The MAN show presented its usual eclectic mix of creativity and ideas with debuts from Bobby Abley and Alan Taylor and a second outing for the bonkers Craig Green.

You can always count on the designers chosen for the MAN show to push the boundaries of creativity and draw a huge crowd. And yesterday was no different, with stellar offerings from Bobby Abley, Dublin-born Alan Taylor and the ever-theatrical Craig Green (remember last season’s redefinition of planking?).

First up was Bobby Abley. Part eye-popping Dalston Disneyland (see teddy bears, fleur de lis and tweety birds) and part Dora the Explorer (Teddy boy backpacks were the accessory of choice), the models wore leather crowns and hooded jackets as they stalked the Topman Show Space.

Next was Alan Taylor, whose collection was altogether more restrained and trad. Grey tweed pieces were mixed with deconstructed skinny tailoring and the omnipresent shorts of s/s14 were seen with daringly high slits and short-sleeved jackets. LCD Soundsystem provided the backdrop and Taylor’s clothes were the perfect warm-up for the final bonkers but brilliant offering from Craig Green.

Ah yes. Craig Green. What to say about Craig Green… Well, his masked models in tie-dye streetwear carrying 3-D cardboard constructions gained the biggest cheers from the day’s crowds. And despite last season’s slagging from the newly-announced Ambassador for British menswear David Gandy, Green’s clothes yesterday continued to surprise and delight the majority of the menswear circuit. So yes, everyone might have smiled when we saw the oversized tie-dye sculptures and the bandanas that pretty much obscured the models’ faces. But we’d also like to see this trend go mainstream. David Gandy, your move.

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Topman Design
Backstage at Astrid Andersen

Words: Sophie Haslett
Images: Hatnim Lee