Show Report: Richard Nicoll S/S 15 Menswear

Richard Nicoll's show notes spoke of 'innovative familiarity'. It's an apt tag for a collection that had plenty of craft and impressive technique behind it - note the crinkled and crushed metal-threaded fabric - but felt decidedly predictable or even normal. There's always been something clinical and crisp to Nicoll's clothing, from the often icy palette to the intriguing sporty minimalism of his cuts, but this season things felt all together too cookie cutter. Where was the sensuality or intrigue? Even the kookier pieces, like the gingham jumpsuits that played into the macho-feminine thing we're seeing everywhere, felt a little too sanitised. Maybe there's a niche for that. After all the word of the season, nay the year, is normcore. But when the high street is offering such great basics, and when the rival LC:M talent is so strong, do we really want a designer to be in any way average?