On a sand-laden track installed at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, Saul Nash presented “Intersections,” a collection that arose from examining the axis within Nash’s cross-cultural heritage. Inspiration came as Nash made his first trip to Mauritius, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, home to his paternal grandfather. Nash’s mother hails from two oceans away, raised in Barbados before moving to London, where the designer himself grew up. For Spring/Summer 2024, Nash has taken the cultural influences of each of these countries and brought them together in menswear that is somehow a conversation between his family’s Indian Ocean and Caribbean roots with his idea of a uniform Londoner.
“Crossroads” manifests with clear references to lifestyles that are inextricably linked to the ocean, with the first look featuring a coral red neoprene jumpsuit that looks like it’s ready for scuba diving. More literal references to the ocean give way to more pragmatic menswear, such as technical knit polos, contoured and paneled visors, and skin-tight sports tops, which are paired with board shorts or trousers teensy-weensy swim shorts. Wrinkled nylon shorts are paired with stripped sweatshirts, while elsewhere towels are draped over the shoulders of partially clothed and fully clothed models.
The collection’s color palette is pared down to a minimal yet strong color palette of a range of ocean blues, mustard yellows, the aforementioned coral reds, all of which are complemented by grounding browns, whites and blacks. Given the color palette and wearability of these pieces, it’s easy to imagine mixing and matching pieces from different looks into one’s wardrobe, with garments that are strong enough in their design to be statement pieces, but functional enough to compliment a wide range of personal styles.
Nash’s designs have a light heart to them, which is highlighted by the quirky nods to water sports in the styling moments that have been included in the presentation. The models wear glasses either as necklaces or strapped across their faces as sunglasses, while swimming caps are placed on top of their heads, covering the entire head of the models. Pairing goggles or long technical vests with skimpy swimwear is one part silly, two parts sexy; This idea of throwing a jacket over your Speedo on the ride home from the beach is nostalgic and almost sensual.
As a testament to the pivot that exists within his identity, Nash has created a menswear collection that is equal parts highly functional and equal parts stylistic. Through touches of irony and sexiness in the style choices, it becomes clear that these pieces have a life to live, from the beach to the city streets.
Click through the gallery below for every look from Saul Nash Spring/Summer 2024 Menswear.
