The Liam Hodges Spring 2019 Menswear Show Made Me Hungry

Bon Appetit! Bay-beh (photo: Patrick Michael Hughes)

After seeing a pair of dice and the words “crapping out” both embroidered on shirts and socks at the Liam Hodges SS19 show, I couldn’t help thinking of Noni Malone the lead character from the film Showgirls (1995). I could see Noni stuffing her face with a cheeseburger and ketchup-drenched French fries. I’m licking my lips as I type this, by the way. 

The models in the Liam Hodges SS19 portrayed men who lacked self-awareness and were hungry for attention, just like Noni. The first model to walk the runway wore a mullet, camo and sunburned skin. He looked like he hunted for fun and might have voted for Donald Trump. I was stereotyping, but it was my first thought. I looked at his face closer and I saw Sean Penn’s surfer character in the film The Fast Times of Ridgemont High, especially with his sunburned face. 

I continued to feel the heat as an olive-skinned model in a chenille sweater and shorts containing a calming Tiffany blue the same color as the turquoise ocean in the Virgin Islands. With a layer of sweat on his skin, he didn’t look expensive at all, except for those fabulous honey-toned tinted sunglasses. I saw a Bizzy Bone from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony lookalike looking fly in a pink-accented color blocked duster. Then there was the guy with the satin bomber jacket and satin gym shorts showing off legs that should be insured Tina Turner-style. 

Turquoise Paradise (credit: WWD.com)

The looks that spoke to me had one common thread: soft femininity intertwined with the flashy athleticism of the clothing. There was one look that I’ve yet to mention that pulled the whole show together. A model with the face of Jesus Christ wore a polo shirt, tailored Hawaiian shorts and a plastic bib like the ones given at seafood restaurants. The polo shirt was no ordinary polo shirt, but was printed with images of police sketches adding a sense of danger to the shirt. The bib was printed with a lobster as if he had just devoured a lobster. Then there were those Christian crosses mixed into the Hawaiian flowers on his shorts. Did I say he looked like Jesus?! Last but not least, there were those socks embroidered with dice and the words “crapping out.” Past stop: seafood restaurant. Next stop: slot machines. 

Lobster & Jesus (credit: WWD.com)

The Mullet (credit: WWD.com)