Bianca Saunders Ode to the Unsung Heroes of Island Life
Review of Bianca Saunders Spring 2025 Men’s Fashion Show
By Angela Baidoo
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
THE THEME
How its possible that a major luxury house hasn’t snapped up Bianca Saunders as their creative director only adds to her reputation and today’s outing proved why her star is still on the rise.
Mining her Jamaican heritage it was a case of looking at the island from the perspective of the visiting tourist. A perspective that will often be shaped through preconceived notions of locals, customs, and stereotypical tropes fed to them, through a sanitised lens.
Saunders references for spring 2025, according to the show notes, were a series of photographs from photojournalist Bradley Smith of a Jamaican resort in the 1940s and an ensuing book titled ‘ Escape to the West Indies: A guidebook to the Islands of the Caribbean’. The irony of a guidebook written from an outsiders perspective tying in with todays theme perfectly. But it was the way in which the photographer lensed the staff and captured their individual personalties at the resort which “deeply resonated with Saunders” as outlined in todays notes. Building on these references as her jumping off point, Saunders continued her exploration of “crafting archetypes through disruptive tailoring”. Taking inspiration from the unsung heroes of the resort, the “sartorial suaveness” of the unfiorms of the butlers, chauffeurs and fishermen appealed. The strict rules around neatness came through in button-down shirts which were subverted through wave-like prints and shrunken proportions, while the butlers tailored suit was updated through a cropped length and miniature collar. Saunders denim was also a strong point, this season a handkerchief placement showcased the designers “blissful drape work”, while the addition of fluid satins and shimmering sequins in midnight blue (to mimic the Jamaican sky at night) was her ode to the “under explored concept of men’s day-to-night dressing” according to the notes.
Spring 2025 also debuted the brands footwear collection, made in collaboration with the Portuguese Association of Footwear and Leather Goods and Valuni, which produced slimline scuba and mesh slip-ons (the ease of this style of shoe has been particularly popular across the season, from Gucci to Prada), gathered leather loafers and square-toe knee boots, which looked all the more impactful in turquoise blue. Her unconventional accessories also featured crochet hats balanced precariously atop the models heads. Crafted with a simple knot the designer called the styles “Fisher-them” hats in keeping with the way the past-time has been modernised.
THE BUZZWORDS
Exploring escapism, disruptive tailoring, honing in on heritage
THE SHOWSTOPPER
Look #13
Whoever assumed that beach dresses should just sit within womenswear only should consider Bianca Saunders’ maxi crochet version in azure blue, shown during her men’s collection it could have the effect of spurring an uptick in gender experimentation while on vacation.
THE DIRECTION
THE WRAP UP
Bianca Saunders spring 2025 collection was a directional homage to her heritage, as she considered it with fresh eyes taking well-worn sayings from prayer scrolls – which are a staple found in many a Jamaican household – “Who God bless, no man curse” and creating a graphic T-shirt for a new audience to discover, and the familiar site of schoolgirls in their uniforms reimagined in cotton and cupro shorts. It is not many that can breath new life into the concept of heritage without straying into the, been there, done that, arena, but Saunders has such a steady grip on her brand and an eye for reframing menswear design codes that her subversion of these classic codes always delivers the desired results.
