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Taking it to the streets
July 12, 2009, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
The Paris men's collections recently mixed the edgy, the sporty and the classic. Here's a look at what the big-name brands offered and how they set the new trends for the coming season.
Lanvin:
Whether or not Albert Elbaz and Lucas Ossendrijver set out to unsettle their viewers, their spring show under the red lights of the Salle Wagram ballroom certainly challenged traditional notions of masculine conformity. "It's about individualism and the anti-uniform," explained Ossendrijver, Lanvin's menswear director. "We didn't go to the studio. We went to the street," chimed in Elbaz.
While some elements appeared overtly feminine -- platinum blonde wigs, high-waist pleated pants and stiff, silky fabrics -- they were tempered with traditional gentleman signals: micro-check shirts, rep ties and even pocket squares. Jaunty visors and pencil moustaches added a retro twist. Looks ranged from an all-business slate blue suit to a don't-mess-with-me sleeveless gray jacket with a black back panel.
Silk shorts, tartan sportswear and cropped leather blousons completed the young, provocative mix. Fabrics included satins, tweeds and silks, proportions mixed (slim and elongated or ample and cropped) and colors predominantly dark (counter to this season's soft and muted palette). The panoply of options successfully countered today's uniform culture.
Dior Homme:
Since his appointment two years ago, Dior Homme designer Kris Van Assche has wrestled with the suit, which is the house's signature item. For spring, he delivered his best interpretation yet with an ultralight collection that was elegant, directional and recognizably Dior. First, Van Assche introduced a new Dior Homme trouser, roomy, pleated and tapered at the ankle.
Above the waist, he played with transparency and layering, leaving two-button cotton jackets unlined to reveal their construction and the raw-edge shirts and waistcoats underneath. An unlined silk raincoat, which floated over a Japanese cotton jacket with delicate raw edges, was a standout.
Van Assche mixed sartorial savoir faire with more street-inspired elements in just the right doses, and with plenty of confidence. Sleeveless jackets, for example, were edgy and "soigne," while leather lapels on formal wear were striking.
Hermes:
The carpet of dirt at Hermes underscored a bucolic, sportswear-driven collection that orchestrated the brand's heritage, Veronique Nichanian's penchant for classics, and the present vogue for casual elegance.
The signature equestrian motifs that bedecked silk shirts, swim trunks and neckerchiefs hit the season's trend of lively prints.
The use of color -- dusky forest hues and the occasional pop of key lime -- was a refreshing sight in a season dominated by beige and gray. The light textures of linen, suede, seersucker and chunky knits heightened the overall organic feel, while the rich-bohemian styling asserted Parisian sophistication.
John Galliano:
The travels of Napoleon Bonaparte were the thread binding the exotic chapters of a cinematic Galliano show, held in a cavernous, graffiti-covered abandoned pool. Utility garb in desert hues met oriental vase prints. Belts and knotted shirts bound the waists, defining the silhouette. Looks were topped with long coats in historical officer's cuts and details. Some black versions were overlaid with layers of chiffon that billowed in their wake.
Though that may not sound masculine, it was a fine example of Western militarism meeting the languid sensuality associated with the Orient. For the requisite underwear portion of the show, Galliano conjured young Sicilian men draped in leopard and gold leaf.
Givenchy:
The dapper rapper is commonplace these days and Riccardo Tisci is tempting him with Givenchy. The designer was inspired by 1990s America for a collection of "elegant street couture" that is becoming his hallmark for men.
Tisci opened with a crisp white suit with a banded-collar shirt, gold rings shoved on each of the models's fingers for an added boost of bling. Each exit that followed riffed on the fashion-meets-sportswear theme. Baggy basketball-style shorts and tank tops, some in mesh, were paired with tailored jackets with mini storm flaps and shirts spangled with gold stars paid homage to Michael Jackson.
Lanvin:
Whether or not Albert Elbaz and Lucas Ossendrijver set out to unsettle their viewers, their spring show under the red lights of the Salle Wagram ballroom certainly challenged traditional notions of masculine conformity. "It's about individualism and the anti-uniform," explained Ossendrijver, Lanvin's menswear director. "We didn't go to the studio. We went to the street," chimed in Elbaz.
While some elements appeared overtly feminine -- platinum blonde wigs, high-waist pleated pants and stiff, silky fabrics -- they were tempered with traditional gentleman signals: micro-check shirts, rep ties and even pocket squares. Jaunty visors and pencil moustaches added a retro twist. Looks ranged from an all-business slate blue suit to a don't-mess-with-me sleeveless gray jacket with a black back panel.
Silk shorts, tartan sportswear and cropped leather blousons completed the young, provocative mix. Fabrics included satins, tweeds and silks, proportions mixed (slim and elongated or ample and cropped) and colors predominantly dark (counter to this season's soft and muted palette). The panoply of options successfully countered today's uniform culture.
Dior Homme:
Since his appointment two years ago, Dior Homme designer Kris Van Assche has wrestled with the suit, which is the house's signature item. For spring, he delivered his best interpretation yet with an ultralight collection that was elegant, directional and recognizably Dior. First, Van Assche introduced a new Dior Homme trouser, roomy, pleated and tapered at the ankle.
Above the waist, he played with transparency and layering, leaving two-button cotton jackets unlined to reveal their construction and the raw-edge shirts and waistcoats underneath. An unlined silk raincoat, which floated over a Japanese cotton jacket with delicate raw edges, was a standout.
Van Assche mixed sartorial savoir faire with more street-inspired elements in just the right doses, and with plenty of confidence. Sleeveless jackets, for example, were edgy and "soigne," while leather lapels on formal wear were striking.
Hermes:
The carpet of dirt at Hermes underscored a bucolic, sportswear-driven collection that orchestrated the brand's heritage, Veronique Nichanian's penchant for classics, and the present vogue for casual elegance.
The signature equestrian motifs that bedecked silk shirts, swim trunks and neckerchiefs hit the season's trend of lively prints.
The use of color -- dusky forest hues and the occasional pop of key lime -- was a refreshing sight in a season dominated by beige and gray. The light textures of linen, suede, seersucker and chunky knits heightened the overall organic feel, while the rich-bohemian styling asserted Parisian sophistication.
John Galliano:
The travels of Napoleon Bonaparte were the thread binding the exotic chapters of a cinematic Galliano show, held in a cavernous, graffiti-covered abandoned pool. Utility garb in desert hues met oriental vase prints. Belts and knotted shirts bound the waists, defining the silhouette. Looks were topped with long coats in historical officer's cuts and details. Some black versions were overlaid with layers of chiffon that billowed in their wake.
Though that may not sound masculine, it was a fine example of Western militarism meeting the languid sensuality associated with the Orient. For the requisite underwear portion of the show, Galliano conjured young Sicilian men draped in leopard and gold leaf.
Givenchy:
The dapper rapper is commonplace these days and Riccardo Tisci is tempting him with Givenchy. The designer was inspired by 1990s America for a collection of "elegant street couture" that is becoming his hallmark for men.
Tisci opened with a crisp white suit with a banded-collar shirt, gold rings shoved on each of the models's fingers for an added boost of bling. Each exit that followed riffed on the fashion-meets-sportswear theme. Baggy basketball-style shorts and tank tops, some in mesh, were paired with tailored jackets with mini storm flaps and shirts spangled with gold stars paid homage to Michael Jackson.
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