Hisham Oumlil is one of the tremendously undervalued talents in New York menswear today. Having the privilege to produce his Fall/Winter 2012 show at New York Fashion Week was such an honor. The Moroccan-born designer brings an honest and raw sense of inquisitiveness in a terribly homogeneous industry. For Fall 2012, he sought to portray optimism in the midst of stagnation, signified by pops of magenta and yellow against a palette of blacks, navies, and grays, accented by his signature quirky details of custom-pleated wools, contrast trim, and dyed Persian lamb.
pops of purple at Oumlil Fall 2012
One of the standout pieces for me was this contrast-trim trench in gray cotton cashmere. The oddly-shaped lapels with the high and wide kimono-esque belt and the beigey-white buttons made for a key winter piece that was both futuristic and earthy at the same time.
There is an ever so subtle texture on this heavy wool crepe black suit that is just exquisite. I very much recommend heavy wool suiting for fall/winter: it eliminates the need for a big coat for a night out, and could even make for an infinitely more polished sweatsuit alternative when worn with a hole-ridden sweater and old sneakers.
This leather vest in black deerskin with magenta dyed Persian lamb lapels is one of the kookier pieces in the collection, but one whose functionality the designer attests to. Hisham enthusiastically recommends sleeveless coats instead of conventional topcoats in the winter. “They come on and off much more easily, and your arms don’t really get that cold, do they?” says Hisham.
photographs by Ashley Dupree and Hudson Shively
