Review of Bluemarble Fall 2022 Men’s Fashion Show
Multicultural Connection
By Mark Wittmer
Youthful and vibrant, Bluemarble’s Fall 2022 collection synthesizes creative director Anthony Alvarez’s multiculturalism into a bright ode to expression and multiplicity.
In my imagination, I have dared to cross the Pacific Ocean on a vinta boat. The colorful, festive sails carry me on a bold adventure, from the archipelagos of the Philippines to the United States. My Fall-Winter 22 collection began with the dream to connect my cultures; to celebrate and share them; to translate their character and their craft. My hope is that these vibrant creations find their way into the wider world, the wondrous blue marble that is our home.
– Anthony Alvarez, Bluemarble Creative Director
Alvarez pushes his imagination farther than ever before with this collection, matching his longtime penchant for intricate patterns and vibrant colors with a whimsically inventive sense of size and shape. Elongated shirts are fronted with cascading, Baroque ruffles; shoes are blown up and trimmed with colorful faux fur; layers abound.
Following the Parisian dandyism of the ruffles, technical silk bombers feel at home on the streets of New York, while florally bedazzled cardigans and denim illuminate simple staples with simultaneous daintiness and pizzazz. Throwback, ski-jacket pullovers pop with the geometric patterns of vinta sails. Club-ready, animal-print-trimmed trench coats subvert refinement and old-school swagger.
Thoughtful details proliferate across the collection, like the panel stitching on knitwear or the button-front pants. The collection’s sole bag, an oversize bucket bag, picks up the theme of travel and readiness for adventure. Other accessories include futuristic sunglasses in a range of bright colors, and colorfully knit beanies. While a whole Bluemarble ensemble might be difficult to pull off while being taken seriously, many of the collection’s individual pieces are sure to have a strong resonance with a younger crowd.
Perhaps the collection never quite coalesces into a cohesive whole, but opening our eyes to this eclecticism and a joyful proliferation of expression and detail is Bluemarble’s mission. As Alvarez and the name of his brand itself suggest, one can only see the whole all the way zoomed out, missing the details. Instead, Bluemarble zooms in, helping us to find joy in small details, colorfully pointing out their human connection.