Woodhouse Fall 2016

Fashion editors are always looking for that next designer/brand that is not afraid to take risks and creates a collection that is a combination of the now and next aesthetic that satisfies the ever-changing palette of consumers. It is one thing to whet the evolving style palette; however, it is a challenge to also create garments that predict what consumers will want in their wardrobe before they know.

Woodhouse is an emerging menswear brand that is doing just that. For fall 2016 creative director Julian Woodhouse was inspired by Korean street style and military themes. Being an army brat, Woodhouse drew from personal experience. However, this debut showing during New York Fashion Week: Mens (NYFWM) was much more than that. This collection contained garments that would be a first in most men’s wardrobe.

That said; most of the silhouettes in this collection have been seen before. However, what stands out most in this NYFWM debut collection is Woodhouse’s ability to combine well-known silhouettes—extended crouch pants, padded shoulders, jackets with restrained volume—and funnel these styles through a lens of contemporary style and fashion-forward sensibility.

Though this collection was definitely for a younger consumer with a thirst for the next in menswear fashion, there were some separates that could work for a wider male demographic. And Woodhouse’s utilitarian approach to contemporary menswear was an added plus to this collection. There were jackets with embedded, detachable backpacks, jackets with removable asymmetrical panels, and high-waist pants with a removable train.

At times this fall 2016 collection did appear disjointed with some garments that would work mostly in photo editorials. Still, for a debut outing Julian Woodhouse is on the right track. And in a market place with lots of unspectacular, pedestrian collection, Woodhouse is a refreshing addition.

—William S. Gooch