Who knew travel would become a lifestyle?
I sure didn’t. But I didn’t know any better.
For all I do is travel.

Which is probably why one of my favorite debutantes at New York Fashion Week Mens (NYFWM) was Palmiers du Mal, a spirit and travel inspired brand by designers Brandon Capps and Shane Fonner.

Starting out as a resort brand, the designers took take inspirations from around the world, and relayed a relaxed, loungey and sexy vibe in their creations. Truly a blend of, in their own words, a palazzo and villa life.

Exuding an incessant jet-setter vibe, the prime theme of the clothing was blue, seen before in sportive and athleisure collections too. Blue was reminiscent of the creator’s inspirations from Marrakesh, Miami and Rio, and was soothing for the roving, masculine eye when on the go. The fabrics were from Japan, except the cashmere that came from Italy. From plain shirts and trousers to pinstripes in particular, the entire collection was crisp, clean and refreshing.

A kimono style patchwork shirt (aka a Noragi robe) stood out as did a French cut robe with Asian imagery, complete with satin feel and golden motifs.

There were also navy blazers, denim shirts, longer denim shirts, and even robes. Sometimes adorned by women, these clothes echoed a gender fluidity, as well as seasonal relevance. They could truly be worn in and out, and many of the longer, drawn coats were reminiscent of well tailored loungewear.

Prints were rare, barring a windowpane shirt, or a large denim field jacket with asymmetric pockets. Some all white pieces stood out too, almost nautical in their aspiration, or perhaps more sailor like.

There were non-blue-or-white pieces too, an African printed house robe style piece of outerwear which drew a lot of positive attention.

However the standout for me personally were the punchy red shoes. Meeting with mixed reactions due to their stark contrast, I was salivating in love of my favorite color.

The nappa quilted slipons were by Del Toro, and named on of the top 5 footwear collaborations of the season. They were from their “High Road to Taos 2.0” beaded chukka collection.

Naturally the plain red ones caught my fancy immediately, but the red back striped ones were a dapper second choice too. The all black ones left more to be desired, perhaps owing to their fairly ordinary look.

With a bit of mischief back stage, the models and designers posed like red footed travelers on a hippie trail, happy to be in a world of fluidity and lacking in chaos.

Meanwhile, we formulated a squad of our own. Squad goals perhaps?

Here’s to more lounging and traveling around the world, in search for the most iconic brands and destinations.