We’ll always have Paris: five top menswear trends from the catwalks
In the wake of the recent terror attacks on Parisian landmarks, the autumn/winter 2016 menswear shows were more than ever a celebration of youth culture, togetherness and diversity
November’s deadly terror attacks across the French capital have affected tourism and retailing, but the creativity of its fashion houses is undimmed. We picked out the top trends from Paris Men’s Fashion Week.
Back to school
The quest for youth was palpable in Paris, exemplified in the collections by Dior Homme, Valentino and Hermès. At Valentino, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli did what they do best: mix-matching a range of cultural references, memories and emblems – think boy scout vs. punk or classic vs. tribal, introduced with abstract statements such as “adventure as a self examination” and “into the wild”. Kris Van Assche at Dior Homme presented on a skater park set, his collection featuring outdoor and streetwear-inspired looks. At Hermès, Véronique Nichanian maintained that house’s reputation for craftsmanship, her standout looks including details such as shark fang prints on calfskin bolide bags, pullovers with eye-popping Steeplechase stripe prints, and multicoloured scarves with exotic prints.
Techno and the Love Parade
Glenn Martens, Y/Project’s creative director, took over the brand from Yohan Serfaty almost two years ago and this season followed his own intuition twhile respecting Serfaty’s legacy – think gender-bending elements, 90s pop and techno, a bit of Matrix, some white trash and a lot of party. Umit Benan, for his part, was in for another kind of adventure as he looked to East Asia. Benan paid homage to Tokyo, mixing and matching traditional Japanese garments and fits with this season’s trendy techno elements. Elsewhere, Maison Margiela’s men were on a mission to “find humanity and acknowledge the machine”, its show notes read. In other words, Margiela’s show conjured love in an industrial age, with a heavy techno, Love Parade-influenced beat accompanying a show full of interesting takes on outerwear, which came in deconstructed, stone-washed, cut and shredded styles.
Punk’s not dead
