Oliver Twist and Seinfeld Meet in Billy Reid's Fall Collection

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We already pretty much love Billy Reid southern-fried gentility meets bourbon-soaked rock 'n' roll aesthetic, so we were looking forward to Sunday night's fall/winter 2010 presentation at Milk Studios. That said, once William Reid—Billy Reid's founder and designer—was named GQ menswear designer of the year, we knew we really had to make this show and check out what newest gentlemanly distillation Reid had up his sleeve. We weren't alone in thinking this—the space was packed shoulder to shoulder and the scene was a constant camera flash explosion lubricated by bourbon cocktails and PBR (shocker).

A half circle of models rotated their way through a life-sized diorama featuring a little ramshackle cabin in a grove of "trees" made from dead or dying branches and pine boughs. The boys trudged through a carpet of dead autumn leaves (where the hell did they find those in February?) The clothes were trim, warm, old-fashioned but wearable. Suits were tweedy or Mad Men-navy and beautifully tailored with slightly cropped pants. Slouchy thick-knit sweaters with over-sized crew-necks were crafty yet chic. A peacoat was modernized by the washed-out navy jersey it was fashioned from; a tuxedo was dressed down with an oatmeal turtleneck. Colors were mainly Oliver Twist drab but a suit in glen plaid olive, flashes of burgundy in woven shirts and knit ties, and a mustard turtleneck added some life.

If the mustard, olive, and burgundy didn't add enough life for you, one of the models certainly did the trick. Unable to just pose for the camera, he performed this tweaked out bow dance that didn't really seem to have any relation to whatever music was playing. It was very Elaine-dancing-on-Seinfeld—down to the vests, oxfords, hats and woolly overcoats.
· GQ Names Billy Reid Best Menswear Designer of the Year [Racked]
· Billy Reid [Official Site]
· Fashion Week Fall 2010 All Coverage [Racked NY]