AW 2012 TrendWatch: Tonal Horizon

I love this trend because it's simple yet so graphic. The contrast in colours really breaks down the outfit creating a really edgy, masculine silhouette. Raf Simons' interpretation reminds me of Mark Rothko's huge abstract colour field paintings where each colours seems to blur into the other. That neon pop of colour from Paul Smith will definitely be a head-turner for the season, but my personal favourite has to be the Burberry bomber jacket. The warm, earthy colours remind me of a rich glass of mulled wine and the way it's cropped just above that velvet suit is such a modern twist. 

So while I was trawling through the net for some more accessible examples of this trend I came across  Parisian trio, Sidian, Ersatz & Vanes. Oskar Sidian, Mr Ersatz and Isaac Vanes are the creative brains behind this relatively new label who can already count Frank Ocean as one of their fans. I have to admit I couldn't find that much info about the designers themselves because they've decided to keep their identities a secret. That fact can easily be overlooked when you take a look at their amazing designs. I really love the way they've chosen to focus on one of the most important components of a guy's wardrobe (the dress shirt) to see how far they can push a concept through the use of rich colours and pattern. I would definitely recommend having a good look at their website, especially the moving lookbooks. I think I'd quite enjoy picking their brains to find out what it's like designing as a trio, the mystique surrounding them is really intriguing.

Runway images via: Style.com
Sidian, Ersatz & Vanes images via: Lenny Pier Ramos