Hed Mayner (& His Reeboks): Still Large, Still in Charge
Boy do I love me some Hed Mayner. The LVMH Prize runner-up specializes in a singular vibe that I can't help but be drawn to: unapologetically huge clothes.
Actually, it may be better to simply describe Hed Mayner's ethos as not merely "big" but proportion-warping clothes. It's not as catch, though.
He's known for enormous shirts and coats, yes, but he also dabbles in skin-tight sportswear and footwear that interrupts the body's expected shape.
It's fun stuff and if his ongoing Reebok collaboration brings more eyes to Mayner's work, so much the better.
Speaking of Reebok, Hed Mayner's partnership with the sportswear brand began in 2023 and has continued through for the next several seasons — from what I understand, the designer has signed a multiyear contract with Reebok, though that's mere rumor.
True or not, more Hed Mayner Reebok stuff is always welcome, be it sneakers, clothes, or both.
Mayner's Fall/Winter 2024 collection does it all by way of charmingly elderly parkas, leg-swallowing track pants, and monster shoes that transform one of Reebok's '90s basketball sneaker into a behemoth that rivals even Balenciaga's biggest shoes.
Meanwhile, Mayner's core offering remains as powerful as ever for FW24: blazers with sculpted shoulders and nipped waists, floor-scraping jeans that'd make 2006-era Ralph Lauren blush, knee-length shirts, overcoats that make the wearer look like they've swiped dad's jacket.
It's as advanced as it is recognizable, repurposing the look of conventional clothes but ballooning them out of wack so as to purposely reposition the ordinary as extreme. It's a cheeky slight of hand and an effective one at that.
Stylist supreme Samuel Drira, as always, chisels Mayner's billowing layers into a shape verging on approachable, occasionally affecting the feel of the man who's self-conscious about his huge pants. It's non-normcore, biz cas as you don't know it. A fresh face for familiar fare.
And it's, if nothing else, a pleasure to behold.
