Patrik Ervell is Very Clean
One of the sharpest collections I’ve seen this year belongs to Patrik Ervell, who could be called Mr. Clean if we named him by the look of his clothes. Clean cuts, polished looks, razor sharp silhouettes—the collection would have the feel of trains running on time, if it weren’t so darn beautiful for that fascist allusion.
The Swedish Ervell, who had a stint running V magazine, has turned restraint into a level of zen with this collection, and that’s not a dis—he’s managed to hold back without becoming staid, or boring. He’s taken minimalism towards its most endearing end here, making geek chic so sexy and cool we almost have to remove the “geek.” He’s completely bucked his fellow designers’ trends towards workwear, and instead presented a collection that celebrates refinement, urbanity, and the nattier side of youth. Not a chambray in sight.
Ervell had his boys walking on stacks of Financial Times newspapers, and though the designer denies it, perhaps a playful jibe at the changing face of media, or the economic trends, or perhaps at the press as a whole. Or all of the above. Regardless, it left us all chuckling.
