Sons of Heroes roars back onto the
contemporary menswear scene for SS13, bred from a wild and rebellious desire to
be heard in those urban areas plagued by social and cultural deprivation. The
summer collection is tinged with the striking visual presentation of David
Bowie and his alter ego Ziggy Stardust, concocted with the political unrest of
the 1980s and the potent sport influences of the time.
This collection is all about reinvention
– last season for AW12 the label only teased the potential for mixed fabrics,
most memorably in the form of what looked like an incurably cool hybrid between
a structured classic Aertex shirt and an American varsity jacket. Mind blown.
Creative Director Lee Sedman exploits
that potential this season, tempering razor sharp tailored classics with
aggressive, uncompromising leather body paneling. There is a real sense of
British heritage bled through with an American adventurousness here, realised
quite literally in the label’s inclusion of stars & stripes pieces.
The same unexpected juxtapositions are
also evident in the lookbook styling: we have casual vests teamed with drop
crotched tweed tailored trousers; the classic aesthetic electrified into fashion
forwardness by bold Ziggy Stardust lightning bolts cascading through jaggedly
spliced panels.
But now let’s get to what the label is
famous for: animal print. For SS13 the label’s untouchable luxury-grunge shows
no sign of being tamed. Magnetic imagery featuring gnasher-bearing lions and death-stalking
tigers in digitally printed garments are as present as ever – equally endearing
as they are intimidating - which undoubtedly explains their mysteriously alluring
appeal. This time Mr. Sedman adds Zebras to his list of taxonomy, drenched in
acid pink dye for one look that ensures the collection stays faithful to the
brand’s inherent punk influences.
With its signature style reminiscent of
those (frankly exhausted) Givenchy Rottweilers, it’s hardly any shock that Sons
of Heroes has become a more exclusive, niche alternative for celebrity
stylists. The animal print bombers have been immensely popular with the urban
music scene, particularly in the American market where the brand has already
been donned by the likes of Rihanna, Justin Bieber, 2 Chainz, Trey Songz, and
Wiz Khalifa to name a few. Not bad for a label that’s barely 5 seasons old.
Super-talented photographer Harriet
Turney returns this season shooting brutally confident looks from brooding-exuding
model Ricki Hall. Harriet, who specialises in fashion portrait documentary, is
clearly building quite a name for herself having already shot editorial brand
content with Stussy, Adidas and Puma. She is currently working with some of the
biggest names in graffiti.
