Individuality Shines At Paris Men’s Shows – WWD

PARIS — A party mood swept through the Paris men’s season, further lifting spirits as retailers flocked to the shows, eager to resume in-person meetings — and actually feel the clothing.

“It’s been great to see a return to live shows, and refreshing to have the chance to be in closer proximity to the creative energy,” said Joseph Brunner, men’s wear buyer at Browns in London.

Embracing the festive atmosphere, a number of labels pushed rave and clubbing looks, lively and varied, allowing ample room for individuality — and aiming to satisfy the urge to let loose.

“I would say that happiness and partying are key words for spring, summer 2022,” remarked Andrea Selvi, men’s buying manager at LuisaViaRoma.

“The collections spoke volumes in getting back to a place where people can be free to express themselves and love life,” added Sam Lobban, senior vice president of designer and new concepts at Nordstrom.

Buyers across the spectrum were wowed by the Paris-meets-Texas aesthetic offered by Dior — enthusiasm for the Kim Jones and Travis Scott creative effort was resounding, feeding fans of the pop-culture icon and the fashion crowd alike.

Casablanca was also singled out for capturing the festive mood, with silky pastels and slick, souvenir jackets.

Other key trends highlighted by retailers included gradient colors, earthy tones and neons, fluid suits, sleeveless tops, sensual knits and outdoor gear.

Here, a roundup of reactions from retailers:

Laurent Coulier, men’s wear buying and merchandising director, Galeries Lafayette:

Favorite collections: Courrèges, for its minimalist offer for men that I find very relevant this season — this is the kind of silhouette we’re after these days. Hed Mayner for the handsome volumes that is his signature.
EgonLab for its bold mixes; Casablanca for a collection inspired by Japan and the Memphis movement.

Top trends: Definitely the flared trouser (Courrèges, Dior), a very strong trend of party and clubbing outfits (Loewe, Lanvin) and a lot of new volumes (Dries Van Noten, Lemaire, Y/Project).

Must-have item: All of the jackets from Courrèges, knitwear from Isabel Marant, Dior sneakers worn with flared trousers.

Best presentation: Louis Vuitton with its cinematic, graphic and dreamlike video.

 

Andrea Selvi, men’s buying manager, LuisaViaRoma:

Favorite collections: Dior — the result of the “conversation” between Travis Scott and Kim Jones is amazing, since we saw a fresh palette from pastel to acid colors; the silhouettes are fluid; the suits are finished with sporty details, and T-shirts have hand-painted and embroidered motifs created by the music superstar. Hermès — the collection is a balance between restriction and exuberance, showing a fantastic mix of fabrics, from linen to technical ones on the same cloth.

Top trends: Paris collections show an intelligent mix between tailoring and sportswear. We saw a push again for the jacket mixing with informal pants.

Must-have item: Comfortable and fluid trousers and shorts and, of course, the Louis Vuitton Air Force 1, which will be the most searched-for sneaker by collectors.

Best presentation: Louis Vuitton: This time, Virgil Abloh presented a movie that touched on themes of rave culture, martial arts and gender with a fantastic soundtrack.

Talent scouting: Cool TM: The designer, Thomas Monet, continues to surprise me with a new mix of gender-fluid silhouettes; Uniforme Paris, which is combining utility wear with streetwear comfort using plastic-free materials.

 

Sam Lobban, senior vice president of designer and new concepts, Nordstrom:

Favorite collections: Louis Vuitton, Dior, Dries Van Noten, Casablanca and Homme Plissé Issey Miyake.

Top trends: Parties, raves and free-spirited utopia were all themes that featured heavily in our favorite Paris collections. The collections spoke volumes in getting back to a place where people can be free to express themselves and love life. There were lots of nods to the nightlife party scene, be that with the whole range of references Virgil Abloh put into the Louis Vuitton collection (big shout out to Goldie), Charaf Tajer’s Japanese and Memphis Milano après-sport club life at Casablanca, or Kim Jones and Travis Scott’s collaboration to bring to life the Texan, Cactus Jack version of a Dior utopia. I can’t wait to see how crazy the world goes to get ahold of a pair of the Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1s. We also really liked the more subtle color, shape and fabric explorations at Homme Plissé Issey Miyake, Jil Sander and Undercover. Last but not least, we thought both Wales Bonner and 4SDesigns collections were particularly strong — easy and wearable, in very different ways, with both collections built around their own respective cultural landscapes.

