You got the preview, and now you get the full treatment. We got a walk-through of John Elliott's upcoming S/S 15 collection last night and we could barely make it out the door we left so lightheaded. He probably should have also had a water cooler for us because, by the time we finished flipping through everything, our immeasurable thirst needed quenching for death was near. It's a wonder the bare, white-walled and concrete showroom didn't cave in on itself from the sheer flex bombs JE dropped with complete disregard for human life.
S/S 15 represents a logical expansion on the moment the brand currently finds itself in. The Villain, Flash, Escobars and Mercer tee (the brand's latest sensation), all return in various versions and materials, featuring mesh treatments throughout. There's even a brand new pairs of sweats with a 42" inseam (yes, you read that correctly) that transforms the wearer into Count Stackula. Also added to the mix are two new colors—a midnight blue and sandy dune—that grow out of the almost exclusively neutral palette of season's past without a full on, corny color blast.
But for as popular as John Elliott's cozy boy french terry products are, the new designs show the breadth and acumen of an extremely gifted technical designer ready to expand out of Sunday sweats. The premium workshirt made of a sturdy cotton-linen mix comes outfitted with all RiRi hardware and hidden pockets. A perfect MA-1 bomber, in both the aforementioned midnight and dune, has the look and feel of nylon, but is made of compressed cotton so it breathes as well as any light jacket in existence. We've also never seen anything like JE's take on an M-65, in white and gray linen, which features mother of pearl buttons, the perfectly proportioned collar and, perhaps most key of all, dual-entry patch/flap pockets so you can get your perv on. Then there are the Supima mesh tanks that can take your layering to the next level or worn on their own if you're a fucking Rasta with a convenient lack of body oder. Long john/athletic tights complete with a 3M drawstring and locking zippers at the bottom (do you even jog, bro?) go hand in hand with the cotton shorts for goth ninja supremacy.
Though overlooked (a fucking travesty), John Elliott's denim continues to be head of class without you even fucking knowing it. A 2x1 weave gives the appearance of a wax treatment, but with all the breathability of a typical jean. They're stiff, but not even remotely uncomfortable and stack to your heart's content. But the Tsar Bomba of S/S 15 is the ridiculous, automatic brain aneurism-inducing leather jacket in both black and gray. With laser precision, the supplest of leather, a flannel body lining, satin-lined sleeves and hardware for days, you will not find a leather jacket this good anywhere. Full stop. But, this is John Elliot we're talking about here, so this shit don't stop. The coup de grâce is the pricepoint, tipping the scales infinitely until forever at a downright affordable $1,600. Yes, that's still some moolah, but for a jacket that is better than Saint Laurent and at a third of the price? Get out. Just get the fuck out, John. You're not playing fair.
