Into the Wild: Sons of Heroes SS13

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.

Grow some balls and grab some clothes.

http://www.sonsofheroes.com/