Established in 1982, Zoo have been dressing its fashion forward clients for over 30 years. It has always been the “Zoo way” to source and showcase the best in menswear designer talent around. Looking at their brand portfolio today they have some of the fashion worlds big guns such as Givenchy, Lanvin, Saint Laurent, Dior Homme and Balenciaga to name but a few. Along with the store in Ilford, Essex where they have been since the beginning, they have www.zoofashions.com which enables stylish gentleman from all over the world to become a member of the “Zoo family”. High Def Male went along to meet the head buyer David Pike and head of online operations and buying Sohail Rehman to get their essential must haves from the designer pool this season.
Davids Picks
Moncleur Gamme Bleu jacket £2750
“Hooded jackets are a big trend this season, and with this Moncleur Gamme Bleu jacket it’s all about the mixed fabrications. You have the thicker tartan wool on the top half flowing into a more infused wool tartan, then the bottom half is nylon. Who says you have to compromise functionality for style”?
Lanvin knit jumper £410
“This AW statement knits are everywhere but this is something a little bit more discreet”. This Lanvin fisherman knit is a fantastic winter piece to have in the wardrobe and the fit and quality of the wool is exceptional”.
Mr Hare “Penet” Loafer £445
“This is an example that the bi-fabric trend is not just prominent across men’s clothing this season but has also made its way into men’s footwear. Mark (Mr Hare himself) is a genius with his fabric combinations. This is his take on the classic penny loafer”.
Balenciaga leather rucksack £895
“The leather rucksack was very popular with the designers across Milan and Paris for AW13. The rucksack is made from a beautifully soft lambskin leather and has the trademark features from Balenciaga”.
Givenchy contrast blazer £705
“This jacket from Givenchy infuses a modern twist with their tailoring. Again it’s the bi-fabric trend with the sleeves being a contrasting brown nylon tech material combining with the traditional wool body of the two button jacket. The brown and black contrast looks great aswell”.
Sohail’s picks
Givenchy graphic sweatshirt £510
“This is such a cool print where Givenchy have digitally fixed on the argyle pattern and knit properties on to the sweatshirt”.
Raf Simons sneakers £360
“These Raf Simons Hi Tops have a great silhouette and bi-fabrication with the reflective silver strap against the woven check”.
Balenciaga knit £575
“Like David mentioned before this season is all about the statement knit. My pick from our AW range is this wool mix with multi stripe pattern knit from Balenciaga with button detailing on the left hand shoulder. Where you get such a good fit with this Balenciaga piece you can wear on its own or layer it up”.
Rick Owens DRKSHDW coated denim jacket £755
“This is one of my favourite pieces from this season. This Rick Owens DRKSHDW jacket has a coated denim body with leather sleeves and runs in theme with Owens DRKSHDW collection. It’s also functional for the winter elements with a padded lining”.
Valentino camo runner £430
“Where the 80’s running sneaker is really in right now with brands such as New Balance and Saucony being popular in the mainstream, Valentino have used a camouflage design and blended it into their version of the runner. These sneakers are extremely versatile as these look fantastic with a pair of jeans or a tailored pair of trousers”.
View Zoo’s extensive designer portfolio as well as the items online at www.zoofashions.com
