend making huge splashes this season, is well rooted in the 50s. Geometric patterns and leaf prints that use old fashioned colour schemes bring change and an inventive attitude to a trend that has been in danger of becoming stale and simply replicated across collections.
Reiss, by using clean styling in all their progressive outfits, have created a set of looks that could be translated directly from the lookbook to the your wardrobe. The extreme edges of the look are, in a manner which is beginning to become a staple of the new more formal direction of men’s fashion, kept in check by classic tailoring.
The beatniks were a precursor to the psychedelic decades to follow. It will be interesting to see if Reiss try and push on to something similarly revolutionary.
Check out the full feature and shop the collection over on the Reiss website.

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Reiss: On the Road: