Swedish designer Patrik Ervell arrived in New York by way of California. His innately hybrid sensibility meant the inspiration for this season's collection -the LA milieu that Bret Easton Ellis skewered in "Less than zero"- was a perfect fit. All those eighties new-wave rich kids with their mock Euro-chic, their tousled Leo Ford hair, and their Bryan Ferry soundtrack were a dream clientèle for Mr Ervell's compact skinny-lapelled stitched-pleat tailoring. And LA played itself with the sun-bleached color scheme, the faded splash-dyed effects (akin to a very delicate tie-dye), and the braided detailing that added a barrio flourish. Because the narrative framework was so graphic, Patrik Ervell could get away with a collection that was his most subtle and refined to date. The backstory added spine to a belted beige shorts suit, a low-slung tan trench, candy-striped button-downs, and the soft washed cotton suitings. Imagine Andrew McCarthy or Robert Downey Jr in any of it to make it come alive. But the designer ultimately needs no such literal help. The tentativeness that once brought a hit-and-miss edge to his collections has gone. Just check any of the navy pieces from this collection. The Ervellian art-school dude is all grown up… or at least has entered his senior year. Sure, he's still rocking a knapsack, but it's pulled on over a trim navy suit with a cropped ankle and a tieless club-collared oxford, buttoned high to his taste. On his off days, the kid's no tee-and-jeans loafer. He broods in short-sleeved dress shirts, camel elbow-patched sweaters, and subtly quirky turquoise chinos rolled up with bucks. He's controlled, self-assured, and, more importantly, still rad as hell in his post-adolescent years. What about you ?
