Inspired by a weekend trip to his native French countryside, Alexandre Mattiuss's new Fall line does what we always want French clothing to do: give us natty sophistication that doesn't have its nose so high in the air that it can't smell what's wafting up from the streets. Tailored clothing holds court with tee shirts and outerwear that you would expect to find at a roofttop party in Bushwick and all of it comes together to look like what you would expect Jean-Paul Belmondo to wear if Godard re-made Breathless today. Sadly stateside it's only available at Barney's, however to whet your appetite here are the juciest fillets of the collection:

[caption id="attachment_68064" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Printed pants and workwear elements keep the snottiness in check better than Vicks Vapor Rub"][/caption]

Printed pieces like these avian themed trousers play off of the idiosyncratic, orange-centric, color palette and work just as well paired with the bright military jackets as they do with the double breasted blazers. Denim shirts and bandanas also help to make the luxe fabrics and more serious outerwear pieces feel less precious. Both inject a bold spirit of youth, and the here and now, into a collection that is still at heart focused on suiting elements.

What allows all of the dressing elements to move so easily among the slim chinos and bright knits is the utterly modern approach to fit and fabrics. Tailored narrow and short, Mattiussi seems to be leading a one man campagin to reclaim the double breasted blazer from the David Letterman set. Between their natural shoulders and textured fabrics these are also the suits and jacket that you wear to a TED conference rather than a board meeting.

[caption id="attachment_68160" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Get your khaki colored khakis at Banana Republic but allow AMI to show you how bright things could be with these double breasted blazers and chinos"][/caption]

A good helping of the flavour of AMI can be directly attributed to the unexpected, even confrontational, color choices each season. Jackets and trousers in rusty reds and oranges and shirts and sweaters in dusty purples and cream look insubordinate almost to the point of garishness on their own, yet somehow when put together they work, and work hard.

Evan Widhu is a men's wear buyer in New York. He still isn't sure if he's Gaulish enough to pull off a red suit paired with a white wine.