Show Report: Philipp Plein A/W 16 Menswear

There are many who may have turned in their graves in response to tonight's Philipp Plein show. One doubts that the original California skaters of the sixties - those behind the likes of Hobie and Makaha who pioneered boards that resembled small surfboards - would have been thrilled to see Lucky Blue Smith, a kid who spends more time on Instagram than a board, trussed up in an suit and bowtie while carrying a skateboard like a handbag down the runway. Bowie also probably didn’t intend Heroes to become the soundtrack to some festival of leather product-pushing, especially when mashed up with Justin Bieber. Lil Wayne, though not dead yet - despite his penchant for purple drank - seemed to have an epiphany half-way through his performance, which opened the show, that this was not something to be associated with and dropped the mic (literally) before storming off. Apparently he was angered by sound issues - I’d like to think he had just had a preview of the fedoras, gold shiny batman logos and cable knit joggers that were about to appear on the runway and panicked. Sure, this stuff will sell by the bucket load - a black leather jacket is, after all, no longer the uniform of outsiders and rule-breakers (punks, bikers etc) but the staple of the masses. That said, some of the jackets looked like they were growing barnacles, thanks to an overzealous use of embellishment. 

The whole affair took place around a skate park set, which allowed for several impressive if unnecessary performances from skilled bikers and skaters. But, even if this does pull in shoppers who are keen for a shiny jacket or some obvious souvenirs of money burned, no real skater would touch it with a barge pole. If heaven is a halfpipe, this was hell.