MFW19 Day 4 - Menswear - Ralph Leroy, Ezra Constantine: Of Rain and the Street

RALPH LEROY

Rain rain go away, come again another day… or at the Ralph Leroy fashion show. At least, that is what inspired Leroy’s Spring collection, which was introduced on Thursday evening at Marché Bonsecours.

To begin, three kayaks were centered on the runway. The sounds of heavy rain paired with rain-themed songs, such as "Here Comes The Rain Again" by Eurythmics, gave an overall pleasant rainy afternoon ambiance. The models wore twill jackets and trousers in primary colors and khaki. One of my favorites: a red jacket with rolled-up cuffs that revealed yellow lining. Lots of pants with drawstrings at the waistband and on side seams looked very comfortable.

Mid-show, as the "rain" cleared up and The Beatles "Here Comes The Sun" played, there was a shift in wardrobe as well. Lighter jackets and fabrics appeared. Much linen was used; an appropriate and common fabric for summer. Some silk slub shirts and more rolled-up sleeve shirts, as well as more drawstring pants and shorts. Lots of greens, blues, and khakis. With the sounds of nature and more upbeat "sunny" music, I couldn’t help but think of clear blue skies and green grass after a rainfall.

A series of well-fitted bathing suits in black, grey, blue, and red then followed. The biggest surprise? At the end of the show, four female models wearing one-piece bathing suits walked onto the runway together. The finale was endearing, as the female models brought out a fishing net and pulled the group of swimwear male models backstage. A fun show, and an appealing casual collection for men. Can’t wait to see if Leroy has more in store for women.

EZRA CONSTANTINE

Ezra Constantine’s show for the Spring collection had models strutting down the runway at a fast pace and with heavy attitude. On the walls at the beginning of the runway was  a black-and-white video of men dressing and undressing during the entire show.

As opposed to the bright colors which have been presented in most collections, here we have lots of black, grey, blue, and neutrals.

I was happy to see cargo pants and shorts, a big trend of the season. They looked really great and it’s the perfect casual item for Spring. Skinny pants and beautifully draped tops in neutral colors, and of course black, were fashion forward for menswear, though very wearable. Some of the models were accessorised in thin black leather straps at the elbow. Like Leroy, Ezra Constantine also presented shirts with rolled up sleeves and drawstring pants.

I absolutely loved the black knit top with a big skull design on the front. It looked so good paired with a black hooded jacket with combo fabrics. I admired Ezra Constantine’s different approach to Spring clothing and look forward to their future collections.

Photographs by Nadeje and JHM via Sensation Mode