There was a distinct California feel in the Big Apple as the Boss Spring-Summer 2019 collection made its debut at this year’s New York Fashion Week. This season, Boss looked to California, its coastal cities and the modern houses overlooking the Pacific Ocean for inspiration. This seamless overlap of the beach and metropolitan life inspired a fresh new collection, where precision design is relaxed for a surf-inspired vibe.
The colour palette is cool and airy. Soft blush and pale blue are grounded by sartorial burgundy and navy, while full looks in white take the collection further into the summer. Light teal, orange and deep yellow enrich the palette.
The signature Boss tailoring remains elegant and clean but is relaxed for summer with softened structures, airy fabrics and easygoing textures.
Suits are crafted from crinkled cotton and paper-touch cloth, while lightweight nylon coats and jackets have an unexpectedly crisp texture. Even knitwear gets a summer treatment in the form of sweaters in almost transparent crinkled fabric and cropped silhouettes. Nylon coats feature vibrant patterns.
Sports Tailoring, a new Boss code first introduced on last season’s runway, continues to inform the designs. Surfboarding, a sport synonymous with California, is the inspiration for the surfboard stripes that are reimagined as appliqués on tailoring and outerwear. Sharp pants fasten with drawstrings, while hybrid outerwear styles perfectly blend sport and sartorialism; neoprene-like wool and hooded jackets are cleanly tailored from glossy nylon.
Expert workmanship and craft techniques are evident throughout the collection. Tailored jackets are crinkled by hand for a finish that is retained thanks to metallic fibres in the fabric; strips of nylon and leather are cut and hand-stitched as a patchwork on outerwear; suit jackets are kept modern and clean, using invisible edge-stitching. Taking an advanced approach to elegance, floaty parkas and shorts are crafted from technical fabric, tumbled for fluidity and lightness.
Accessories include bucket bags and pouch-like designs in super-soft leather, fastened with drawstrings. Men’s looks are completed with rubberised sneakers and derby shoes while wide-brim hats and coloured sunglasses protect from the glare of the Californian sun.
