There are few brands who pull off simplicity with as much finesse as the legendary French brand APC, and with their 2013 A/W collection beginning to drop things seem no different. If they release some kind of velour leopard print sweatshirt with reflective 3M cuffs prior to this going to press then I deeply apologise for my part in having tempted fate.
However, I will assume that all is well, and as such, A/W 2013 appears to be yet another perfectly judged release. Their sweatshirts and graphic tees take forward the tasteful college-inspired designs they introduced in the summer – a welcome antidote to anything featuring the words SWAG or GEEK.
The shirts can unfortunately only be described by reference to a host of overused adjectives: minimal, classic, timeless. But what is the writer’s loss in this regard is credit to the sheer quality that can be hoped for, and indeed expected, from APC. Also featuring is a 70s inspired merino pullover; this resembles the sort of thing that I imagine might’ve been worn by a French schoolteacher then – the kind who clocks off after a hard day of attempting to inspire down-and-out banlieue kids about literature and chain-smokes his way home on a Vespa.
The highlight though, for me at least, is none of the above – which may come as a surprise given the frankly cringe-inducing praise that I have just delivered – it is in fact the selection of coats and jackets. Of these, their ‘Mac Mason’ – a very versatile overcoat with removable shearling liner – seems to cover the bases for smarter occasions, whilst the more casual side of things is dealt with by the alliteration-attracting combination of the blouson and bomber.
Of this pairing, the blouson particularly caught my eye; a beefed-up version of one of their summer staples, it features a warm lining and a detachable fur collar for those particularly cold days. If this doesn’t convince you of its cold-weathering abilities, then I don’t know what will. A screengrab of this man on Russia’s Toughest Prison’s wearing something that looks vaguely similar?
Often, the phrase ‘Business as Usual’ is associated with monotony, a continuation of the same-old same-old without innovation or creation; to say that APC are guilty of this though would of course be blatantly untrue – let’s not forget, for better or worse, the recent Kanye collaboration. Instead, it should be a welcome relief to have a brand who can be depended upon to release well-executed, minimalist designs, that look good with just about anything, on a regular basis. And I haven’t even mentioned their denim.
APC’s Autumn/Winter collection is available at Oi Polloi and Peggs & son now.
