DANIEL JAMES THAWLEY

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Text by Dan Thawley
Editor Junsuke Yamasaki

Shaun Samson burst onto the London fashion scene in 2010 with his Central Saint Martin’s graduate collection that fused Highland tartans in cocoon silhouettes with intricate felting techniques, creating a fresh men’s wear look that was at once both sporty and luxurious. Taking his look to the London Fashion Week catwalk with the help of Fashion East’s Lulu Kennedy, Samson has broadened his scope over the past three seasons with an injection of the designer’s lifeblood - the laid-back style of West Coast USA. Evolving the oversized silhouette into a relaxed and layered ensemble, textile experimentation has led Samson into faux fur applications, Mexican poncho weaves and most lately knife-studded pussy cats. “I think my West Coast upbringing is apparent in all my collections via the attitude” he says, “but I definitely view fashion and approach it in a London way”.

For Spring Summer 2013, Samson’s boys hit the London MAN catwalk with DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince’s ‘Summertime’ over the airwaves and a spring in their sandal step. A laid-back skatepark silhouette dominated the collection, which Samson called “an inward exploration of the male self during adolescence”. “It’s a peek into teen angst,” he continued “It’s a reference to the different ways guys release their emotions through their hobbies. Some boys fix up their cars, while others alter their own bodies through tattoos and piercings.” Boxy tunic tops were interspersed with button-up shirting and knits in stripes and checks (layered under and over each other) teamed with paneled or draped apron shorts. “I looked at the 90’s emo/grunge scene that I experienced in High School growing up in Southern California” reflects Samson, “A lot of the bands I was researching for the mood of the collection are from Southern California like Weezer, Sublime and even a little bit of No Doubt”.

Colour-wise grey marles, taupe and navy were accented with fluoro peach, transparent white and silver mesh - “It’s a ‘dude’ colour palette” explains Samson, “I chose neutrals because I wanted the garments to go together quite easily in different combinations”. Wide bands of cubist mirrored appliqué added a new dimension to the final looks, catapulting ethnic embroidery directly into 2013. Samson brought back the felting, an immediate signature from his graduate offering, however as he explained “It’s a very subtle feature this season, I’ve updated it by felting wool jumpers into printed photos of themselves. The beauty of it also is that you don’t really notice it”. Other graphic elements arrived in geometric colour blocks and the season’s soon to be iconic printed cat faces with pierced earrings and a Hell Raiser ‘pinhead’ cat. “It’s a reference to how Asian culture interprets American alternative rock culture” said Samson, “being Asian myself, I know we’re into really cute, super-kawaii things like Hello Kitty. I thought the cutest thing you can put on a T-shirt was a kitty face, and wanted to play with the idea of sadism and something being so cute that it hurts.”

Photography by Brett Lloyd
Styling by John McCarty

8 months ago Notes (10)