Mixed Emotions – Orange Culture S/S 17 Menswear Collection

Being a huge fan of the Orange Culture brand, it is really coming from a good place as I write this review on it’s recently released S/S 17 Collection. Bear with me as I unburden the mixed emotions that flood me as I look at this lookbook. Before this collection was released, the brand took to their Instagram page to tease us and we waited.
When the wait was over, the excitement died just as quickly as it came. The mixed emotions came in form of an up side and what I like to call the other side.

Up Sides
There are a lot of bright sides to this collection like the photography, the prints of the fabrics, and the collaboration with other designers – which lays emphasis on the need for creatives to stick together to grow.

The Other Side
On the other hand, I am left wondering why the models, contrary to the fabrics, look sad and, for a lack of a better word, unhealthy. The vibe they give off in in this shoot wouldn’t move a buyer to pick these pieces. I know the tease calls it “School of Rejects”, but at least rejects bask in their decision not to fit into societal standards.

The styling of this collection makes me wonder if the average man would be able to pull off these outfits as styled in the look book. I believe as individual pieces, they would sell faster than an Etched Journey Tee on sale. There seems to be a lot of effort put into the aesthetics of the look book, and somehow the beauty of the pieces got lost in all the grandeur.
I am no fashion designer (the best I have done, is have someone sketch a design which was then given to a tailor) but I know the finishing to every piece is very important and once you don’t have that, you loose the very essence of creating a minimalist piece. Sadly, not all pieces in this collection can boast of good finishing.
The vibrancy and the prints of this collection warm my heart, and the accessories are to die for. The truth (my truth) is that this would have been a great look book if the details in the little things were paid attention to. If the models were graceful in carrying out the aesthetics of the clothes instead of being posters for the walking dead, they could have sold it a little bit more. The styling was too extra and took so much beauty away from the pieces themselves.
View lookbook below and share your thoughts on the lookbook.

By Ogodogun Oghenekevwe