(De)sign Of The Times: Craig Green's SS21 Collection

Craig Green Mens SS21 Fashion Collection | Yellowtrace

In a world that feels like a dystopic dream come true, protective clothing and social distancing have become commonplace in our vocabulary. Renowned for his avant-garde approach to menswear, Craig Green seems to perfectly capture our post-pandemic world, exploring themes of protection, armour and utility. Green’s SS21 collection is a manifestation of the current global state of play with clothing that bridges workwear with apocalyptic fighting armour. Boom!

Our idea of workwear has changed forever. The boundaries that once defined how and where our clothes are worn have been blurred as work bleeds into our home lives more than ever before. In a similar vein, British fashion design has reinterpreted the suit, pairing crisp white button-up shirts and ties with quilted chore jackets and body-strapping bags. Oversized bucket hats made from the same quilted material resemble the form of a mask, sitting low on the head as if they were a protective helmet.

Green has also constructed a metal fame around the body that acts as a protective shield, allowing the human beneath to disappear hidden under the clothes. Deconstructed shirts, pants, and hats hang from the structure creating a sense of anonymity and mystery. A bucket hat with hanging metal strips bring a futuristic feel to a classic silhouette. Small drawstring pouches and small silver ‘eyes’ hang from their ends, distorting our view of the wearer’s face. Once again Green plays with the idea of armour, creating pieces that feel protective and defensive, concealing the wearer beneath.

The collection features deep burgundy and army green tones paired with deep shades of blue. The muted colour palette simultaneously feels calming in a chaotic world while also referencing the corporate workwear palette. These pieces not only capture the current global shift in our lives that reflect our complex and uneasy relationship with work, they also hypothesise a new reality in which our uniform will never be the same again.

Craig Green’s accolades include British Menswear Designer at the Fashion Awards 2016, 2017 and 2018, Menswear Guest Designer at Pitti Uomo 94 in 2018, among others. The young London-born designer established his namesake label in 2012 shortly after graduating the Fashion Masters course at Central Saint Martins. Exploring concepts of uniform and utility, Green’s cult-like runway processions have become a highly-anticipated fixture of the menswear calendar.