Calvin

February 15, 2009

Bringing the Calvin Klein men's collection back to its home turf after years of showing in Milan might have made Italo Zucchelli think more than usual about its American roots (for his music, he picked "Jet Song" from West Side Story, the ultimate Manhattan soundtrack), but it certainly didn't steer him from the path he has set for the label. The subtle futurism of the movie Gattaca always comes to mind. In the same vein, Zucchelli will transmogrify something familiar—a tailored suit, say—into something alien by using a sci-fi fabric. Here, for instance, a liquid material flowed around the body like mercury. And the uniformity of outfits in shades of gray (anthracite, slate, dove, and a metallic zinc) with everything (suit, shirt, tie) matching also suggested the movie's hyper-sophisticated homogeneity. But with this collection, the designer perfected his high-tech, high-touch signature.

A broad-shouldered Harris Tweed herringbone overcoat, a shearling hoodie, a winter-white leather bomber stood alone as classic menswear pieces. Jackets and pants in a molded wool/nylon were their polar opposites, looking like a gladiatorial something out of Tron (staying with the sci-fi movie cross-references), which pleased Tron fanboy Kanye West to no end.For Zucchelli, such an overt attempt to transform the body is an update of Calvin Klein's sportswear roots. It's like a Bruce Weber model's torso abstracted in fabric. Possibly too abstracted for some in the audience, but another way to look at it was as Zucchelli's take on the notions of protection and armor that are floating around New York. The metal closings on coats added a hard edge. So did the footwear, solid as construction boots. If life is about to get tougher in the city, this is the smart way to dress dystopia.

— Tim Blanks