Nicomede Men’s Spring 2022
With his fourth collection — “Guardians” — since he returned from a five-year hiatus, Nicomede Talavera continues to explore what modern men’s wear design can be.
The new collection is a combination of elements of sports, like fencing and boxing; 1950s couture silhouettes, and a dash of astrology-related psychic energy.
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“I like to mix different references and recontextualize different ideas to create something modern,” he said.
Talavera’s take on the sport felt youthful and energetic.
“The reason I started looking at fencing is I really appreciate that it was one of the first and a very noble sport. I find the purity of the white and off-white uniform really beautiful as well as the silhouette of the jacket, cropped trouser, and layered chest guard,” said Talavera.
A stand-out piece is this chest guard piece that comes in white square quilting or wet-look faux fur. He paired the quilted version with a pair of cropped trousers, and a skirt for the fur version. The designer suggests it be worn over a T-shirt or jacket in real life.
His fascination with fencing also spilled over to the brand’s collaborations with James Pink Studio on hats and Kepler on a knitwear capsule.
A black knitwear style, for example, from the Kepler capsule has a curved hem, which is a play on the fencing jacket hem. A peaked cap style made by Pink derived from the idea of taking a fencing face protector and turning it horizontally.
With boxing, he referenced boxing robes and shorts in the design of hoodies and paneled breeches, respectively.
An oversized quilted coat demonstrates how the designer channeled ’50s women’s couture, especially Cristóbal Balenciaga, with fencing and made it chic for today’s audience. He also explored the balloon-draped back silhouette with more variations on men’s hoodies and bombers jackets.
As a crystals lover, Talavera made shirts, coats and shorts with prints he developed by scanning different crystals from an encyclopedia. He believes that “crystals bring me strength and I feel when you wear those pieces, I get that same spiritual energy.”
The collection also features some strong outerwear options, such as a double-layered shelter coat with a high-draped neckline, and a padded parka with different pocket details, as well as playful utility shirts with diagonal front pockets, epaulets and cropped sleeves.
Launch Gallery: Nicomede Resort 2022
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