Though Loden Dager's inspirations ranged from 1960s Brazilian architecture to Paul Klee -as Paul Marlow explained at his studio a few days before showtime- the thing that rang clearest through the show was suburbia (and SubUrbia). The designer imagined all the young dudes hanging out in parking lots, loitering and lounging. The key moment was when Ol' Dirty Bastard's "Shimmy shimmy ya" (aka "Ooh Baby, I like it raw"), one of the white-boy radio-rap jams of the 1990s, first came blasting through the speakers. As the guys started walking (running, really) with their Nike sneaks, half-tucked shirts and pants with one leg rolled up (an idea of stylist Andreas Kokkino), you could have been outside any 7-Eleven across this great nation fifteen years back. That's a very specific nostalgia to channel, but if it hits you, the way it hits you is, well, raw. In reality, the kids back then never got as polished as this. There were cuffed tailored shorts in place of droopy saggers, and double-faced jacquards for flat prints. A hoodie sweater Paul Marlow called a "wet-suit cardigan" zipped (and unzipped) all the way up the back, hem to hood. Mesh insets in shorts, jackets, and tanks kept it sporty (and allowed for the clever little mesh pocket squares). It all came in vivid, saturated colors like royal, orange, cranberry, and fuchsia, as well as a few cool paisleys and a motif of graphic stripes. It's been a bright season in menswear, but Loden Dager -last season's atypically black, white, and gray collection aside- always skews bright. Consider it a confirmation of their talent that Paul Marlow and co-designer Oliver Helden still found a way to stand out from the crowd. This collection was Bedford Ave through and through. Not for the Deadwood-y, turn-of-the-century sort of Brooklynite. More the cool kid who can pull off a pair of eye-popping lime-green Nikes without a hitch.
