Hood By Air’s Shayne Oliver loves to push the envelope. The young designer is constantly questioning the fashion system, throwing parties in lieu of runway shows and staging what he called a men’s couture “disruption” event in Paris last month. Oliver is presenting his new women’s ready-to-wear collection in New York today, bringing a little of that conversation-starting excitement with him. The first surprise up his sleeve for Fall 2016? A brand-new hat collaboration with Kangol that will be unveiled on the runway today.
The bucket silhouette is an update of one of Kangol’s most recognizable shapes. Available in cherry red and black, it comes emblazoned with an HBA logo and topped with a removable pom-pom. “The Kangol Furgora is a classic—the shape has been here for decades, never changing and always staying true to itself. Instead of trying to re-create this shape in the collection myself, I thought it best to go directly to the source, and I could not be happier with the result,” Oliver told Vogue.com before his show. The hats will go on sale for $100 at 6:00 p.m. EST today on hoodbyair.com and will also be stocked at Colette, in Paris, and Barneys New York. “See now, buy now makes sense; who wants to wait?!” said Oliver. “This concept is something HBA is moving toward; this is just the beginning!” Who knows what the talented designer will pull out of his hat next.
Watch the Hood By Air Fall 2016 Ready-to-Wear show: