CWST Spring 2016

One of the things that stood out this inaugural season of New York Fashion Week: Men’s is that menswear designers are creating clothes for a different kind of male consumer, particularly the international traveler. This consumer may be in Dubai one week, the next week in Cologne, the next week in Seoul, Korea. And in between all this commuting for work and/or business, this consumer may take a quick rest and relaxation in some exotic locations as diverse as Rangoon, Ibiza, Sao Paolo or Aspen.

All this shuttling around the world requires clothes that travel easily and need very little maintenance. Also, this world traveler probably doesn’t wear the traditional suit for work or business. Whether he works in the tech industry, new media, entertainment, finance or fashion, his attire has changed. CWST, pronounced “quest,” is creating garments for just this type of male consumer.

CWST creative directors Derek Buse and Joe Sadler took their guy from sandy beaches to the beauty and desolation of Death Valley. Inspired by “mother earth” in all her extreme terrains, the design duo’s spring collection echoed the polarized opposites of mother earth from her arid desolation to her natural beauty.

What was most appealing about this collection was Buse and Sadler’s evolution of the seersucker suit. Their “new seersucker” is lightweight with a touch stretch, facilitating ease of movement. This is the ideal garment for today’s international male traveler.

Where the collection went a little off kilter was when Buse and Sandler followed the design crowd and incorporated athletic references that came up flat and uninspired. Stay with works guys, the casual feel of your more tailored looks could be your bread and butter!!

—William S. Gooch