Following five days of the very best of menswear from some of the world’s top designers, Euronews Culture takes a look on the stand out pieces from the collections shown in the City of Lights
Kicking off last Tuesday night with Pharrell Williams making his long-awaited debut as the creative director of Louis Vuitton, houses from Dior to Givenchy to Hermes showcased their newest designs to glitzy audiences across the City of Lights.
While the event officially finished on Sunday, 25 June, Jacquemus are once again proving their non-conformist nature and presenting their latest collection on Monday at the iconic Palace of Versailles. As a relatively new brand, the fashion house is following in the footsteps of giants including Dior and Chanel, clearly aiming to position itself in an increasingly upmarket segment of the fashion industry.
Ahead of the highly-anticipated event, Euronews Culture is here to give you a rundown of all the stand out menswear on display at Fashion Week – so far.
Watched by countless stars including Beyoncé, Jared Leto and Kim Kardashian, music superstar and style icon Pharrell Williams presented his first collection as head of menswear at Louis Vuitton since being appointed back in February.
The long-time fashion collaborator paid homage to the luxury house’s iconic Damier chessboard pattern, presenting reimagined prints in an array of colours and styles.
The rest of the collection included beautifully tailored pieces ranging from boxy, neutral-coloured jackets with coordinating shorts to more laidback designs. Oversized tailored suits and metallic bomber jackets were shown alongside pearls next to military-style chains and Vuitton’s signature trunks were blown up to proportions so large they had to be driven down the runway in golf carts, marking a rejection of so-called quiet luxury if ever we’ve seen one.
At Dior, Creative Director Kim Jones’ fifth year at the helm showed his meticulous approach to tailoring, paying homage to the house’s signature silhouettes.
Taking place within the vast complex of the École Militaire, close to the Eiffel Tower, all of the models rose up from underneath trapdoors hidden below the catwalk, showing off colourful garments and looks inspired by a number of Jones’ most iconic predecessors.
Jackets with sparkling gemstone were nods to Christian Dior himself, while trousers cropped at the ankle seemed to be a tribute to Pierre Cardin’s leadership and fluid silhouettes were inspired by Yves Saint Laurent’s tenure in the 1950s.
Paul Smith continued the house’s path to an ever fresher approach to menswear. The English designer presented looks ranging from workwear-inspired boiler suit-style pieces to graphic prints. It all contributed to an overall energetic edge, matched by the runway show’s bass-enhanced soundtrack, which seemed aimed at a younger audience than is typical for the brand.
Schoolboy influences and pops of summer colours like red, blue, yellow and dusty pinks leaned further into the fashion house’s playful take on formalwear.
Véronique Nichanian, heading up Hermès’ menswear department, stuck to themes traditional to the luxury house’s tried-and-true ethos. The collection was quiet luxury in action, showcasing iconic Hermès elements, like cashmere, silks, oversized trousers, lightweight shirts, see-through jackets, double-breasted blazers and zip-up outerwear.
If anything, the collection took a rather more laidback approach to the house’s traditional style than usual, which extended to necklaces and bracelets in palladium hardware, a variety of Twilly silks and footwear designs which leaned towards relaxed, holiday-ready pieces.
Hot on the heels of K-POP group Seventeen’s Vernon becoming the first global ambassador for the brand, Kenzo presented their new collection, called City of Pop, a reflection of the vision of creative director Nigo. Featuring a combination of suits and formal tailoring, with many embracing unconventional shapes.
Four seasons into his tenure at Kenzo, Nigo’s designs remained reverent of its founder, Kenzo Takada but injected with his own identity, namely a fusion of Japanese construction and sportswear, classic tailoring and utility wear alongside Parisian flair.
Nigo’s collection was inspired by City Pop, the hugely popular musical genre from Japan in the 1970s and ‘80s, during the creative director’s formative years, featuring the preppy and graphic look that went hand-in-hand with the scene and is gaining popularity again today.
The show, which also featured elegant womenswear, debuted a new logo designed by Verdy, the creative director of Blackpink, which was emblazoned all over the collection, cementing Nigo’s impressive knack for branding.
Jonathan Anderson at Loewe made glitter the literal spotlight of the collection. The creative director put out blazers, high-waisted denim jeans, chinos and knits, all adorned with crystals.
The sparkles were the undeniable star of the show, appearing on every piece in various volumes, from delicate accents on shirts to covering entire pairs of denim trousers.
Givenchy presented its interpretation of a new formal, returning to its roots of silhouettes and structure, featuring knits, sweatshirts and fitted polos, paired with military-inspired jackets and wide-legged cargo pants.
Headed up by creative director Matthew M Williams, the long-established fashion house, like Paul Smith, put schoolboy fashion into the spotlight, focusing on simple yet technical designs with pockets and functional and adaptable pieces all topped off with mini backpacks as a further nod to youthful, yet timeless style.
