As one of a handful of U.S. designers invited to show on the Paris Fashion Week Men’s calendar, Angelo Urrutia is in an enviable position, but one that comes with its share of conflicting emotions. On the one hand, his 4SDesigns label is gaining in visibility and prestige. On the other, he still struggles with feeling ringfenced as a streetwear designer.
It’s a label that creative directors working in the space typically reject, since it implies a segregation between different types of luxury or designer clothing. Urrutia wants to stand on a level playing field with his brand of upscale Americana, so this season, his collection focused less on references and more on the intrinsic qualities of his creations.
“I wanted to further the language of what I’ve already built in a new way, and a way that was really more about my work,” he explained. “Instead of me being an angry man shouting on a stool, I just put it in the collection in a way that really is honest.”
A finalist for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund last year, the designer is known for his labor-intensive fabrications, developing materials directly with Italian mills.
This season, herringbone was a major focus. The motif appeared as a trompe-l’oeil print on a viscose shirt, and was blown up on a tracksuit woven with baby camel hair.
There was opulence in items like a shrunken tailcoat, or the oversize coats in traditional tailoring fabrics, but Urrutia wanted to keep it real. Hence, a black organza shirt overlaid with feathers and sequins was quilted on the inside. “This is just a very typical American work shirt which you would find at Walmart or something,” he remarked.
The silhouettes felt familiar, yet full of unexpected twists: think a Yankees cap in deep blue velvet with a matching shirt, or an uber-casual suit worn with Timberland boots.
There were sly allusions to French luxury codes, via a beige safari jacket, and Tyrolean jackets with his signature mismatched buttons. Both came with added side pockets for that “American slouch,” as Urrutia put it. Turns out you can take the man out of New York, but you can’t take New York out of the man.
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