AW12 Print Picks: Agi&Sam

Thanks to the support and sponsorship of Topman and Fashion East, MAN has helped created a whole new momentum in the London menswear scene. With each season it evolves in profile and importance. The SS12 lineup marked something of an energised beginning that was continued on for AW12 with Astrid Andersen and Agi&Sam joining Shaun Samson for a mouth watering show. The season marked Agi&Sam's first ever catwalk show and the talented pair dazzled under the spotlight. Building on the success of the previous two seasons as part of the Fashion East MAN installations, the design duo brought their vivid prints, eye for colour and particular sense of humour to the Royal Opera House show space. Now that the initial excitement of the day itself has died down, I wanted to take a closer look at the showcase of the well tailored plethora of prints.

Despite the name being something of a mouthful, 'Darwin's Theory of Why The Chicken Crossed The Road,' the tale behind the collection itself is a simple one. The colourful pair have travelled to the future just before the Apocalypse in fact, where the last men alive on Earth are replicating the finest cloths of the past using what they have at their disposal, namely recycling fabrics from plastics. The pair worked with Greenpac to produce fabric made entirely from plastic bottles. These polyester fabrics have been woven in a precise way to expertly replicate natural fabrics including cotton drill and jersey. Given the green credentials of the collection you might be forgiven for thinking that the collection a little dull but come on, we're talking about Agi&Sam here. Thanks to their penchant for clashing and layering print upon print, the design duo once again opened my mind to print possibilities. With their strong emphasis on entirely bespoke print and humour, they believe that fashion should never been taken too seriously and if their latest collection doesn't provoke a wry smile...well... there must be something wrong with you.

Throughout, Agi&Sam have expertly engineered their own print variations of vividly coloured Linton tweeds and fine traditional tartans whilst inspiration comes from a warm nostalgia for M.C Escher and Stanley Kubrick. The dizzying display includes a variety of tessellating repeats, woven fabrics, tweeds tartans, chickens and ducks which prompt the viewer to ask the age-old question; 'Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" As you ponder this causality dilemma, lets take a closer look at just a few prints picks with the help of Little Doodles beautiful illustrations alongside our own catwalk details shots...

Beautiful illustrations by Little Doodles alongside our own catwalk and detail shots. 

"We don't believe hat fashion should be taken too seriously," say the designers but despite their smile inducing designs this is a collection that should be taken seriously. Always aiming to be revolutionary as well as humorous in their approach to menswear, Agi&Sam once again experimented heavily with texture and colour. Stretching the boundaries of textiles, and printing whilst pushing me to consider unexpected print combinations. As colourful and dazzling the collection certainly is, I'm most excited by the design duo's continued evolution and cannot wait to see what they serve up next.