>> Any opportunity to bring up the 2012 TV moment that was the Mad Men season 5 opener, with Megan singing to Don, who reacted with a priceless look of mortification, bemusement and vague titillation, is fine by me. Clever/not-so-clever title wordplay aside, like Megan's performance, the Ksubi show on Monday, free of theatrics, rats and naked models, was in indeed bangin'.
Bangin' as in the clothes seemed to be bang on, where I think Ksubi should be going for in my mind. It suddenly feels like a real collection as opposed to customised and destroyed denim trussed up in drama and shock tactics. Beyond jeans, there was a wider scope within the collection, despite the concise number of looks and a much more intimate setting than past Ksubi shows. The opening looks of head-to-toe bleached out chambray in suitably slouchy shapes felt right on the money. They were later balanced out with racier sleeves-on-the-hip dresses and short shorts and tightly buttoned up printed Tropicana denim. Having been into the store and looked online to see the current collection, likewise, you're drawn to interesting mixes of leopard print ponyskin, tartan khaki and pale denim in more tailored shapes, rather than the racks of solid jeans offering that Ksubi have been renowned for. There's a level of ambition that seems to go beyond just merely relying on the ripped-and-greased aesthetics of grunge/punk. It's an interesting transition that I think reflects Ksubi's re-jig and re-think over the last couple of years and one that I was weirdly endeared to by the end of the night. With "Ksubi Ksubi Zou" in my head of course...
