Paris men’s fashion week begins with Vetements ‘no-show’

Paris men’s fashion week kicks off Wednesday with its reigning enfant terrible Demna Gvasalia again cocking a snook at convention by staging a “no-show”.

The brains behind the ultra hip Vetements label -- whose voluminous hoodies and re-cut Levi jeans sell almost as fast as spinners -- said he was bored with tired old catwalk traditions.

“I got bored... fashion shows are not the best tool,” he told Vogue earlier this month.

“We did the show in the sex club, the (Chinese) restaurant, the church... It’s become repetitive and exhausting. We will do something when there’s the time and the need for it. It will be more like a surprise,” he added.

As well as doing away with a conventional catwalk show, Gvasalia is also dispensing with the need for a new collection every season.

Instead the Georgian-born designer will unveil a selection of “re-editions” of clothes he has already created to buyers and journalists in what his brand termed a “no show”.

That said, Gvasalia’s new spring summer collection for Balenciaga -- for which he also designs -- is the hottest ticket on the opening day of fashion week.

And Demna, as he is known to fashion insiders who struggle to pronounce his surname, may be about to get some competition when it comes to punk attitude.

‘Wasted, entitled fiend’

Five new designers have joined the elite Paris ranks this time, with one of the new kids on the block, American Henri Alexander Levy, no slouch when it comes to provocation and self-promotion.

His brand Enfants Riches Deprimes (“Depressed Rich Kids” in French) counts Courtney Love, Beyonce and Justin Bieber among his customers and Kim Kardashian was snapped wearing one of his punk leather jackets costing US$11,000 (10,000 euros).