No but seriously, where? There are several shows on the Collections calendar that pull in a serious fan base. No queue (other than Burberry) makes for this ilk of street style fodder. Key designers who traditionally draw an entourage of die hard groupies are KTZ and Nasir Mazhar, but this season the streets of The Old Sorting Office and Victoria House respectively were left somewhat barren – so where did they all go? If I may draw on a London metaphor, KTZ and Nasir Mazhar have done a Shoreditch and been “gentrified”. Their “up-and-coming” statuses now require them to host a more exclusive FROW of industry representatives rather than their disorderly troupe of yester-season. This was apparent on the catwalk too, where the more outlandish aesthetic of AW14 had been replaced with something slightly more refined and, dare I say it, wearable. So what did the fans miss?
Where KTZ usually presents monochrome streetwear that draws inspiration from the East and its faiths, this season the fashion label looked closer to home and centred SS15 around Ancient Greece and its mythology. Colours were confined to black, white and orange, with prints referencing geometric Grecian vases. Gladiator style skirting, chunky Grecian sandals, Hercules-like models, warrior masks and chest armour nodded to the motivation behind the collection. The initial looks were remarkably wearable for a KTZ collection, forgoing the brand’s usual heavy weight adornment, but enthusiasts of the signature glitzy aesthetic were not to be disappointed as the final half was injected with a suitable amount of sparkle.
All in all SS15 was a tight collection that showcased the brand’s streetwear roots, but in a highly wearable, commercially minded fashion. There was a synergy in SS15 that previous KTZ shows have struggled to retain. You can sign me up for some Grecian gear of my own – I’ll represent at the show, that’s for sho.
Nasir Mazhar had the impressive task of closing London Collections Men – a big step from a designer who is relatively fresh out of the Fashion East foray. The much-hyped streetwear label showcased an SS15 collection that was remarkably paired back in comparison to what we’ve seen on the catwalk previously. Don’t get me wrong, the rude-boy aesthetic was still there with body armour, braces, knee skimming basketball shorts and the brand’s distinctive Bully Caps, but for SS15 shirting and key collection pieces were reworked and developed to create a more refined streetwear mood.
Opening with a series of white-on-white looks, metallic silver and gold punctuated the stark palette, before opulent jewel-like colours were introduced such as sapphire and garnet. Shorts were triple layered, shirts were crafted from pinstripe and sweatshirts featured quilting. Like KTZ, Mazhar showed a collection that will hang on the rails beautifully – commercial, without being void of excitement, Mazhar cemented his aesthetic for SS15 and confirmed his place as one of Britain’s most exciting streetwear designers. 
Nasir Mazhar images courtesy of Wonderland Magazine.
