The idea is to die young as late as possible. — Ashley Montagu — Tuesday December 15th — —

“A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.” – Herbert Simon — Tuesday December 15th — —

I love listening. It is one of the only spaces where you can be still and moved at the same time. — Nayyirah Waheed — Tuesday December 15th — —

Hed Mayner Autumn/Winter 2015

Although the Spring/Summer 2016 collections will be presented soon, we will take one last look at the current season and the most exciting young designer we encountered this year: Hed Mayner. The Israeli, still based in Jerusalem, debuted in Paris only two seasons ago, yet his current – and second ever – Autumn/Winter 2015 collection is amongst our clear favorites of everything we have seen. In his coherent set of creations Mayner mixes elegant traditional tailoring with military elements, which he simply explains through having it around him so much in the streetscape of his hometown. Another important source of inspiration is orthodox Jewish tailoring, having a strong tradition in oversized silhouettes covering the body rather than mirroring it in its shape. The results are a remarkable clash of different aesthetic and culturally charged elements, forming a fresh vision on luxurious fashion, which should promise the designer to become a household name of modern menswear in the years to come.

In an interview with Daily Metal, Mayner explained the inspiration he finds in Jerusalem:

The idea of luxury does not exist in Jerusalem in the same way it does in Europe. The tailoring is never really perfect, but it still looks refined and noble. This inspires me. It is a unique form of classic tailoring and the status of the clothes is not very clear. To me it’s a modern way of looking at luxury clothing.

Growing up in Amuka, a village in the forests in the North of Israel, Hed Mayner started sewing form the age of 16, making his own patterns and garments. He later studied at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem, beofre moving to Paris where he enrolled at the prestigious Institut Francais de la Mode. In Paris, he studied new aspects for fashion and craft, which enriched his aesthetic in the best possible way.

Body language is key for the designer. The attitude of his envisioned man is confident, but never imposing. Leaving enough freedom to the wearer to take his own stance, he always creates elegant garments, which have a realistic and pragmatic depth, yet never losing that sense of romance. The designer balances thick and fluid, stiff and soft, hard and gentle remarkably, underlining the importance of his own craft, as well as a cutting edge take on menswear staples.

Some of the pieces of Mayner’s A/W 2015 pieces are still available at another super inspirational project: New York City-based webstore The New World Order here.

For more information and the soon to be released S/S 2016 see here