Republican cool
Simon Kneen’s debut collection for Banana Republic revolves around soft silhouettes, tactile finishes and a pervading sense of ease. A palette of ecru, slate, and pastel hues serves as a meditation on color, while sportswear shapes are rendered in lush, fluid materials.
The collection is an update on monochromatic dressing. Columns of color provide a contrast to cluttered backdrops while the rich sheen on liquid-like fabrics provides a modern polish.
Silhouettes are restrained: relax-fit trousers hang gently above the ankles, pantaloon shorts have delicate blouson hems, and airy knits fit close to the body. Breezy pants and oversized shirts in ultra-light soy silk epitomize casual chic, together with sculptural pieces — from the origami-pleat shift to the dolman sleeve knit dress.
Gone is the formal, highly stylized look of men’s suiting and in its place, a mix of subtly textured layers. Tailored cardigans replace traditional sartorial accents while pinstripes, refined cashmere, and pique polos personalize the look.
Trousers and blazers in summer wools are narrow yet breathable-and smart. Designed with popular gadgets in mind, interior suit pockets are cleverly situated to allow for uncomplicated wire management.
This clean, streamlined vision is punctuated by an infusion of buoyant Californian colors. Hockney’s crisp, chlorinated blue and Thiebaud’s sweet sorbet shades resurface on serious separates including oxford shirts, tailored cotton trousers and pebbled silk evening gowns.
Banana Republic is exclusively distributed in the Philippines by Casual Clothing Specialists Inc. (CCSI), a member of the Rustan’s Group of Companies, and is available at Greenbelt 5 and Rustan’s Department Store Makati.
