New York Men’s Day showed up in 2014 mainly because the belief was that men’s fashion took a hard backseat to women’s fashion during fashion week. While the big brand houses focused on the high fashion looks of the runway to inspire what women would be wearing off the runway, Agentry PR brought brands dedicated to doing the same for men in a now decade-old tradition. Brands of all levels, from newcomers to New York Men’s Day veterans, appear yearly to inspire us guys to look our best. The Joseph McRae NYMD debut tells us a story to go beyond the boring and uninspired outfits and instead use our voice to tell a sartorial story.
Balancing boldness and subtlety
The bold use of silhouettes is the first thing that strikes someone walking into the showroom occupied by Joseph McRae in the afternoon segment of NYMD. While the colors are more muted greens and browns, which seem right on trend this season in fashion week, the shapes and lines of his designs are anything but muted. Large, puffy tops and long flowing bottoms create a loud voice contrasting the colors accompanying them. He celebrates the beauty of change. Just as the caterpillar is small, slow, and muted in color, and the butterfly is bright, airborne, and expansive, his collection showcases the marriage between the two. McRae makes a splash in the evening session of the annual show by encouraging us to embrace change and stand up to be seen, even if the world is telling us otherwise.
