The year is 2017 and suit doesn’t hold much sway as it used to decades ago. Sure you are expected to turn up in one during formal occasions but this is also the point in history where you can wear it with a pair of the latest Nike sneakers and no one would bat an eyelid. Unless, you’re a stick in the mud.
And so, instead of espousing the merit of a beautifully tailored and dapper suit, designers focus on injecting modern sensibility and new perspectives on how it can still be relevant in a time where streetwear reigns supreme.
Feby Haniv plucked the era of 1920s as the backdrop for her eponymous label’s collection. The era of excess wealth, of wild flapper girls, best encapsulated in the famous “The Great Gatsby” book by F. Scott Fitzgerald. But as male models in suits streamed out one after another, it’s hard to shake off the feeling that Feby actually has nothing to say with this collection. And the whole 1920s, gangster-inspired narrative just seemed like a distraction to divert the audience away from her lack of idea.
The show was accompanied with a vague, but mostly puzzling, short film starring the runway models as ruffians from the 20s, in which their attempt at a heist was foiled. And that’s supposedly the reason why they came out with bruise makeup on. But it was so hard to make sense of the storyline and ultimately, it did nothing for the collection.
Feby should have paid more attention on the fit of the clothes instead. Most of the pieces looked terribly awkward on the models. Some appeared shrunken and you are not quite sure if the pants are supposed to be cropped or it’s just too short for the models.
Still, you probably gotta hand it to Feby for the ability to lure you away from all that shortcomings during the end of the show. The designer walked out in suit with an entourage of models like an affluent sugar mommy who also happened to be a famous criminal wanted in every province of the country. But the fake guns carried by the two models by her side just take the cake. Is Feby aware of what’s going on in the world currently? Regrettably, as swinging as she might appear, it clearly misfired.
