VMAN: Fall Forward

In this very demanding world of fashion, these designers are creating interventions for them to stay upkeep in this industry where a creative mind should define a new set of ideas. For VMAN's editorial photos, they included the thoughts of 13 noted fashion designers about their Fall/Winter 2009 Menswear collection.

YVES SAINT LAURENT "The collection is a story of hybrids in proportion, function, and construction. It is centered around finding balance through contradiction." -Stefano Pilati

CALVIN KLEIN "The Fall collection was conceived to be tough and masculine and very reflective of a New York style. This collection is compromised of modern, tailored pieces that are sophisticated and often interpreted in luxurious and unexpected materials." -Italo Zucchelli

RALPH LAUREN BLACK LABEL "When you're wearing Black Label sportswear, it's like being in a race car." -Ralph Lauren

DIOR HOMME "This collection is about purity, modernity, playful luxury, and the right look." -Kris Van Assche

LOUIS VUITTON "I began by envisioning the traveling business wardrobe of an African king. I wanted to blend contemporary tailoring techniques and practicality with the more traditional aspects of ceremonial dress-the intricate patterns, the continual use of layering, the clash of materials or textures to create depth. I wanted something loose, something raw, but without compromising on elegance or the silhouette." -Paul Helbers

MARC JACOBS "Our character is a man of his own mind; strong, present, and forceful, with a rich intellectual sense." -Marc Jacobs

GARETH PUGH "I was trying to do something a little more savage, but in a very chic way. I wanted it to look severe, but also have a fragility to it. I started with a black cube, playing around with the idea of it exploding and then using the fragments to construct shapes." -Gareth Pugh

RICK OWENS "The word that explains this collection is turbobiblicarationalism." -Rick Owens

GIVENCHY "I wanted to find a way of mixing the elegance of a couture house like Givenchy with the clothes I love to wear, which are more street. This season was about the attitude and confidence of the Latin American man." -Riccardo Tisci

COMME DES GARCONS HOMME PLUS "The theme of this Fall's collection is Fashion Illusion." -Rei Kawakubo

PRADA "The Fall 2009 collection is about survival. And to survive, you have to be strong." -Miuccia Prada

JIL SANDER "This collection is inspired by the art of dressing up and dressing with pride. The Jil Sander man as portrayed in the face of out time: smart, dignified, and strong." -Raf Simons

RAF SIMONS "This collection introduces Italian formal wear, to comply with customer requests regarding quality, finish, and cut. This new development is very significant as I started out my career with a desire to bring handmade tailoring to a young audience." -Raf Simons