Our Legacy’s menswear collection for spring is a testament to the brand’s enduring influence on the fashion landscape. Drawing inspiration from Greek fishing villages, creative director Cristopher Nying has crafted a collection that seamlessly blends the brand’s anti-fashion ethos with a timeless aesthetic. Grunge, moto, and military influences are subtly woven into the designs, lending a sense of effortlessness and cool that has become synonymous with Our Legacy.
The collection’s color palette is muted, with a focus on earthy tones and nautical blues. Signature Our Legacy pieces, such as the marinière stripe and the high-buttoning blazer with a “falling collar,” are reimagined with a distinctly Mediterranean flair. Beach detritus, such as grape vines, bottle caps, and fishing lures, has been upcycled or cast into jewelry, adding a touch of whimsy and authenticity to the collection.
Technical gear for marine life is another key influence, most dramatically evident in a life vest-like gilet that billows out into a peplum. Nying has also achieved a “wet look” in various intriguing ways, using a mix of silk and metal threads in crinkled sweaters and washing and shrinking a cropped white nylon jacket to create a clinging effect.
The collection is not without its dreamy and surreal elements. Models are photographed behind glass, at a remove, with reflections sometimes adding texture to the images. This could be read as a metaphor for modern life in a digital age, where content is consumed through a glass screen. However, Nying had something different in mind. The collection’s starting point was Greek fishing villages, and photos of DIY cloth-wrapped motors taken there by Nying’s friend Hank Grüner. Nying’s imaginary fishing village is sun-scorched, and the models’ artificial sunburns and wet-looks suggest the heat and humidity of the Mediterranean.
The collection also features two surprising accessories: a “collapsing consultant” shoe that looks like a Tom Rath-style business shoe but can be worn as a slip-on, and a faceless silver watch. The shoe is a playful nod to Donald Duck’s fishing misadventures, where the catch is not a fish but an old shoe. The watch, on the other hand, represents suspended time and delayed gratification. It’s a reminder that the best things in life are worth waiting for.
