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Hiding In Plain Sight: Cody Aker Rewrites The Codes of Modern Masculinity

A frequency connects London and Vancouver that goes far deeper than grey skies and familiar rainfall. It is an energy, a movement, and a rhythm of modern life that swings between coastal wildness and dense urban grit. In that charged space, where the contemporary man often becomes visual background, Canadian-born and Vancouver-rooted designer Cody Aker and his label ARSENY, makes his presence impossible to ignore. Now based in London, he channels that West Coast instinct into a collection that challenges, reframes, and ultimately redefines the codes of masculinity on a global stage.

With his latest collection, I AM HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT, Aker presents a study in modern camouflage for the urban “fox,” the man who is hyper-aware, emotionally attuned, and alive in the creative friction where cultures collide. This is not simply fashion; it is identity work crafted through texture, silhouette, and subversion.

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THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE GLITCH

Aker builds this collection around the alluring tension of “misrecognition.” In global cities like Tokyo, London, and Vancouver, visual saturation means that visibility does not guarantee recognition. He turns this idea into a narrative, allowing garments to move fluidly between bold expression and quiet autonomy.

The ‘Surge’ rollneck embodies this concept with remarkable clarity. Knitted in Australian merino wool, long associated with heritage and comfort, the piece disrupts expectation with a jacquard floral that appears to glitch in motion. It is softness meeting static, nature clashing with digital distortion.

The ‘Oversized Waldo’ jumper takes irony to couture level. Aker borrows the iconic red-and-white stripes of Martin Handford’s beloved character and fractures them with a ripped-paper décollage effect. The resulting piece is attention-grabbing yet intentionally elusive, a visual trick that nods to a fox slipping through the noise unnoticed.

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HERITAGE MEETS DISRUPTION

The heart of Aker’s narrative lies in his fearless manipulation of cultural and historical references. His reimagining of the Haragake is a highlight, merging Edo-period craftsmanship with the rebellious spirit of 1960s London Mod style.

The luxury lambskin ‘Scramble’ vest pulls the waistcoat out of its traditional past and propels it into contemporary relevance. Paired with the ‘Scramble’ Skort, a hybrid that fuses Japanese workwear structure with the lineage of the Scottish kilt, the look becomes a bold exploration of fluidity. The silhouette is powerful, voluminous, and evocative of Ray Petri’s Buffalo collective, challenging the myth that strength and softness cannot coexist.

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THE ASSEMBLAGE OF SELF

Aker designs for the man who refuses reduction. His ‘Décollage Coat’ embodies this multiplicity, appearing as if it has travelled through continents and eras, absorbing the essence of a trench, a cape, and a uniform in its wake.

With I AM HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT, ARSENY does more than set trends. The brand proposes a new lens through which modern masculinity can be seen, understood, and expressed. Aker knows that the contemporary flâneur is not the cane-twirling figure of old, but a global citizen who moves through layered cultural worlds with intention.

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A CANADIAN VISION FOR A GLOBAL STAGE

What makes Aker’s viewpoint magnetic is its resonance with the Canadian creative identity: adaptive, observant, and globally fluent. His work acknowledges that masculinity today is not a singular archetype, but an “improvised assemblage.” ARSENY offers a wardrobe that transcends borders and eras, prioritizing harmony over hierarchy, cohesion over convention.

This is a sophisticated, layered, deeply coded expression of the man who chooses when to step into focus and when to dissolve into the curated noise of the city. And at its core stands a designer shaped by Vancouver, sharpened in London, and now unmistakably carving his place in the world of contemporary luxury fashion.

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Author Profile

Helen Siwak, Luxury Lifestyle Observer: Helen Siwak is the founder of EcoLuxLuv Communications & Marketing Inc and publisher of Folio.YVR Luxury Lifestyle Magazine and PORTFOLIOY.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs Magazine. She is a prolific content creator, consultant, and marketing and media strategist within the ecoluxury lifestyle niche. Helen is the west coast correspondent to Canada’s top-read industry magazine Retail-Insider, holds a vast freelance portfolio, and consults with many of the world’s luxury heritage brands. Always seeking new opportunities and challenges, you can email her at [email protected].