Paris Fashion Week A/W 2016 menswear editor’s picks
Paris Fashion Week A/W 2016 menswear editor’s picks
Sacai: For A/W 2016 Chitose Abe continued to advance her mash up aesthetic of fusing different garments and fabric combinations together to hybrid effect. A plush padded velvet shirt peaked from under a voluminous bomber creating a double layer, its collar reimagined as a chunky knitted cowl neck and bottom fringed like a scarf. Elsewhere, a duffle coat came with a cut and paste shearling front. Trousers were slim and hovered above the ankle, while some came with bondage-like straps hanging from the back or were fully knitted. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Umit Benan: This season Umit Benan played homage to Japan and his many visits to Tokyo. A solitary low table with a naked tattooed women covered in sushi lay at the begging of the catwalk awaiting its diners. The references came thick and fast: a judo jacket reimagined in shearling, wide leg fighting trousers fastened at the waist with long martial arts belts and crane motifs embroidered on shirts. As always the Benan chose to show his collection on street cast guys, all of whom heighten the 70s Kung Fu movie mood. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Thom Browne: Multiple picture frames hung suspended and covered in dust sheets, a huge chandelier and two chairs at there centre similarly shrouded was the setting for Thom Brown’s A/W 2016 collection. Models slowly paced weaving in and out of the frames, their faces eerily covered by bowler hats. Each outfit presented was a variation on classic masculine attire: dinner jackets, sturdy overcoats, daytime blazers, formal capes. Sometimes these appeared lightly distressed or coarsely mended. Others were trimmed with fur or encrusted with pearls
AMI: Designer Alexandre Mattiussi sent models down a cobalt blue carpet, sporting silhouettes that mixed relaxed outerwear with refined tailoring. A plum satin puffa was teamed with a double breasted pinstripe suit, whilst a zip up track top was worn underneath a classic peacoat. Looks often appeared in monotone combinations: camel on camel, grey against grey, a medley of blues. As always men and women walked in identical outfits adjusted only in there fit. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Acne Studios: Acne creative director Jonny Johansson looked to Swedish folklore and the nine months he spent in military service where he was given a uniform that dated back to the 1940s to wear. A neat boxy double breasted jacket was teamed with functional workwear trousers, elsewhere a tweed-like woven wool coat was draped with an oversized silk neck chief to folkloric effect. Felt slippers were paired with chunky socks conjuring up a feeling of both decadence and utility. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Rick Owens: Last year he gave us the willies, and this season Rick Owens turned his attention to protection and defense with a collection of covetable cover-ups. Staged in the vast concrete basement of the Palais de Tokyo, Owens’ ’Mastodon’ troupe embody the spirit of the extinct relative of the mammoth that inspired the collection’s name. Photography: Antonio Camera
Cerruti 1881: Newly appointed Creative Director Jason Basmajian’s debut collection for Cerruti 1881 saw the designer explore the original codes of masculine elegance. The introduction of a new tailored silhouette came in the form of two-button suits; straight-cut and double-breasted. A reversible leather jacket and shearling overcoat added a heady dose of luxury, whilst an evening blouson in two-tone jacquard had a sporty elegance. Round-toe derbies and Chelsea boots with a thick commando sole grounded the collection with a modern masculinity
A.P.C: Founder Jean Touitou was inspired by the dressing approach of English eccentrics this season. A tartan scarf clashed with an optical white raincoat and plain shirt worn underneath. Elsewhere a puzzle pattern of paisley clusters and a trippy knit jacquard were designed in collaboration with young graphic designer Pierre-Marie Agin. Knitted ties, beanies and leather key fobs completed the look
Yohji Yamamoto: The Japanese designer began his show with a series of supersize silhouettes where jersey tops were squeezed over padded jackets reversing the notion of inner and outerwear. Snippets of dialogue from the film Stand By Me played throughout alluded to friendship and camaraderie. The end saw Yamamoto take another direction, presenting a medley of jackets with straps that crisscrossed the body alluding to bondage and military webbing. Photography: Elise Toïdé
Comme des Garçons: Feeding a mood of dandyish fragility, three Comme des Garçons models ambled around the Crédit Lyonnais headquarters at once, lingering delicately to the beat of the recurrent tempo. Photography: Antonio Camera
Givenchy: Riccardo Tisci’s Paris show merged his A/W 2016 menswear collection with twelve haute couture women’s looks ahead of the Paris Haute Couture’s kick off this Sunday night. The show it self was born from a number of stimuli that included photographer Franck Marshall’s pictures of heavy metal loving African youths, coined the Botswana Renegrades, fused with a touch of Berlin club-kid, and plenty of Moroccan hues and reptilian textures. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Carven: Barnabé Hardy looked to the late Seventies, early 1980s for inspiration for A/W 2016. This translated as a mix and match wardrobe of items in relaxed fits and fabrics from the era. A duffle coat appeared in textured tartan, as multiple letters spelling out Carven were dotted over a sweater and trousers fell to the ground in puddles over sneakers. Extra long scarves, beanies and leg warmers added the final touches
Ann Demeulemeester: Romance was high on the agenda at Ann Demeulemeester where designer Sébastien Meunier was thinking of a modern day Adonis. Outfits appeared made up of various textural layers with silk, mohair and boiled wool all in the mix. Elsewhere horsehair sprouted from the collar of jackets while blousons came heavily embellished. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Sandro: Ilan Chetrite looked to 1980s Berlin and the industrial landscape of the city for A/W 2016. A denim style jacket was toughened up in black suede while coats came in matt and high shine leather. These were teamed with roll-neck jumpers and wide collar shirts. Sandro’s signature suits featured wide lapels and trousers paired with chunky buckled boots. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
JM Weston: This season JM Weston’s Le Moc’ got an Yves Klein makeover with the launch of a special edition shoe that pays homage to the artist. Appearing in Klein’s iconic blue, two unique installations by Collectif Coin and La Compagnie 14:20 were created in the Weston townhouse to showcase the shoe
Julien David: The Frenchman looked to the iconic dystopian anime film Akira for inspiration this season. Models with beanies or silver spiky hair reminiscent of the film’s anti hero walked in a collection that reimagined Japanese workwear. Bounded denim uniforms appeared in various guises, one featuring a generously cut cape another a knee-length coat
Louis Vuitton: Artist Shinji Ohmaki recreated this billowing Liminal Air Space-Time installation above the Vuitton runway at parc André-Citroën for A/W 2016. Photography: Antonio Camera
Kolor: For A/W 2016, not everything was as it seemed at Kolor. At first glance it was easy to miss the care and attention paid to each garment, but under closer inspection finer details were to be discovered. What appeared as a multi-layered look was actually an all-in-one and a leopard print spot effect was mysteriously flocked into check jackets and trousers. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Valentino: Spotted front row at Valentino: Michel Gaubert’s Muppet mini-me Petit Michel, who bounced from Berlin fashion week to Paris this week. Photography: Antonio Camera
OAMC: Messrs Luke Meier and Arnaud Faeh took to the skies for their debut Paris fashion week presentation. A huge illuminated parachute floated above the models who stood in a regimented line. The chevron shape of migrating birds was used as a quilting motif on jackets and within knitwear. Sharp tailoring was layered with longer length shirts and voluminous outerwear paired with slim cut trousers. Air Force details also ran throughout: shearling collars, camouflage and ruched seam work, reminiscent of a MA-1 bomber, were all present and correct