I’m just going to say it: Patrik Ervell should have won the CFDA/GQ New Menswear Designer of the Year. Quite simply, and I use the word “simply” intentionally here, no one is making menswear like Patrik Ervell. The refinement of his suits are unmatched, and his apparel retains an absolutely effortless sexiness and masculinity without losing even a touch of its elegance. And yet his materials are forward-thinking, without needing to get all up in your face with their avant-gardness. For my money, in terms of young, or “new” designers, he is the one to beat.

Ervell’s F/W 2011 collection began against a backdrop of white billowing parachutes, flowing with gusts of wind provided by fans. The minimal, dramatic set was a precursor for what was to come: the stage outline of the film Dogville, or those first, sparse piano notes that introduce Kanye’s Runaway.

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