Brett Johnson Fall 2016

New York Fashion Week: Men’s (NYFWM) is a great opportunity for emerging menswear designers to present their collections. And being that NYFWM’s is only in its second season the fashion calendar is primed and not yet overcrowded with too many designers and menswear brands.

That said; when a designer does present a collection at NYFWM it is important to bring their A-game. Consider, the New York fashion terrain is blessed with editors, stylists, and other industry professionals who have witnessed the best of the best, so second or third best just won’t do. And they will let you know it!!

For fall 2016, the American West and the lifestyle of successful men inspired Brett Johnson. There was an interesting injection of American West, Stetson-like hats; that are trending right now. As well as Western shirts, fringed jackets in mustard, burgundy, and bright red which nicely conjured up images of the modern Western theme-inspired man.

Johnson presented a clean, crisp collection that was well styled—with the exception with the outdated Timbaland boots—and highly professional. Unfortunately, that was where of the charm of the collection began and ended. The presentation was peppered with some the fashion industry’s African American fashion elite; perhaps, due to the fact that Brett Johnson is the scion of BET founder Robert Johnson.

Still, clean, crisp presentation, good styling, and the black fashion elite aside, this collection was a missed opportunity for Brett Johnson. Most of the looks in this collection seemed outdated and could have been purchased at major American discount retailers several seasons ago. And being that Brett Johnson has been in business since 2013, it would have been a natural progression of his brand to bring to NYFWM’s something other than a collection that doesn’t register on an international menswear fashion radar.

However, with the right marketing and a little creative ingenuity, this fall 2016 collection could have a large presence in Southern and Midwestern markets, where most male consumers are  looking for work staple, not  menswear trends and fashion-forward clothing. Still, for work staples there are a host of household brands, so  Johnson will have a lot of competition.

Johnson is in the ballpark of understanding his customer, he just needs to bring the wow factor up a few levels. Better luck next time!!

—William S. Gooch