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An intimate location, yet a packed room with an anticipated crowd – that’s probably the best way to describe the setting of the Cold Method show at Amsterdam Fashion Week yesterday evening. Although I’m aware of the fact that curiosity killed the cat, I was more than anxious about the show after my backstage Q&A with head designer Dieter de Cock. And I must say, I was more than pleased with the A/W 2013 collection. Guided by a live performance by The Dance, the (street-casted) models strutted the runway like kings as they welcomed us, the audience – the common people, into their eclectic kingdom…
His Eclectic Kingdom
Dieter’s claim that the Cold Method man can be every man was definitely proven by the variety of models on the runway: from slick young boys to heavily bearded men, they were all represented on the catwalk. Expressing a ‘no guts, no glory’ feeling, it is unquestionable that the head designer was inspired by English singer King Charles, since the models looked sophisticated and rock-‘n-roll-ish at the same time. However, romanticism also proved to be key of this collection: soft materials and subtle prints predominated and were preferably layered with contrasting materials in vibrant colours, such as ruby red and eclectic blue. What was most appealing to me were the subtle hints (and in the end the huge splash) of fluorescent yellow combined with dark tones, because it simply created the extra ‘uumpf’ menswear sometimes need (without exaggerating it).
Given the fact that this was an autumn/winter collection, it was surprisingly colourful – aside from the dark finale. The warm and soft fabrics such as cashmere, alpaca and lambswool that were used for the sweaters, scarves and cardigans made perfect sense considering the season it’s meant for. The layering was not only primarily practical, it also emphasized the contrast with the checked, striped, flower and paisley printed blouses that peaked from underneath the ensembles. The clash with shiny quilted jackets in bright colours was also interesting. But to be honest it wasn’t until the final moment, when the last model stepped out on the runway holding a cane in his hand, that everything fell in place for me. He truly resembled the courageous ‘king’ of his kingdom I not only want my man, but every man to be. Sophisticated, elegant and above all: powerful. I mean, which girl can resist a guy that exudes confidence and power when wearing a suit in daring colours and holding a cane?!
Photos by Beata Fortuna
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