A Shift in Men's Clothing
Antonio Ciongoli of Eidos Napoli.
There’s been much discussion of late in men’s magazines and on style blogs about the artist-philosopher-poet look. Styles are cyclical, and after ten years of trim fits and work boots, we’re shifting to a breezier, bohemian look inspired by yesterday’s creatives. These folks were unintentionally stylish, dressing in a manner as considered and expressive as their work.
Eidos SS17
No current collection captures the spirit of artists, philosophers and poets like Eidos Napoli’s SS17 line, available in stores right now, and upcoming AW17 collection. I’ve been a fan of Antonio Ciongoli’s designs for the past several years, and have witnessed his pieces shift from tailored Neapolitan suits to casual garments with plentiful sprezzatura. I wrote about their tailoring several months back after buying their classic gray suit, but Eidos has transcended their reputation as masters of affordable (relatively speaking) suiting. While they still excel at it, these recent collections feature nonchalant clothes for men and women of leisure.
The lookbook for the SS17 collection features a diverse range of men and women (in menswear!) sporting colors and silhouettes that go back to basics, yet look completely novel. Rather than full suits, Ciongoli designed a series of light, unstructured jackets that take inspiration from both tailoring and workwear textiles. Belted coats and band collar shirts go hand in hand with linen pants and cuffed, voluminous shorts that hit above the knee. Loafers and sandals round out the looks, equally at home loafing the streets of Paris, watching the sunset on a roof in Brooklyn or relaxing on the beach in Italy or Greece.
Jean-Michel Basquiat, the inspiration for Eidos' AW17 collection.
Take a peep at the AW17 collection, too, a tribute to Jean-Michel Basquiat. Heck, one of the models is a spitting image of Samo himself. As Ciongoli put it in an interview with GQ Style, “The inspiration was Glenn O’Brien’s film starring Basquiat that he shot in ’81, sometimes it’s called “Downtown ’81” and sometimes it’s called “New York Beat.” I’ve mentioned O’Brien’s cultural imprint numerous times before and after his recent passing, because his influence on New York’s - and by that mark the art world’s - culture is omnipresent. The outfits that were less Basquiat-inspired look like they could have been plucked out of O’Brien’s closet; they’re more slimming than the SS17 collection, but have volume, unexpected flourishes in color, fabric or pattern and look excellent dressed up and dressed down, designed for the artistry of dressing, for getting dressed is an art in itself. Shades of indigo, dusty red and light browns dominate, earthy colors that complement New York’s scenery and mimic the changing of the seasons. The kicker is a collaboration with Vanson, an indigo canvas motorcycle jacket inspired by O’Brien’s classic leather Schott adorned on its back with Basquiat’s signature crown.
With these collections, Ciongoli is not only creating trends, but is shifting the paradigm of men’s style, much how Thom Browne did ten years ago with his short, slim suits. The Thom Browne revolution still has a place in the world - where would we be without cropped pants and Nick Wooster - but Ciongoli and crew are returning timeless silhouettes to the street. Eidos, in its truest sense, is streetwear. The garments aren’t precious; they’re meant for regular wear and to acquire patina and stories behind them, much like the stories Ciongoli drew on to create them.