About 2000 years ago, Roman legionnaires used to wear socks with sandals to protect their feet from the British weather. Today socks with sandals may discombobulate you again: for Spring/Summer 2018, designers nodded to them and had their own take on what was mistakenly considered as the ‘ultimate fashion faux-pas’. The socks with sandals combo was boldly catapulted on men’s catwalks from last June onward. Emerging brands such as Tourne de Transmission in London showed how to perfectly match them with a destructured suit while big institutions like Louis Vuitton proposed a more adventurous silhouette with leather shorts and sport leggings. There might be a bit of ‘coolness’ emanating from that trend, but authenticity for sure. There is a feeling that Romans would have grinned when looking at how we have transformed the utilitarian purpose of a shoe and a sock into an existential fashion crisis. Through his editorial “Lost in Solitude,” photographer Philipp Groß embraces the uncanniness of socks with sandals through his vision of the contemporary male persona.
Kimono STYLIST’S OWN, Shorts GIVENCHY, Socks URBAN OUTFITTERS, Sandals DR. MARTENS
Pullover ADIDAS ORIGINALS, Trousers URBAN OUTFITTERS, Socks URBAN OUTFITTERS, Sneakers ADIDAS ORIGINALS
Pullover ADIDAS ORIGINALS, Trousers URBAN OUTFITTERS, Socks URBAN OUTFITTERS, Sneakers ADIDAS ORIGINALS
Hoodie NEIL BARRETT, Shorts NEIL BARRETT, Socks URBAN OUTFITTERS, Sandals DR. MARTENS
Hoodie NEIL BARRETT, Shorts NEIL BARRETT, Socks URBAN OUTFITTERS, Sandals DR. MARTENS
T-Shirt URBAN OUTFITTERS, Trousers FRED PERRY, Sandals GIVENCHY, Scarf ZARA, Socks WEEKDAY
Trousers ALEXANDER MCQUEEN, Tank Top NIKE, Socks WEEKDAY, Sneakers ADIDAS ORIGINALS
Shirt HUGO BOSS, Leather Jacket MARC JACOBS, Trousers HUGO BOSS, Cap WEEKDAY, Sunglasses RAY BAN
Turtle Neck MONKI, Trousers BALENCIAGA, Slides GIVENCHY, Socks OFFICE
Jacket STYLIST’S OWN, Hoodie URBAN OUTFITTERS, Trousers KARL BY KARL LAGERFELD, Socks OFFICE, Sandals GIVENCHY
Kimono STYLIST’S OWN, Shorts GIVENCHY, Socks URBAN OUTFITTERS, Sandals DR. MARTENS
Kimono STYLIST’S OWN, Shorts GIVENCHY, Socks URBAN OUTFITTERS, Sandals DR. MARTENS
Photography PHILIPP GROSS, Art Direction and Styling SEBASTIAN SIMON / HGHWYCHLD, Model TOBIAS – Hore Models