In the wake of Schiaparelli's big game controversy, one may wonder whether or not hunting-adjacent clothing ought to be taboo. I say nay: functional gear is always in fashion, especially when it's clearly made for people too cool to get off on murdering defenseless woodland critters.
It ought to be mentioned that SOUTH2 WEST8 is less of a hunting label and more of an all-encompassing outdoorsy fashion label.
In fact, the NEPENTHES family brand began with fly-fishing fashion before expanding its purview to include basically all realms of adventure gear, all while its inimitable Skull & Target logo grew into an icon nearly as recognizable as NEEDLES' papillon (butterfly).
SOUTH2 WEST8's Spring/Summer 2023 collection really plays on the hunting motif, though, playing with camouflage, technical layers, insulating fleeces, and knee-high boots — these are the sort of clothes you'd expect people to wear while camping out in a deer stand at the crack of dawn.
The prime difference is that though SOUTH2 WEST8 does have a deep appreciation for utility, it's more interested in wearability than anything else.
So, its silhouettes are comfortably relaxed — oversized mohair sweaters, slouchy string pants — and its shapes are reflective of outdoor staples but twisted in funky ways: witness the plaid flannel shirt extended into a dress and quilted coat reshaped by crossover, haori-style closure.
The only big collab of the season (that's being revealed thus far, at least) is another round of Suicoke shoes, as SOUTH2 WEST8 wraps the laceless PEPPER shoe and insulated BOWER boot in its signature camouflage.
Nothing fancy, just hardwearing shoes that're easy to slip into for an early morning tenkara run.
Don't be surprised if SOUTH2 WEST8 digs up another Reebok collab too, given the rate at which its been churning out sneaker team-ups.
Even if not, though, SOUTH2 WEST8 SS23 ought to please the fans. Most of what's on tap is reiterations of what the brand has done in prior seasons — a lot of the NEPENTHES brands tend to retread familiar territory — with just enough newness to keep things fresh.
If it ain't broke, yadda yadda.
