“The GH man got sexier and a little less shy,” said Gabriela Hearst of her fall 2024 men’s collection, which had a lot more personality in general with leaner silhouettes, lots of leather and even a couple of bare midriffs.
Hearst pointed to several eclectic inspirations, from Jim Morrison to artist Leonora Carrington’s Surreal 1939 portrait of her lover Max Ernst in a shaggy pink feather robe with a merman tail and striped silk stockings, which amounted to a looser, more fun and gender-fluid approach.
Although menswear represents just 8 percent of the designer’s business at this point, she gives it the same care and attention — and ultra-luxe fabrics — as the women’s.
In fact, she chooses her womenswear collection fabrics first, then uses the same ones for men’s, so this was a bit of a preview of what will come down the runway for women next month during New York Fashion Week.
“I’m so proud when I hear from the mills that we’re the only ones that never ask for blended, or to lower the content with viscose and polyester,” she said of striving for the purest and most sustainable fabrics.
Hearst has already dressed Gillian Anderson (the famed vulva-embroidered Golden Globes gown) and Lily Gladstone this awards season, among others. And a design goal for men’s was to venture into the GH version of black tie, which celebrity clients have been asking for, she said. (Hearst opened her first Los Angeles store in November.)
Her relaxed, rock ‘n’ roll take of a cream wool cady tux coat with white silk velvet lapels, cream wool cady pants with a white velvet waistband and a button-down shirt should give Hollywood something new to consider for the carpet, and from an American designer, too. (There’s also an all-black version.)
A ruby red silk velvet shirt paired with matching wool pants with a velvet waistband would suit “Saltburn” star Barry Keoghan, while Lenny Kravitz could rock the gold leather pants and cream shaggy cropped sweater.
There was plenty for the creative class to wear by day as well, including a terrific looking recycled cotton denim tailored suit and matching shirt in Hearst’s slightly more hourglass silhouette of the season. Her take on the ubiquitous tech bro hoodie came in cuddly furry silk cashmere, and the forever classic camel coat, paired with a cashmere T-shirt and black pants, was prime boyfriend material.
“This is the outfit every single woman has agreed that they would want their man in,” Hearst said. “Pick me up and take me to the movies.”
