Paris Fashion Week: menswear

Louis Vuitton, Spring/Summer '09 (scroll down to read the review)
Louis Vuitton
For menswear studio director Paul Helbers, Charlie Chaplin was the springboard for the new Louis Vuitton collection. However it was not big pants, tight coat, oversized shoes and a cane that ended up on the runway Helbers didn’t want a literal interpretation, but more about a hidden precision and appearing casual and spontaneous.

The collection was precise but less formal than in the past, such as the shawl collared dress jackets paired with jersey granddad shirts and shorts.

Detailing was very discreet, concentrated to special hand finishing or seaming where inserted tape or rope created ruches. Blazers in mohair were cut on the bias and pants had three seams, giving a hint of an O inside the leg, like Chaplin’s famous bow legged stance.

Shirts came in super soft cotton, sometimes colour blocked in patches of pastels. Shoes with an extended last, had detachable rubber straps (also touched on at Prada), an evolution from the functional spur that protects the sole from the rain.

Branding was very discreet, bags were in grained calfskin, and the new Damier Graphite introduced last season (and currently in store) was developed into a silk jacquard lining.