The finest Men's fashion week invitations to land in our laps this season
Words: Apphia Michael
Kenzo sent out this tin box containing a mini survival kit for the great outdoors - a cryptic nod to the jungle-inspired collection revealed at the show
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Acne also referenced its collection in a themed invitation pack: a gold embossed card came inside a white and navy blue stripe envelope, mimicking the maxi stripes on the runway
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Acne
An unassuming white envelope with a simple typewritten address label from Maison Martin Margiela...
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... folded out to reveal a vintage-style map of Paris, which guided people to the show venue
Maison Martin Margiela
Kris Van Assche also opted for a fold-out envelope for its mininimal invitation
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Kris Van Assche
The back of the Dior Homme envelope had an elegant horizontal slot for its flap - a small detail but a neat one
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Opened up, the matte Dior Homme envelope revealed a glossy inner lining - a nice prelude to the classically set out embossed invitation card
Sacai's A4 paper offering could be unfolded from its rectangular card base. Details were clearly laid out in unfussy sans-serif script, but the type was playfully reversed on the back
Sacai
The layout of the Comme des Garçons invitation subtly changes with each season, but the bones of its visual identity remain unchanged
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Housed in a small envelope, Givenchy's miniature poster opened up to reveal an illustration of various abstract body parts
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Givenchy
Junya Watanabe Man sent out this poster, featuring a photograph of an urban skyline, reflected on water
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Also in poster format, the Ann Demeulemeester invitation, printed on A2-sized rice paper
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Berluti's pack sleeve was embossed with an etching of its venue, the Palais Royal gardens. Inside, a thick white card with silver edging summed up the presentation details
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We thought we'd seen it all from Bernhard Wilhelm's tongue-in-cheek invitations, until we received this one. Sent out in a discreet silver foil wrapper, it features a random collection of excerpts; from diary-style notes about the show venue... to images of cock rings
We can't help but approve of Willhelm's cheeky email-style question
A sliver of silver on the envelope for Issey Miyake Man...
... continued on the enclosed invitation letter
An embossed copper plate stood out at Dries Van Noten
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A simple grey 'plastic bag' envelope from Yohji Yamamoto...
... enclosed with an ultra-thin invitation delicately ripped at the edges
An abstract sea-scape fronts Louis Vuitton's gilt-edged card
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Louis Vuitton
Details of the 3.1 Phillip Lim show were initially concealed behind a black satin ribbon
3.1 Phillip Lim
Thick card invitations were a recurring trend this season, as championed by John Galliano Homme, Rick Owens and Paul Smith
John Galliono Homme's card - backed by a cloudy sky - was sent out in a blue envelope
On the card's reverse, the show details came printed in a white san serif type
The Rick Owens card was a play on contrasts, with a setting of grey, black and white blocks
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Paul Smith's glossy, collaged rose later appeared as a print in his Spring collection
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The Lanvin logo came stamped on the invitation envelope
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Inside, Lanvin's show details were revealed on a classic gilt-edged card
Moving on to the Milan shows, Salvatore Ferregamo sent out a clash of colour, made all the more striking with the help of the die-cut text on duplex printed card
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Salvatore Ferregamo
These graphic flags from Moncler Gamme Bleu referenced a nautically-influenced collection and show performance
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A simple, debossed card from Calvin Klein Collection
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Marni's brown cardboard envelope was contrasted with a bright canary yellow invitation
Marni
The push and pull effect of the embossing / debossing and gloss / matte detailing on Jil Sander's invitation pack nicely marked the German designer's return to her namesake label
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Prada's invitation pack referenced the linear architecture of the Spring show space
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Prada
A craft-focused suede card from Bally, with a stitched border
Bally
Featuring a simple die-cut logo, Gucci's card was held together with a magnetic strip
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Notice the reflection of the Gucci logo on the mirrored gold surface
Giorgio Armani also held its invitation together with a magnet this season - concealing it discreetly in a leather strap
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Giorgio Armani
Z Zegna lined its invitation sleeve and card with moss green textured canvas
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A decadent gold mirrored nugget from Alexander McQueen
Stare long enough at Fendi's grid of die-cut squares and you'll notice its show details hiding underneath
Fendi
A perfectly symmetrical landscape from Dolce & Gabbana
Over in London, Christopher Raeburn sent out this nostalgic toy parachute to mark his 'Deploy' collection for Spring
Christopher Raeburn
A colourful marbled foam offering from Topman Design
Martine Rose also chose foam to feature in her invitation, machine-stitching a thin later of brown tracing paper on top for contrast
A black and white photograph of a textured wooden floor gave a touch of understated elegance to Margaret Howell's invitation
Taken on David Waddington's iPhone, this witty image fronted the invitation for the Fashion East menswear installations at London's Carlton Gardens
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All aboard: Azimut moor a yacht in the heart of MilanWith Azimut's Mooring by the Moon, Michele De Lucchi and AMDL Circle provide insight into the philsophy of the Seadeck Series with an immersive installation at Bagni Misteriosi
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A low-energy farmhouse provides a rural escape in North CarolinaThis low-energy farmhouse is a net zero architectural re-set for a Californian client, an East Coast relocation for a more engaged and low-key lifestyle
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Objects Are By unite creatives with artisans to create a new world of product designMilan-based brand Studio Objects Are By is introducing a novel idea to the design process. They're asking: What if you let an artist, an actor or a chef moonlight as a product designer?
