Every season, we pack our bags with the rest of the menswear world and head to Las Vegas to walk the tradeshows. Capsule has continued to be a leader in the field boasting an impressive brand list of old favorites and promising newcomers. After being fully immersied in Spring/Summer 2016 collections, we rounded up our favorite labels and items from the show. See our picks below.
1. Stephen Kenn
Stephen Kenn brought his weekly Summer Shop to the Capsule Show venue, showing off his collaborative items with Colony 2139 as well as his own upcoming items. We spotted his Travel Cocktail Kit, previously seen in his signature army green, now in a sleek all-black colorway.
Jack Rudy has previously only been distributed to restaurants, but the brand is making its way toward fashion retail. If you're a fan of tasty cocktails (who isn't?), but don't like turning your kitchen into a laboratory, this stuff is for you. From tonic syrup to bourbon cocktail cherries, Jack Rudy has all the fixin's to make your booze taste like you're at a fancy bar and not your couch.
3. Second Layer
Think Rick Owens meets Norse Projects. I know, that might seem crazy, but Los Angeles-based label Second Layer managed that combination. The boxy Spring/Summer 2016 collection is a monotone lover's dream -- these guys have a bright future in contemporary market.
4. UTC00
Tomorrow showroom had a dedicated area in the back section of Capsule, showcasing DBYD by D.GNAK, Casbia and UTC00, the last of which caught our attention with quality shoes and bags. With a punchy color palette of bright orange, green and blue, the brand is offering sleek two-tone leather sneakers and lightweight nylon totes for Spring/Summer 2016.
5. Article Number
The design duo behind Second Layer also heads contemporary sneaker label Article Number. The athletic collection prizes itself on affordable sneakers with and avant-garde sensibility. Although the market is over-saturated with new footwear upstarts, we think Article Number is creating a solid lane for itself. Its shoes look luxurious and substantial and are stocked in the best retailers like Barneys, but they're well below $200.
6. Reigning Champ
Reigning Champ is always one of our favorites, but this season they impressed us even more with a selection of minimalistic caps rendered in its signature sweatshirt material. Soft, comfortable and covetable.
We've seen Han develop over the years from a brand built on basics to a full-fledged fashion imprint with runway shows. This season, we took a liking to these windowpane check coats that feature felt patches creating a unique camo pattern.
8. Tsovet
Tsovet made it to our Capsule Selects displays during Fall/Winter 2015. The brand's watches are always consistently simple, with its bright blue face timepieces being the standouts.
New York's Still House showcased its women's jewelry, but we were able to scout out its clean paperweights. Made of machined naval brass, the paperweights bear clean, geometric cuts that make them modern and sophisticated.
10. Norden
This was Norden's second season at Capsule and we were glad to see them again. The offering has grown from a mere four-candle collection to a range of playful ceramic planters created for Steven Alan. This is a home goods label to keep on your radar.
While BLK Pine is more known for its heavy-duty canvas accessories, they debuted a line of furniture at Capsule this season that had us wowed. Shelves and chairs of different varieties, all rendered in straight-cut wood and cotton canvas backs, will be available soon.
12. Gitman Vintage
We're sure you're familiar with Gitman's tailored shirting but we just fell in love with its printed bucket hats. Finished with a thick gross grain sweatband, these were made to be worn with you're best outfit. There are also other photographic prints unseen here that we'll show you as soon as they release.
