Knock-out clothing: Designer James Long packs a punch

London – British menswear designer James Long presented a boxing-inspired collection during this year’s London Collections: Men show.

Elements of boxing and what Long calls ‘the beautiful haze of island life’ were the starting points for his spring/summer collection.

Boxing wraps in vibrant colours were used to decorate clothing, crudely placed, left raw and allowed to fray. Hooded kaftans embellished with vivid ribbons illustrated the boxing theme further. Bonding is the new way of printing for Long, who presented covered sweatshirts and shorts in abstract and hand-written JAMES motifs. Denim was triple-washed, providing a worn, lived-in look as if casually pulled on after a workout.

Designers are increasingly finding inspiration from the sporty aesthetic to create a new kind of casual look. For more on how physical fitness has entered the mainstream, read our Body Temples macrotrend.