The Klaxon Howl man is someone I certainly wouldn’t mind passing by on the street, and one I would surly notice.

He is confident and carefree (he doesn’t play by the rules), and he’s rugged, rugged in a way that makes one nostalgic for a time when gentleman knew how to chop wood, as instinctually as they knew to open a door for a lady. There is an unaffected ease to the label, as there is to the man it is designed for — a cool that entices and tempts. And, once again thanks to designer Matt Robinson, a troop of just such cavalier gentleman took to the runway to show off the label’s SS13 collection last week.

A collection that borrows inspiration from an array of eras, the show began with a nod to the 30s: a patterned button down shirt paired beneath a tailored dark two-piece suit, showed off classic tailoring, while avoiding the claustrophobic structure that suffocated The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, leaving room for rebellion.

The great outdoors inspired a cheeky cheetah print hat, and splashes of camo throughout the collection, that acted as a neutral on the runway, with the designer cleverly styling it within multiple looks. The camouflage two-piece suit was my personal hero of the show. Teamed simply with a white tee, it — as every look in the collection — spoke to the importance of the old adage, “less is more.”

 Klaxon Howl SS13

Published on October 26, 2012