MARTIN KEEHN
F/W 2016
Martin Keehn FW16 draws from his own first experiences arriving in New York, a blue collar kid discovering the city in an era when downtown was a esthetic junkyard
F/W 2016
Martin Keehn FW16 draws from his own first experiences arriving in New York, a blue collar kid discovering the city in an era when downtown was a esthetic junkyard
The Martin Keehn Fall/Winter 2015 menswear collection shown on the runway at Pier 59 Studios in New York City was a truly spectacular event. The extremely talented designer went all out this season. Youthful and colorful looks with a nod to the 70’s consisted of elements such as velour, leather shirts, patchwork puffy bombers in pastels and earth tones, corduroy, high-waisted flared jeans and a groovy, psychedelic print. Top-notch styling was provided by James Valeri, with makeup by artist visionaire Mark Carrasquillo, and hair by superstar stylist James Pecis. We loved the “reverse” cornrows! When asked what his inspiration was for this season, Martin Keehn gave his official statement:
“This Fall Winter 2015 collection expands upon Martin Keehn’s interest in the tension between classic archetypes. Martin recalls reading a compelling interview that Laurie Anderson did with Brian Eno. He very much identified with the way Eno spoke of his process, approaching music in a primarily conceptual way as a writer would with a story. Around the same time Martin came across a picture of Eno in a magazine, a portrait that instantly evoked the spirit of resistance. The synchronicity of these events cemented him as the center of this season’s inspiration.
Drawn in further, Keehn began to imagine what conflicts this kind of extravagant man might have had with his father. What ended up manifesting in the collection are two characters, simultaneously loving and resisting each other: the dreamer vs the authoritarian.
This season’s fabrics embody tension itself, from the use of Keehn trademark black leather juxtaposed against lavender Sherpa and re-embroidered quilted chintz, to the contrasts of crepe de chine and fat wale corduroy, plush velour vs sporty ripstop nylon vs peter max inspired prints.
A creamy palette of lavender, canary, rust, slate and the ever present black swirl in and out of Keehn’s signature precision construction.”
Photography Alexander Thompson.
With both Spring and New York Fashion Week around the corner, we were inspired by the dynamic, over-the-top men’s grooming at Martin Keehn’s Spring/Summer 2015 runway show. James Valeri, editor-in-chief/creative director of Document Journal (along with Nick Vogelson), arguably the go to art/music/fashion magazine in print today, was the stylist for Martin Keehn S/S15 and envisioned the concepts for the show. For hair, Martin selected the renowned editorial hairdresser Jimmy Paul from Susan Price NYC. For makeup, Martin acquired the talented artist Mark Carrasquillo from Art Partner. We spoke to both gentlemen about the inspiration and grooming techniques used for this incredible men’s show. On a side note, we want to send a big thank you to Melody O’Flaherty from Melody Joy PR. Photography by Alexander Thompson.
JIMMY PAUL: Martin Keehn is a huge inspiration. James Valeri, the stylist and editor of Document Journal, pulled out a L’Uomo Vogue cover I worked on with Steven Meisel in the nineties – Big Pompadours – a look I always return to. I love all the great reportage photos of gangs from the fifties and sixties. And throw in some camp from the gay scene, those are references that I always go to.
I use products from Bumble and Bumble. First off, I used a ton of their thickening mousse, and blow dried that in using a round brush. Then, I did a curling iron set on all of the guys and teased the shit out of it. Next, I smoothed it into shape with a comb. I always use a ton of the classic hairspray, which was a life saver, as it was extremely hot and humid…a killer to hairdo’s!
MARK CARRASQUILLO: In my opinion, Martin Keehn reacts to a masculine handsome male esthetic. So, I had that in mind, mixed with my memory of 1980’s American GQ images by Bruce Weber. I really went for end of summer tan skin. I wanted to make it all pumped, so we darkened brows and applied Vaseline to brows and lashes. I wanted the lashes to look like the guys went swimming. It was all Charles Hicks’ Looking Good: A Guide for Men book on steroids.
I mixed a serious batch of my own fake tan product that I’ve been using for years, but I really went for it! It was my first time working on Martin’s show, so I wanted to show off a bit and I thought New York fashion week could stand a bit of grooming drama.
In real life, men can use Tom Ford Bronzing Gel or Clinique Bronzer for Men, which feels so eighties to me.
The Martin Keehn Spring/Summer menswear collection 2015 was shown on the Lower East Side of New York City. When first entering the space, we noticed many of the male models were muscular, which is a much different look than the boyish, svelte men that we usually see walking during fashion week. Some of the models sported outrageous blow-dried 80’s style pompadours, created by hair guru Jimmy Paul. There was also the heavily sprayed-on tans by make-up artist Marc Carrasquillo, using Evolution Man products. The aura of the space was definitely downtown 80’s New York. This was enhanced by a trash can filled with tall boy beers, as well as a big harsh hot light used to illuminate models on the runway. There were some kinks with the sound system, but models still walked and it really lent to that D.I.Y. house party feel. There was no stopping the Martin Keehn man! Brilliant pieces ranged from safari/military khakis to a 50’s style “pajama” set. Most of the looks had an athletic inspired touch for the New York City man on-the-go. The designer used mesh leather fabric for shirts and tank tops, as well as a “Gucci” horse bit buckle on a few shirts. Lastly, we won’t forget to mention the beer holder attached to men’s belts, which is every man’s dream! Photography Alexander Thompson.