Paris Fashion Week Men's Round-Up
Words Bethany Berkley
As Paris Fashion Week Men's draws to a close, we look back at the key moments, biggest trends, and highlights from the week that everyone's been talking about!
Opening the week, British designer Wales Bonner presented her AW23 collection titled “Twilight Reverie”. Following on from her immense Pitti Uomo debut last season. The collection was an ode to the Jamaican national football team and classic Saville Row Tailoring. Elsewhere on day one, Saint Laurent’s show marked the return of the menswear collection by Anthony Vaccarello to Paris. The collection was filled with an array of masculine femininity. Onlookers were surrounded by the white alabaster walls of Tadao Ando’s chalky white cylinder within the Bourse de Commerce giving the show an eerily gothic feel. Denim and rollnecks were the order of the day for streetstyle as showgoers layered up to withstand the dropping temperature adorning their looks with flamboyant accessories that included statement shades and shoes.
Dries Van Noten, known for his standout shows, celebrated a more mature take on 90’s rave culture with his AW23 collection, with oversized puffer jackets bearing abstract patterns, roomy 90s-era cargo pants and floral motifs taking centre stage throughout the collection. Louis Gabriel Nouchi thrilled onlookers with his American Psycho-inspired collection, comprising of exquisite suits and tailoring which experimented with silhouettes such as cinched-in waists and one-shoulder tops. Bianca Saunders stunned onlookers with her collection which emulated elegance in tailoring and elevated everyday wear, a celebration of her Jamaican heritage was seen throughout her collection and show. Another breakout female designer graced the Parisian runway. Feng Cheng Wang presented her AW23 collection drawing upon the Chinese tradition of the “Hundred Families Robe,” a patchworked mantle created from 100 pieces of fabric from friends and family which is said to bring luck to a newborn. A play on denim and patchwork in deconstructed skirts and a notable double-breasted coat whose train converts into a cropped style.
Towards the end of the week Louis Vuitton and Dior showcased creative brilliance as Kid Super debuted his collaborative collection for the fashion Maison. The set was a recreation of a vintage childhood home, homing in on the late Virgil Abloh’s coming-of-age designs. Patterns on sumptuously tailored suiting evoked encrypted computer coding, and a surreal white suit made from upcycled handwritten notes was the standout piece of the collection.
Kim Jones draws inspiration from his extensive rare book collection with his TS Eliot's ‘The Waste Land’ inspired collection. Models went down the runway as Robert Pattinson and Gwendoline Christie recited the poem streamed on big screens. The collection was comprised of pale, neutral colours, looseness and fluidity, and womenswear templates referenced in cardigans, skirts, and oversized shorts. A design timeline of the fashion house was visible throughout the show, from the passing of Christian Dior to Yves Saint Laurent's brief stint at the house and then of course to Kim Jones’s Iconic designs. Other highlights of the week included Gucci’s first show post-Alessandro Michele, adequately dubbed “moment of reflection, reaction and reorganisation” The fashion houses design team (with big shoes to fill) met showgoers' expectations and pulled out all the stops to deliver a palate cleanser of a collection. Focusing on “archetypes of the classic gentleman’s wardrobe” the collection included roomy outerwear, laid-back suit jackets and effortlessly smooth wide-legged trousers of which some could be mistaken for maxiskirts.
Maison Margiela closed off the week with a bang as usual, their co-ed show was a display of “Cyberpunk Americana” building on from their July haute couture show. Galliano’s use of decidedly American materials such as Pendleton plaid and floral barkcloth crafted into wild western coats and 1950s prom dresses deconstructed and invigorated with the spirit of cyberpunk. A collaboration with Disney coupled with fishnet and cut-up hosiery gave the collections the extra effect needed for Galliano’s wish for the fashion house to become “the coolest, most cutting-edge couture house” to ring true.