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Despite the icy temperatures and sluggish economic climate, there was a sense of positivity at Paris men’s week this season.
“Paris really flexed its muscles again: Dior was incredible in terms of creativity, Loewe was absolutely cool — I loved the deep dive into America, same thing at Vuitton. It has been a strong season,” says fashion editor Bryan Grey Yambao, known as Bryanboy.
Last season saw a shift back towards tailoring after years of streetwear dominance. For Autumn/Winter 2024, everything goes. “It’s more about the archetypes of masculinity: the office boy at Prada, the cowboy at Louis Vuitton, the skater boy at Loewe, the apocalyptic warrior at Rick Owens,” says Vena Brykalin, editor-in-chief of Vogue Ukraine.
As is the new custom, it started with the Louis Vuitton show, which was inspired by American Westerns. Think chaps, cowboy shirts and details like turquoise beading. It was a smaller format than his debut show in June (around 1,200 guests versus 1,800), but Louis Vuitton once again mixed the worlds of fashion, music, entertainment and food.
“We’ve had a gender-fluid era, and we’re returning this season to a more classic representation of masculinity: cowboys at Louis Vuitton, American workwear, tailoring in all forms, jacket variations at Junya Watanabe, suits at Yohji Yamamoto,”' observes Matthieu Morge-Zucconi, menswear journalist at French newspaper Le Figaro. As an example of the workwear trend, he noted that both Louis Vuitton and British designer Grace Wales Bonner collaborated with Timberland.
Vogue Runway’s Luke Leitch says: “That was definitely a perception of classic masculinity expressed through tailoring, which could either be interpreted as a shift in gender representation or a conservative move as a reaction to what is being widely reported as a downturn in the luxury market. However, it was interesting to note that those companies that have been performing well recently, such as Zegna, Brunello Cucinelli and Hermès, were slightly more adventurous than usual.” At Hermès, artistic director Véronique Nichanian described the collection as “dandy chic”.
The underlying theme, notably at Loewe, was a new kind of masculinity — one that is playful and sexy. Designers embraced the no trousers trend that has proliferated on the womenswear catwalks. The front row reflected the mood, featuring handsome actors and singers: at Kenzo, One Direction’s Zayn Malik; at Loewe, new house ambassador and Fifty Shades star Jamie Dornan as well as Josh O'Connor and Andrew Garfield; at Dior, Nicholas Hoult.
Clothes you can put in your wardrobe
The season took place in a challenging climate with rising costs, the Israel-Hamas war, and overall deceleration of the industry’s growth in all regions. “This winter was complicated for everybody,” Paul Smith told Vogue Business ahead of his show.
It’s an open secret that many pieces on the runway never end up hitting stores. At least three brands take a different approach: Paul Smith, Officine Générale and Dries Van Noten. “I really wanted clothes that you could put in your wardrobe because there’s a lot of clothes out there, which are for the fashion show, but not really for the way we all look,” Smith said. “Every show, everything is always produced.”
Officine Générale founder, CEO and creative Pierre Mahéo echoed the sentiment. In an interview ahead of the show, he said: “I was radical this season, I said there wouldn’t be any special pieces developed for the show.” After a number of store openings, Officine Générale is taking a more cautious approach this year. “I think it’s reasonable to take the time to see how the situation evolves before making decisions,” Mahéo said. Van Noten also produces everything that he presents on the runway and this season was no exception.
“The prevailing focus this season is on wearability, and there is also a smarter vibe with a lot more shirting and ties. It is a clean look and often paired back to denim to keep it relaxed,” says Sophie Jordan, menswear buying director at luxury e-tailer Mytheresa. She praised Lemaire and Japanese brand Auralee for their “effortless ease”, adding: “You can wear full looks without looking like you have tried too hard.”
Auralee, which is known for its high-quality fabrics, held its first runway show on the calendar this season. Vogue Runway’s José Criales-Unzueta called it a brand “on the rise”. Other debuts included Kartik Research, the Indian brand that has just undergone a rebrand and is poised for growth.
For Vogue’s chief critic Sarah Mower, Martine Rose’s surprise show in Paris was a standout. She wrote in her review: “In difficult, fearful periods such as the one we’re living in, fashion’s instinctive response is to go sober, safe, and stick to tried-and-tested ‘commerciality”. The trouble with that is that it causes paralysis, dullness, and a downward spiral in desirability. With this collection, Rose went completely in the opposite direction — for the elevation and elation of dressing; for creativity and the high ground.”
Leitch pointed to Marine Serre’s first full collection for men as another moment of excitement. “In the same way that fashion is no longer talking with any great urgency about AI or NFTs, it is also apparently sidelining considerations of environmentalism at the moment,” he notes. “However, Marine, a young independent designer, has stuck to her guns and built what is apparently an impressive but small business by being true to those values, not as a form of marketing, but as an authentic function of her own personal conviction.”
There were some surprises in the castings. Ned Sims, the son of British photographer David Sims, closed the Loewe show; German filmmaker Wim Wenders walked the Yohji Yamamoto runway; actresses Diane Kruger and Lou Doillon were at Ami Paris; and rapper Pusha T and French fencing champion Enzo Lefort walked the Louis Vuitton catwalk. (Lefort became an ambassador for both Louis Vuitton and LVMH in October 2023 as part of the latter’s sponsorship of the Paris 2024 Olympics.)
Speaking of the Olympics, Kauli Vaast, a French surfer from Polynesia, sat front row at Dior, for which he has become an ambassador. “I saw the snow only three times in my life including twice this week! It’s amazing,” he said with a laugh. Meanwhile, Stéphane Ashpool unveiled his collection with Le Coq Sportif for France’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes for the Paris 2024 games, celebrating with a fashion week cocktail party in his design studio.
The next Paris men’s fashion week will be held from 18 to 23 June, just a month before the Olympics kicks off (on 26 July). The question on everyone’s lips: what impact will it have? The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (FHCM) is working on this with the police department, City Hall, the Olympic Committee and the other stakeholders. “We communicate with our members and will also do it regularly with the whole ecosystem,” said Pascal Morand, executive president of the Fédération.
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