Twin brothers Ariel and Shimon Ovadia stepped out of the box for the Ovadia & Sons SS16 collection they presented at NYFW: Men’s. But it seems not everyone was happy with the new direction of the line—those who had been following the brand for years saw the collection as a turn toward popular trends rather than following their trademark style. Sure, each house has their own aesthetic they like to maintain, but we’d like to point out that there’s nothing wrong with a little experimentation. This may not have been their most successful collection, but fashion never achieved anything by remaining stagnant.
Known for their tailored pieces, the twins sent out a collection of suits, prints, athletic-inspired pieces and active wear that, truth be told, didn’t quite look right on their runway. Suits, jackets and shirts inspired by fitness gear were pretty cool with added zippers, pulls and drawstrings that subtly alluded to an athletic inspiration, but other pieces on the runway looked like they were pull straight from the latest Under Armour catalog, including a lineup of windbreakers, sweatpants, gym shorts and brightly colored trainers. The collection would have been more powerful without the literal interpretation on active wear.
But while Ovadia fans were bemoaning the changes from their favorite label, we were enjoying some of the new prints and textures we hadn’t seen from the brand before. A few of our favorite pieces included a floor-length, navy trench coat, a pair of slender-cut, zip-detail trousers, flower-printed sweaters and jackets, and almost every piece of outwear—which comes as no surprise as coats are one of their specialties. While it was a successful collection, next season they may want to try trading in those windbreakers for some well-tailored blazers.
