Bodybound's menswear collection for Autumn/Winter 2012 stood out amongst the four menswear labels that showed as part of Vauxhall Fashion Scout's 'Ones To Watch Men' initiative during London Fashion Week.
The label was founded in 2009 by Kim Choong Wilkins, who studied fashion at Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design and graduated from an MA in Menswear at the Royal College of Art in 2009. After working for brands such as Ermenegildo Zegna and Alexander McQueen, Wilkins started developing Bodybound while consulting for Katie Eary and working as menswear designer for Matthew Williamson.
Entitled 'Dystopia', Bodybound's Autumn/Winter 2012 collection takes inspiration from science-fiction scenarios like the ones described in Aldous Huxley's novel 'Brave New World' and in fantastical futuristic films such as 'Blade Runner', 'Tron' and '2001 Space Odyssey'. Also illustrating the label's driving intention to pump sexual confidence back into fashion, garments incorporated metallic or gold encrusted knits, silver studded vests, and transparent PVC. Overall, the cut chosen for the garments was highly fitted, particularly when it came to the see-through trench coats and to trousers, which came in grey wool, stripes, or Prince of Wales checks.
Kim Choong Wilkins believes that contemporary menswear fashion has gradually become mediocre owing to having increasingly placed emphasis on the idea that reservation equates sophistication. According to his viewpoint, there is nothing masculine about being reserved, and the answer to this is to inject more sensual and daring undertones into menswear. Bodybound's 'Dystopia' collection for Autumn/Winter 2012 is most certainly an accomplished and stylish way to address this concern by rethinking the beneficial possibilities of bringing sexiness back into menswear.
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