Northern Soul hit the high street favourite’s runway on June 12.
Topman Design created a spring summer collection tributed to Northern Soul with a subversive side. Navy blue tracksuits with denim studded and patchwork-encrusted waistcoats opened the show.
As the show progressed navy became the dominating colour, crafted into two-piece suits with wide legged trousers, hip grazing short shirts with long-sleeved roll-neck jumpers underneath with matching baggy trousers and white vest with navy piping.
The mid-section of the show took on a lighter brighter air, as camel swing trousers kissed ox-blood red boots with a vibrant red jumper with white piping on the raglan sleeve. Topman is known for pushing high street tailoring to a new level every season, and SS16 is no different as the pyjama trend big for women this season, is carried through to guys; as toffee toned candy cane stripped jackets, Oxford bag trousers and shirt graced the industrial runway.
Delicate camel gave way to an almost pastel gold tone two-pieced suit with a track jacket underneath; with the appearance of the track jacket it allowed the instigation of sports luxe into the show space arena. High collared anoraks with super short shorts in lemon, grey and pastel pink, and also turquoise, teal and steel grey with matching tube socks and trainers graced the catwalk next which emphasised the sports luxe theme.
The highlight of this section is the panel tonal grey outfit with short shorts and drawstring jacket. As panelling departed, graphic print made its presence known, with patchwork printed ponchos, high-necked jumpers with Oxford bag trousers, which wouldn’t look out-of-place John Newman’s Love Me Again video (the perfect example of modern interpretation of Northern Soul). Patchwork passed, carving the way for the subversive and more rebellious element to the show. Models worked a chunky chain necklace held together with a padlock, tones became darker, prints became bolder and more visible with the patchwork print now showing slogans and images such as “Let’s Riot!”, “Disco Sucks” and a skull on ponchos and cropped shirts seen throughout the collection.
Trousers became tighter with the ever-faithful skinny jean showing a different side to the Northern Soul iconography. Tracksuit bottoms in intense red were teamed with muscle vest with uniform holes in, which brought that teenage rebellion back into the collection. The red carried through onto hooded jackets, trainers with a two-piece suit Beetlejuice would be proud to own. Closing the show was an all black ensemble heavily studded with patchwork jacket and jeans, combing the Northern Soul patchwork slogans with the dark side to collection seamlessly.
Topman Design has generated a collection perfect for introducing a new generation to the ever-cool Northern Soul culture. So for spring summer 2016 prepare to bust a move on Topman’s Northern Soul Train.
