River Island has been raising the bar in menswear team-ups for several years through its Design Forum initiative – previously tapping the likes of Lou Dalton, Christopher Shannon and James Long for collections that helped bring high fashion to the masses. However, this season’s recently announced partnership with YMC deserves a little extra celebration, as it marks both the the 10th anniversary of the the British Fashion Council-backed programme and the 20th anniversary of the acclaimed British brand. Add to that the fact the collection will see YMC digging into its archive, stretching back to 1996, to reproduce 15 key pieces, and its easy to see how River Island has once again lined up one of the most anticipated collaborations of the year. Within the collection of re-issues, which spans casualwear, outerwear and accessories, expect to see the zip front jumper from YMC’s debut runway outing a decade ago, the pac-a-mac from 2003, right up to the more recent Skate Pant of 2015. The collection, priced between £22-£160, has been earmarked for an early June drop into selected River Island stores and online. The first time most will get a glimpse of the range in full will be at London Collections: Men through a short film premiered at the event.
