Saul Nash made his name in London as a sportswear designer whose movement-based cutting techniques and breathable fabrics were informed by his experience as a dancer. Showing in Milan for a second time this season, he continues to push the perimeters of his design handwriting, introducing more tailoring to his evolving wardrobe. Like a suit crafted from Punta di Milano Marl that feels like a tracksuit but is propelled into more formal territory, or a series of office shirts that are built with protective hoods.
He called the collection Embrace, thinking about how men interact in shared movement. Dancers walked the catwalk then were joined in pairs, clinging close to one another. You didn’t know if they were lovers, brothers or strangers, the nature of their relationship was left ambiguous. There was a push and pull tension to many of the pieces. While cupro shirts hung loosely from the body, compression tops stamped with hand prints and Henley shirts – bulging at the chest to expose one nipple thanks to an asymmetric fastening – were suctioned to the body, mimicking the feeling of being held.
“This season looks at movement but through the interaction of two people, playing with hard and soft fabrics in a way that echoes the subtle language of touch,” said Nash, who produced kinetic cut jeans that featured a laser etching of two bodies intertwined and a sports jersey with a sheer body that danced around the form of the wearer. It’s obvious Nash is embracing a more sensual side to his designs too, inspired by his own customers who’ve long wore his clothes to the club when they want to feel sexy. There was plenty here that would get heads turning, on the dance floor and beyond.
Photography by Christina Fragkou.
