Patrik Ervell Makes A Man Of Us For Spring

In the long, sunlit show space on Chelsea's Pier 59, Patrik Ervell showed an increasing facility with his particular approach to menswear. As in seasons past, the waists and legs of Ervell's spring/summer 2010 collect were narrow, but never binding. Indeed, he showed almost as many loose-legged trousers as slim-fit shorts. The motif of the season was a strange rust-and-vanilla print—half-floral, half-batik. Its use in a number of modified oxford shirts was welcome, but as the pattern of a pair of suit pants, it was perhaps a step too far. As usual, Ervell's club-collar shirts and skill with denuded, natural colors were winning traits, and his more experimental compositions (particularly a ribbed and fluted rain jacket) raised the eyebrows of guests, which this sunny afternoon included a full battalion of the men most likely to rock his wares—Jared Hess, Jeremy Laing, Derek Blasberg, and many more.