PARIS, Jul 1, 2006/ FW/ --- Sachiko Okada and Aaron Sharif are the design duo who make up Blaak, made their name on creations based on a non-color. Both are graduates of London’s Central St. Martin’s and they started ‘Blaak’ in 1998 as contemplation on the emotions around the color black.

Of course, their vision had widened since then (they now create clothes in colors other than black); and their latest expansion is a foray into menswear. And although they have done menswear before, it was just for the runway.

But, for Spring 2007, Okada and Sharif created a whole collection that was presented as an installation at rue du Mont Thabor. It is their first-ever menswear collection.

The inspiration was the basic men’s shirt, which according to Blaak was an open canvas; and with their fertile imagination, the basic shirt became a work of art as they added their innovations and vision.

First, Okada and Sharif worked on the ‘classic’ men’s shirt, choosing very traditional and old U.K. factories for fabrications that employ manufacturing techniques that had been handed down from generation to generation.

They created shirts that were embellished with English roses. With white as the basic color, the shirt was also done in beige to pastel shades of lavender and blue. With varying texture and weight of the fabric, one can choose to wear it during cool spring days to hot summer months.

There is the polka dot shirt in black and white, made subtle by layering voile over it, the polka dots barely visible, except for the cuffs, making the cuffs the focal point.

Then Swarovski crystal drops were wrapped in tulle for a restrained glitter. Arranged in a semi-circle on the top of the shirt, it’s bling bling without being overt.

Using traditional English tailoring techniques for the detachable collar, Okada and Sharif made sure that one has the choice of wearing ties or going informal with half standing collar.

For the more avant-garde approach, they chose Japanese factories and fabrications starting with Japanese denim. From the studded denim shirt to the white punched cotton, it was high street meeting street wear.

Notable treatment is the use of the Austrian lace as a bib and as an embellishment on ¾ sleeves.

Blaak Menswear

Blaak Menswear

Blaak Menswear