PRIVATE POLICY Fuses Asian Heritage With Aggro Punk for Spring/Summer 2019

New York’s PRIVATE POLICY has consistently tapped social commentary for seasonal collections, but its London Fashion Week: Men’s debut saw the young label taking its most overt stance yet. Citing the pressures of assimilation and “lack of representation in Western media” as key inspirations, Creative Directors Haoran Li and Siying Qu introduced a variety of looks that melded traditional Asian detailing with Western punk and grunge influence.

By reinterpreting styles typically informed by Western music with elements of their own heritage, the designers subverted the trope of Western assimilation; instead, the items were reformatted to fit their own whims. Plaid shirts became oversized haori jackets and other layering pieces boasted Mandarin knot buttons with silver spikes, resisting easy categorization as singularly Asian- or punk-inspired. The selection continued developing on the punk inspiration with leather harnesses, bright codpiece-like shoulder bags and studded bras — with a host of complementary leather and silver jewelry, the accessories granted aggressive flair to trim shorts, double-breasted blazers and see-through sweaters. Meanwhile, PRIVATE POLICY’s genderless design philosophy manifested in one-size-fits-all layering pieces, zippered leather pants, and a shimmery black dress, underlining the already-uncompromising designs by further upending the Western menswear status quo.

Check out the looks above and head to PRIVATE POLICY’s website for more information on the brand.

Also at London Fashion Week: Men’s, Hussein Chalayan‘s long-running label drew inspiration from global reinterpretations of happiness for a collection of deconstructed menswear.