David Hart takes a vacation from trend – and heads to Cuba! While other designers and labels are still working in the colors of the year into their collection, Hart is traveling the globe and becoming a true trendsetter. Though, arguably the biggest trend these days is going to Cuba during this sweet period in which the embargo has been lifted. How long anything will last these days balances on the edge of a coin, so it was a timely move to draw inspiration from a world long locked away.
Hart has long been known and loved for marching to the beat of his own drum, skirting around the edges of current trends and delivering a thoughtful, well-executed collection. Spring/Summer 2018 is no exception to this standard – though it certainly is exceptional. Key staples of this season’s collection include linen suits (always a fav) and cotton scarves in light, summer tones. The collection is punctuated with banana print, Cuban straw hats, bowling shirts, and just enough stripes and greenery to appease the forecasting/trend-following crowd. A mix of pastels and deeper hues gives the collection a range that few designers manage to successfully tie together.
Favorite look: silk, embroidered, shawl collar (ftw!) tuxedos, with a Cuban cigar tucked not-so-subtly behind a cotton pocket square. David Hart knocks it out of the park – or the dusty streets of Havana – yet again.
-John Stolen