Unapologetic classicism was, once again, Todd Snyder s MO for Spring. Except this time the designer sought luxurious inspiration not in the hallowed genius of Frank Lloyd Wright, or George Orwell s dystopian opus 1984, but the sun-drenched Amalfi Coast and the crystalline waters off Capri.
Why not? It s the logical outcome of an eight-year pilgrimage to the Italian idyll, where Snyder is immersed in the breezy, caftan-sporting, drawstrung nonchalance of the locals. Get him going on the topic and he s likely to spring a Fellini or Godard reference on you, by way of explaining loose-fitting linen suits, chambray bombers, indigo terrycloth polos, tropical wools, and cable-knit cardigans. Lightweight rimless sunglasses and unassuming brown sandals—collaborations with Silhouette and Cole Haan, respectively—completed the studied look.
If this is all sounding very Armani, that s surely no accident. Snyder may not have as many high-profile clients as the red-carpet maestro, but celebrities and sports stars are certainly getting hip to him. They came out in droves today: Christian Slater, Gabrielle Union, and the Orlando Magic s Victor Oladipo among them. Celebs care not for experimentalism, however, and if one journo longs for more boundary-pushing, he can be convinced to embrace the allure of sprezzatura.
