I realized today that I haven’t posted much of anything from this season’s men’s shows from Paris, New York or London Fashion Weeks.  So, going through some of my favorites from this season* to pull together a highlight reel of my picks, it struck me how well the AW10 collections from Viktor & Rolf, Pringle of Scotland and (Jay-Z’s favorite label to mispronounce) Maison Martin Margiela complement one another.  Sure, everyone makes room for layers in their fall collections, and many designers also use the same muted palette these three labels worked in.  But the way these three design houses mix and match textures, work knitwear into their clothing and keep the focus on suiting as outwear really fits together quite well.  You can see a Viktor & Rolf-esque quality in Pringle’s comically oversized fur gloves; Pringle and Margiela both play with the effect of having a blazer embellished along each side of the front, echoed again in a furry Viktor & Rolf jacket.

So what does it mean that these three very different brands have so much in common within their respective fall collections?  Are we all moving closer still to one giant globalized fashion community?  Are European designers feeding off of one another?  Will Tilda Swinton, the current face of Pringle, and noted Viktor & Rolf aficionado Rihanna start to share a wardrobe like a high school girl and her Cool Mom?

Probably not.  It probably just means that my taste in menswear is pretty consistent.  And that I will take any opportunity to mention Rihanna in a blog post.

Have a look at some of Viktor & Rolf & Pringle & Margiela after the jump below.  Doesn’t that sound like one of those over-played t-shirts from a few years ago?

(*On an unrelated note, I’m usually a big fan of Michael Bastian, and there was some pretty great stuff in his show, but what was up with some of his collection veering dangerously close to Dsquared2 territory?  No bueno.)

Margiela:

Pringle:

Viktor & Rolf:

Most likely a reaction the DB’s of my youth, immortalized in the First Communion photos at my parents’ house, I’ve pretty much had a blanket policy against them since I first started dressing myself.  Turns out, that might have been a bit harsh.  The Company of We version nods to its brass-buttoned forebearers, but the slim fit downplays it stodgy past.  Worn with a t-shirt, it’s smart, but definitely on this side of casual.

Company of We isn’t the only label giving the DB another chance live outside of mafiosos and 80′s business tycoons; they’ve been featured prominently in SS 2010 collections from a whole spectrum of designers — from Alexander McQueen to Michael Bastian and everyone in between.

(top row: Company of We, Bottega Veneta, Michael Bastian; middle: Alexander McQueen, Band of Outsiders, Neil Barrett, bottom: Dries van Noten)

The 80′s reference is there, but designers sent them down the runway paired with jeans, shorts, open collars, and boat shoes, updating the look to reflect a more current sensibility.  So, maybe my mom was just ahead of her time when she forced me to rock one back in the early 90′s.  In which case, let me be the first to announce the return of Starter jackets.

Or not.

(Photos via Company of We and NYMag.com)