Michael Bastian Fall/winter 2012

I've been an admirer of Michael Bastian ever since his menswear collection debuted in 2006. He effortlessly seams together elegant prep (think Ralph Lauren) with the ethos of contemporary American brands (like  Rag & Bone). The result is not unlike DSquared, though less contrived.

Full collection.

All images copyrighted to GQ.com

-The Scandal

Gant by Michael Bastian, Spring Summer 2011

It is not uncommon for relatively affordable labels to launch a more upscale line in collaboration with a big name fashion designer. For example, Thom Browne collaborates with  preppy Brooks Brothers to produce the Black Fleece collection.

Brooks Brothers Black Fleece, by Thom Browne

 It's not surprising that the equally preppy Gant has recently partnered with Michael Bastian to put out a separate collection.  At first blush, the two may seem like perfect pair due to their shared preppy vision, with Michael Bastian incorporating a more sophisticated flare. However, when I looked at the Michael Bastian Gant collection, it struck me that the label might actually be better complemented  by having a designer that offered more of a contrast to Gant's look. The collaboration would then potentially be more interesting. I'm not advocating that Gant should partner with a Rick Owens type,

Rick Owens Fall/Winter 

but Michael Bastian's collection --nice as it was-- really didn't look all that different than the run-of-the-mill Gant. Heck, it didn't look much different than Polo.

Gant images from GQ.com

-The Scandal

Michael Bastian, Spring/Summer 2011

I must confess to be being a bit disappointed with MB's latest collection. I thought it too sporty --do American men wear speedos anyways? And it didn't have enough of those fitted preppy suit and tie combos that worked so well in previous seasons. It was a bit too much Abercrombie for my liking, but still worthwhile.

All images GQ.com

-The Scandal

Michael Bastian, Fall/Winter 2010

Overview: What do you get when you combine 80% Ralph Lauren + 20% DSquared? Answer: Michael Bastian. I love the way this guy makes everything look so wearable. But don't be fooled; as casual as the clothes look, they are deceptively luxurious.

Rating: ***1/2 out of ****

Highlights: Layering, quirky colours

Lowlights: None. Nada. Ok, well, maybe some unfortunate shirt/tie combinations.

-The Scandal

Michael Bastian, Spring/Summer 2010

Another cool collection by Michael Bastian, who really seems to be coming into his own; The look offers a little bit of Ralph Lauren preppiness and little bit of the DSquared rocker look (and of course, so much more. One of the things I like about Bastian is the boldness of his collections. There is none of the preciousness that you see in a lot of the other current fashion designers (e.g., Lanvin).

Some interesting highlights of this collection:

-the ankle-high length of the pants, though to me, this seems to have more in common with high-end Milan than it does Thom Browne ;

-quirky pastel colours (which seem to be popular in other NY shows such as Loden Dager and Victor Glemaud);

-frayed shorts (not shown because I didn't approve);

-The Scandal

Photos: Marcio Madeira, all images style.com

Michael Bastian, Fall 2009

Nobody does casual better than Michael Bastian. MB was the men's fashion director for a few years at Bergdorf Goodman prior to launching his own line. I particularly like the fit of the clothes and the way he layers them.

His line is carried in Canada at Holt's

-The Scandal