FIX & FAX F/W2020 by Katya Leonovich
Patrick Michael Hughes Senior Fashion Editor
All Hail the Urban Peacock,Male Warrior!
Fix and Fax is a men’s fashion collection by design veteran and artist Katya Leonovich, made a significant step forward during NYFW.
The runway collection of twenty looks was inspired by the male species within the animal kingdom, the colorful, bold and flamboyant nature was seen in feathers and vibrant fur. The primary concern of the collection focused on construction and ingenuity adding another dimension to the ever expanding definition of male fashion, however, beyond the some of the fluid styling there were dedicated expressions of masculinity.
Bold colors, luxury reflective fabrications and shine were the takeaway effects. Leonovich hand crafted knits were constructed from raw silk yarns from India. The knit wear in this collection was stunning. One standout knit was reminiscent of armor. This particular item featured an innovative cross body component wrapping in the front and falling in a drape, in the front furthering the designer’s directive of complex construction and unexpected craftsmanship. Flowing full cut trousers and shirting highlighted the collection’s use of sheer silk organza and gleaming nylon.
Readiness and an urban warrior chic with an eye towards space exploration was also a part of the unique vision of clothing Leonovich presented. Protective and futuristic themes were seen in boiler suits with a wrapping ribbed feature in slightly sheer muted pink look to golden sequin muscular sleeveless styles. There was also innovation, by moving the puffer jacket silhouette forward merging it with a bit of a bomber sense with a high contrast fur collar.
Fix & Fax highlighted some striking and noteworthy knee length outerwear as well.The opening look was an exceptionally strong black patent iridescent trench coat paired with burnished golden fabric trousers.
Humor was not absent from Leonovich’s collection this season. The designer has a mischief of rats as pets. Her beloved rodents were the basis for a series of paintings inspired by Frank Sinatra’s rat pack. She painted the mischief in situations from playing pool to nightclubbing and attending the Academy Awards. These paintings became the inspiration for prints featured in the fall 2019 collection and continued forward as a narrative injected in this collection in patches on jackets to pop art printed stretched fabrications. IRK was reminded a bit of British humor and sensibility seen at London Fashion Week Men’s, designers whom have worked similarly with iconic toy and cartoon themes.
Fall 2020 for Fix and Fax by Katya Leonovich had a noteworthy upgrade for the fall 2020 season in terms of fabrication and execution. The brand’s ingenuity and skill level working in luxury textiles was well executed and showed stronger ‘lean in’ toward tailoring and finish. The fashion boost was followed through in venue, model casting, styling, grooming and a greatly appreciated presentation of edit looks. This collection was an wonderful example of an aspect of what has been missing form NYFW men and in New York fashion week in general…..Optimistic fun a looking forward to the future- first through a creative artistic lens.There was a vocabulary to this collection which was compelling and articulate.
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Patrick Michael Hughes is a fashion and decorative arts historian. He writes about fashion culture past and present making connections to New York, London and Copenhagen's fashion weeks with an eye toward men's fashion. He joined IRK Magazine as a fashion men's editor during winter of 2017.
He is often cited as a historical source for numerous pieces appearing in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNN, LVMH, Conde Nast, Highsnobiety and others. His fashion career includes years as a fashion reporter/producer of branded content for the New York local news in the hyper digital sector. Patrick's love of travel and terrain enabled him to becoming an experienced cross-country equestrian intensively riding in a number of locations in South America Scandinavia,The United Kingdom and Germany. However, he is not currently riding, but rather speaking internationally to designers, product development teams, marketing teams and ascending designers in the US, Europe and China.
Following his BA in the History of Art from Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York he later completed graduate studios in exhibition design in New York. it was with the nudge and a conversation in regard to a design assignment interviewing Richard Martin curator of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art he was encouraged to consider shifting his focus to the decorative arts with a concentration in fashion history and curation.
Patrick completed graduate studies 17th and 18th century French Royal interiors and decoration and 18th century French fashion culture at Musée Les Arts Decoratifs-Musée de Louvre in Paris. Upon his return to New York along with other classes and independent studies in American fashion he earned his MA in the History of Decorative Arts and Design from the Parsons/Cooper Hewitt Design Museum program in New York. His final specialist focus was in 19th century English fashion and interiors with distinction in 20th century American fashion history and design.
Currently, he is an Associate Teaching Professor at Parsons School of Design leading fashion history lecture-studios within the School of Art and Design History and Theory,
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