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• July 24, 2008
• Trend Spotting

Capsule: Open Your Mouth and Say, "Market"

By Jason Wilson

This week, BPMW's signature brand of fashion pharmacology, (Capsule), offered us industry heads a much-needed menswear booster. As one of the seminal events that has helped to define men's fashion week for the past two seasons in New York, the Pimps installed their fashion altar once again at the Lower East Side's Angel Orensanz Center (a former synagogue no less) giving menswear followers this side of the Atlantic a place to genuflect. It's no Pitti Uomo, but then again, it's no Magic either (thank God).

Several newcomers filled the space and the better veteran lines showed some innovation as well. The recently launched April77 Records collection is putting a little rock and roll in your closet and your ears. Aside from hawking their nylon wind breakers and some very not-so-square shifts for girls, the designers plan to give away LP's with a purchase of each garment. Save Khaki's SKU line wins our award for comfort factor offering a comfortably conservative collection almost entirely composed of fabrics that defy the hot hot heat such as chambray and twill. Cassette displayed denim in so many colors we needed a Pantone chart just to name them all, and YMC upped the ante with their patterns for next spring (the snakeskin-print sneakers were a fave).

The real show stoppers though all had one thing in common—resurrection. Perhaps our favorite of the day was the Mjölk, a line that tweaks the familiar formal silhouette with a touch of futuristic fop. Think Yale, 2080. Christopher Nying and Jockum Hallinn of Our Legacy wowed with their varsity sweatshirts, faux-vintage fatigue trousers, grandpa oxfords, and other preppy looks culled straight from the history books. The 30-year-old retail veteran Penfield is back in the race with amazing color blocks on everything from windbreakers to color-paneled gingham shirts. All in all, we were sated by Capsule (though we could always do with another dose.)

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