While backstage at PATRIK ERVELL Fall/Winter 2014, I got the chance to ask the designer the question that ate at me during the entire show. Did the models purposely look sweaty or was that an aftereffect of all the lighting inside Milk Studios? "I work with Holli [Smith] and this might be the ugliest hair we've ever done, but it's powerful," he answered. "I wanted them to look like they had been running, but not so literal." Patrik is well versed in crafting a sporty aesthetic with a twist, using technical fabrics on garments that may not strictly serve a roughing-it purpose. "It's a blending of formalwear and performance outerwear," he said of the new collection. "It's a new kind of suit, business wear."
Patrik's collections have had an outdoorsy feel for a while now—Fall/Winter 2013 involved Realtree-inspired prints while the Spring/Summer 2014 collection was prompted by the idea of a new type of sailor's uniform. Patrik's consistency with outfitting the modern man for both sidewalks and side trails springs from his childhood in Northern California. "You can definitely see a Patagonia influence," he said of the fleecey, shearling vests that made an appearance over thick sweaters and slim-fit trousers in this collection. But for all his classic shapes and hints of retro, Patrik insists on exploring new techniques and fabrics during the design process, such as taped zippers, bonded fabric, and wool pants lined with a "breathable membrane backing." Said Patrik, "That's the only way to really see something that's completely new, to work with the technology that's become available."
Photos by James Parker | E-mail ONLINE@OPENINGCEREMONY.US to be notified when the FW14 collection arrives at OC!
