Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend but the guys are getting some shiny new pals too.
 |
| Glass-cut ball cufflinks designed by Takuji Suzuki for Ts(s) X Crystallized. |
A collection of menswear featuring crystals, called Men Wear Crystallized, was launched in Tokyo last month.
Sparkly crystals may not be the sort of adornment that comes to mind for the typical Singapore male but he may well take a shine to the creations by both heavyweight designers and up-and-coming names.
They included staples such as the blazer, dress shirt and sneakers with tiny, precision-cut glass crystals from the house of Swarovski.
Crystals from the Austrian brand, which was founded in 1895, had been used by stalwart designers such as Coco Chanel and Christian Dior in the past.
These rock star buddies come courtesy of Crystallized Swarovski Elements, which differentiates Swarovski’s own lines from works made with their crystals by other fashion labels such as Alexander McQueen, Prada and Viktor & Rolf.
 |
| English designer Joe-Casely Hayford gives men's traditional tailoring a new punk take with a dress shirt decorated with a fine crystal panel. |
For Men Wear Crystallized, renowned Japanese fashion director Tomoki Sukezane picked four international labels – Lanvin, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Kitsune and Joe Casely Hayford – and nine Japanese labels, including John Lawrence Sullivan and Visvim, to see what they could come up with.
Even Sukezane had his doubts about how to “crystallise” this idea.
He told Urban: “I was not so positive initially but then I thought maybe we could create clothes that are sparkling yet cool.”
The 44-year-old handpicked the 13 labels because “they would normally never even think of using flashy elements”.
Despite their initial reservations, the designers ended up churning out 80 designs and went beyond crystals to include Swarovski pearls, sequins and studs.
After Japan, Swarovski intends to take Men Wear Crystallized to the United States and European markets such as Italy, France and Britain. It will work with designers from the respective markets so as to “cater to local needs”.
The Japanese debut collection may be available at the designers’ boutiques in Japan and overseas if fashion buyers react well to it.
 |
| Beyond crystals, Crystallized Swarovski Elements makes metallic panels and studs which coat a John Lawrence Sullivan bowtie. |
At least five of the 13 labels involved are available here – Lanvin will open a store in Hilton Shopping Gallery next month, Kitsune is a regular fixture at multi-label store Front Row, Visvim is stocked at Surrender and John Lawrence Sullivan and Soe are found at Tangs.
Markus Lampe, senior vice-president of marketing at Crystallized Swarovski Elements, said: “Beyond inspiring the market, we want to ensure the project is commercially viable.”
He noted the need to tailor the approaches for different markets, saying: “Some markets will prefer subtle crystal pieces such as cufflinks.”
The move to glitter up menswear may be a bold one, but as Lampe pointed out: “After 114 years of teaming up with bright fashion minds, menswear is one of the last frontiers to show that Swarovski is at the fashion forefront.”
 |
An oversized grey cotton T-shirt by 3.1 Phillip Lim bedazzles with crystals from Crystallized Swarovski Elements.
|
Lucas Ossendrijver, menswear designer of Lanvin, told Urban: “It is a great privilege that Swarovski can enable designers to express themselves with beautiful crystals.”
Since Crystallized Swarovski Elements was set up in 2004, supplying crystals to other brands now makes up about half of Swarovski’s business.
“It is important not only from a business point of view but also a creative point of view,” said Lampe.
“In the hands of different designers, crystals can be reinterpreted and used for avant garde applications.”
He added: “Most people think that crystals are just attractive material but they are also creative material which sparks ideas, designs and emotions.”
ianlee@sph.com.sg
This article was first published in The Straits Times.
