Rochambeau Fall 2012

Rochambeau: it can refer to rock, paper, scissors, sack tapping, a middle school in Connecticut, or the menswear line. If you put it in context, I'm obviously going to be discussing the latter, but you never know. Sometimes I throw a curve ball.

I've always found menswear difficult. I don't know why, but I put it into a completely separate category from women's fashion (well, the difference in gender might be part of it). Like, how do people design clothing for guys? All Most of the males that I know wear the same articles of clothing over and over again until they rip into barely wearable pieces of cloth, at which point they continue to wear them. I'm not even kidding. Perhaps that's why I have never understood how people like Joshua Cooper and Laurence Chandler (designers of Rochambeau) design their lines. Maybe that is why going to see their Fall/Winter 2012 presentation during New York Fashion Week was such a pleasure. I'm sure it was in part due to the fact that I got to miss English and science class for it, but "in part" are the key words.


The day that I saw said show was undoubtedly the best day of fashion week, by far. That was the day Bill Cunningham took my photograph (while I was waiting in line to get into Rochambeau, nonetheless). It was the day I met up with a few of my fellow editors from Chictopia. It was also the day I sat third row at a runway show in the tents. February 15th was also my cousin's birthday. Cons: I had a grammar test and I almost wasn't allowed to leave my school because of maniac security guards, but that's irrelevant, because even though it was extremely complicated, and I thought fake crying always works I was able to leave eventually.

Let me set the scene: you're in an odd desert jungle (I realize this does not make sense geographically but just go with it) with bizarre tumbleweeds hanging from the ceiling (sky?). The people are impeccably dressed men gypsies, with leather backpacks and/or neck pouches. Some wear hats or sunglasses to shield their eyes from the glaring lights sun, while others are still obviously unadjusted to the climate change and are in well-tailored but unusually colored suits. Most have long (and I am talking long) hair, but some have more cropped cuts. Many of them are wearing not fingerless, but palm-less leather gloves. All of them have something leather on them (and with good reason: leather is supah badass). Needless to say, this is a motley crew. But it all somehow works. Despite the obvious differences in appearance between these highly attractive men, there is a sense of community and harmony between them. They are all surviving in this jungle/desert together, one way or another. Some may choose to embrace their natural environment and wear mesh sock footwear, but some may stay in touch with their industrialized side and wear combat boots. The whole collection is quite metaphoric, with the varying clothing styles representing the differences in people, but the primitive aspect of it reminds one of the cutthroat world we live in, and how everyone is trying to survive. It's funny that I concluded all of this, seeing as one of the designers told me their inspiration was something to do with pagan gods and fire, or something like that. Totally not the same vibe I was tapping into.

How about I just show you the collection and you can decide for yourself?

Black and white: simple so far.

And then we zoom in. It's a leather collar.

Rocking the black on black on black on black on black look, with combat boots and palm-less gloves to complete the look.

This guy's got a leather backpack and a leather neck pouch. Can we be friends?

I think that's a yes.

This dude has some serious fishtailing skills.

Gypsy cowboy. I can dig that.

Yowza! Those sunglasses get me every time. 

I know that Native Americans used to keep tobacco in their neck pouches. I wonder what he's got in there...?

A brimmed hat with--yep, you called it--a leather strip wrapped around it.

"I'm too cool for this."

He was completely decked out in leather. Like, nearly head-to-toe. He was kind enough to point out his leather backpack with tassels of the same material dangling from the bottom. Thanks, bro.

"Say cheese!" "No." 

I've said it before and I'll say it again: you simply cannot go wrong with a leather jacket. 

...Especially not one with such snazzy seams and zippers. 

That is a fine head of hair. And a pretty sick jacket, if you ask me. If you, in fact, asked me.

He really went all out with the whole "I'm living in the wilderness" thing, didn't he?

This look just oozed last fall's The Kooples collection. 

More cowboy gypsies! Hooray for nomads! 

They unintentionally mirrored each other's foot movements. How cute.

Pay special attention to his leather-covered fingers.

And his, too.

The designers themselves! 

Wasn't that wonderful? Beautiful men, beautiful clothing, oodles and noodles of leather...what more can you ask for in life?

Fast forward to after school that same day, when my friend Caroline (after interviewing her and our friend Sadie for my "Can I Have Your Closet" project) took some outfit photos for me. She's a newbie blogger, so check out her blog if you'd like!

Camisole: Gap/Denim vest: Chico's via Savers (and then tailored by me)/Pants and socks: my mom's/Ostrich feather jacket: John Pappas Furs via my grandma via her dad/Glitter platforms and bag: made by me

What are you looking at? Oh, me? Right. That would make sense. 

Despite the fact that this post is going live past midnight, we're counting it as a post for February 25th, okay? 'Cause there will be another one within the next 18 hours. That one gets to be for February 26th. 

Good night/morning to you!

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