Topman debuts charity menswear line

Lou Dalton's t-shirt

With the inaugural London Collections: Men set to debut this June, Topman has lined up a charitable T-shirt collection designed by a quintet of young British designers to coincide with the patriotic mood. The range celebrates and supports Britishness with £5 from the sale of each one going to the British Fashion Council Princess of Wales Charitable Trust, where it will be used to support young designers.

The five NewGen creatives are James Long, Katie Eary, Lou Dalton, Sibling and Christopher Shannon. Each was briefed with the title “Menswear Rules Britannia” and their resulting designs have been produced on premium white roll-sleeve T-shirts.

Fashion Forward 2012 winner James Long has designed a seemingly abstract blue and black layered design which incorporates the Union Flag on closer look; in a nod to the Queen’s diamond jubilee, Katie Eary’s graphic puts two screaming cheetahs into the helmets of the Queen’s Guards; Lou Dalton effectively subcontracted the brief to illustrator Alex Walker who hand drew some of Britain’s quirkier icons including David Bowie and Freddie Mercury. Meanwhile the ever-sporty Christopher Shannon has shunned the almost too easy Olympic route to instead repeat the phrase “man up!” across the T-shirt; and finally the new-to NewGen Men collective Sibling has created an alternatve ombre Union Flag design. What each has in common is a sophistication that will see them worn long after this summer.

Gordon Richardson, Topman design director, says: ‘With these limited editions tees Topman joins in the Great British summer celebrations with a language uniquely its own. Committed to supporting the best British Designers through our New Gen Men initiative these exclusive print tees will endure way beyond the “Jubilee” moment.’

The high street store has championed the designers through its connections with New Gen Men, which builds on Topman and Fashion East’s Man initiative. The collection will be launched on June 7 and will remain available during the dates of London Collections: Men on June 15 to 17. Prices go from £18 to £24.

                                                          Katie Eary t-shirt                                     James Long t-shirt                                        

                     Sibling t-shirt                                 Christopher Shannon t-shirt

Article from Trendstop.