John Elliott debuts entire spring 2018 collection on Instagram

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
Jun 25, 2017

Fashion designers in this present digital age are still attempting new ways to debut their latest collections. Menswear darling John Elliott for instance announced in May that he will debut his spring 2018 collection in Paris during Paris Fashion Week, instead of at New York Fashion Week: Men’s where he had presented for 10 seasons.
 
The California-based designer surprised fans and clients on Friday when he unveiled his entire spring 2018 collection on Instagram.

 
Runway shows and fashion presentations are being skipped in favor of films or the less expensive social media rollout, but this does not guarantee visibility. Elliott typically posts few runway looks in favor of lookbook images that properly convey a collection’s story.
 
This season, the designer shared his entire collection with his 130,000 Instagram followers, and held a collection debut scavenger hunt with Los Angeles Lakers’ star Nick Young, A$AP Mob member A$AP Nast, models Josephine Skriver, Luka Sabbat, Adonis Basso, Reece King, and Keisuke Asano among others.

Not accounting for follower overlap, the visibility from the social media rollout could have reached around 10 million users in the moment on Instagram alone and much more over the weekend.
 
Elliott told Complex, "Our motivation coming to Paris was widely a business decision. We wanted to come here and present the collection to the industry in an intimate way but reinvent the way we present and involve the consumer with the debut of a new season. We don't only want the world to see and experience the collection in a way that is engaging and interactive, but it was also important for us to see our clothes styled on some of our friends we look to for inspiration."

 
The spring 2018 collection titled, ‘Field Manual’, is inspired by Elliott’s trips to the Mojave Desert, Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Park. The collection features a washed out color palette in army green, dusty grey, faded black and dusty rose. Military-inspired pieces such as cargo pants, bomber jackets and field jackets and parkas comprise a portion of the collection’s story, while sporty, paneled jackets and shorts channel basketball uniforms, Elliott’s usual inspiration and reference point.
 
The denim story is also a major component of John Elliott collections and serves as an anchor for the spring 2018 collection. The standout red, faded denim jacket is complimented by washed, cutoff denim shorts, and distressed blue jeans. Finally, the track pants in the collection point to new territory for Elliott, as well as well-timed trendiness.