SHOW: Band of Outsiders – S/S 2017
LOCATION: The Gallery at Skylight Clarkson Square, 558 Washington St.
DATE: Sept. 10
START TIME: 7PM + 28mins
TOP INSTA LOOK: ‘80s-inspored athletic power suits styled with Velcro-strap normcore white sneakers, paying homage to the brand’s former penchant for all things nerdy chic.
BEHIND THE SCENES: Anticipation over whether the label’s owner, Belgian-based CLCC SA, had made the right decision in tapping the trio of Scandinavian designers – Niklaus Hodel, Matthias Weber and Florian Feder – to revive the brand after the Los Angeles-based label folded last spring.
OFF PROBATION: A morning after-ready khaki satin bomber with “Outsiders” printed on the front in baseball font (an antiestablishment nod for the Bernie Sanders supporter), worn over a white dress and sneakers with midi tennis striped socks.
GOOD BEHAVIOUR BOND: An oversized men’s grey blazer and matching trousers with navy side panels, styled with white sneakers and bedhead waves. Think finance flick Margin Call as a fresher keg party dress theme.
INSPIRED BY: Titled “Class of SS17,” the designers served up a collegiate-influenced collection that paid homage to the football season and freshman hazing uniform for every student dumbfounded over which degree to major in. While a far cry from making a nod to Green Day’s ‘Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) with regards to the tainted history of the once best-on-ground all-star label, the designers’ rode on the name’s brand equity in delivering a range of looks catering for graduates across all subcategories of youth culture.
POP CULTURE-NOD: Zac Effron’s first meeting with his irritated guidance counsellor upon being accepted into the University of Southern California, where he’s being scalded for spending more time at the gym pumping iron than selecting his course credits, before ultimately dropping out to pursue professional gym time in between romancing the ladies on the silver screen.
WEAR IT TO: Your first class as a cashed-up mature-age student about to commence your sea change undergraduate degree through the NYU School of Professional Studies Paul McGhee Division, where you baffle to swallow the concept that students have since swapped note taking for filming lecturers real time on their iPhones, all the while remaining smug that you can pay your way to sartorial cool.
OVERHEARD COURTSIDE: “Wait – let me guess your verdict. Better or worse?”
SPOTTED: Amanda Steele, Sarah Andelman.
COLOR WHEEL: Canary yellow, black and white gingham, grey, sand, powder blue, navy, maroon, khaki, apricot, denim, purple.
THE DOCKET: While the former Band of Outsiders’ collections tended to play out like the wardrobe of the off-duty Opening Ceremony key holder seamlessly transitioning from the Saturday close shift to a night out in the Lower East Side, the newly relaunched label focused on catering to the preppy crowd keen on dragging their college days out for another decade, serving up a series of streetwear, slouchy looks with an all-American flair. Think on-campus dorm wardrobe for your first job featuring a boardroom.