Joseph Brunner, men’s wear buyer, Browns:

Favorite collections: Y/Project, Ernest W. Baker, Hed Mayner, Namacheko and Kim Jones’ codesigned collection with Travis Scott for Dior.

Top trends: Continuing to see fluid silhouettes and full looks in one color, from a calming shade of pastel pink to striking neon green at Dior and bright orange at Dries Van Noten.

Must-have items: Namacheko leather jacket, GmbH feather coats and Y/Project cowboy denim.

Best presentation: Opting to shoot on podiums in city streets instead of a runway, Dries Van Noten showcasing oversize silk suiting and billowy summer shirts that captures the sense of freedom people are looking for post-pandemic.

Talent scouting: Ernest W. Baker

Daniel Todd, buying manager, Mr Porter:

Favorite collections: Loewe, Dries Van Noten, Officine Générale

Top trends: Earthy tones mixed with bright neons, free-flowing silhouettes across suiting, genderless continues to grow, with a deep inspiration of “just go and have fun.”

Must-have item: Graphic print shirts from Dries Van Noten.

Best presentation: Dior and Loewe

 

Federica Montelli, head of fashion, La Rinascente: 

Favorite collections: Dior, Loewe, Burberry, Casablanca, Jil Sander, Dries Van Noten and Isabel Marant.

Top trends: A fun/party attitude juxtaposed with a more relaxed post-pandemic vibe. Both confirm the optimism with which we will approach next year’s summer season. Volumes were roomy and fluid, but not too oversize, slightly slimmer than the past season due to the ’70s to ’80s inspiration that you could find in some shows with sports-retro looks. The Y2K aesthetic, full of acid-pop color was the biggest newness, with gradient colors quickly becoming a must (Louis Vuitton, Loewe and Casablanca). Soft pastels, rich browns and cream complete the palette for a summer luxe and laid-back look, which is the way to go for spring 2022.

Must-have item: Summer knits are still strong for sweaters and polos; roomy, short-sleeved shirts, destructed blazers and bombers/coach jackets are staying. Sleeveless tops and jackets are one of the newest trends, spanning from knitted vests (Dior) to shirts and trenches (Burberry). A sporty attitude was more evident than in Milan, with several tracksuits popping up, the must-have being from Casablanca to the monogrammed Lanvin version. The shoes spanned from high-top sneakers to colorful summer boots (Loewe), to padded sandals (Dries Van Noten). Bucket hats and resin sunglasses, both of them in fun color renditions, were another must.

Best presentation: Dior for its oneiric and fun set design in its first live show for men’s after the pandemic, and Loewe for its sustained effort in producing a “slow approach” to appreciating the collection, via printed material that has been a leitmotiv in these pandemic times. The paper look book and the books, with photographer David Sims and painter Florian Krewer, propel you in Jonathan Anderson’s imaginative world more than many other physical shows do.

 

Emmanuel de Bayser, co-owner, The Corner Berlin: 

Favorite collections: Dior, Loewe, Jil Sander, Rick Owens, Casablanca, Courrèges and Burberry.

Top trends: We do not believe in the diktat of trends; we believe in individuality. Each of our customers, thanks to his own identity, can choose from the designers we propose [for] his own trend. But as a whole, our customers are buying into soft chic looks — moving away from strict tailoring or jogging pants. Crisp, soft oversize pieces with quality fabrics and distinctive cuts.

Must-have items: Shorts, sleeveless pieces, soft tailoring, layering and sneakers.

Best presentation: Dior [for] the very creative set-up of the show, the clever, cool collab with Travis Scott, and the diversity of products and looks.

Talent scouting: I like the new energy of Courrèges, and Casablanca is still very cool after a few seasons.

Justin Berkowitz, men’s fashion director, Bloomingdale’s:

Favorite collections: Louis Vuitton, Dries Van Noten, Isabel Marant, Officine Generale

Top trends: Rave, psychedelia, and the post-pandemic celebration was a big throughline this week in Paris: from idiosyncratic styling to neons and acid color, checkerboard, wave prints and ombrés, and longer and fuller pant silhouettes. The freedom of expression gained by dressing for only ourselves while at home during the pandemic is translating into a freer, more individual approach for what we’ll be wearing as we come out of it, and a theme that will be reflected in our Bloomingdale’s assortment next year. Novelty knitwear also looked great, as seen with intarsias, jacquards, sweater vests and cardigans. Printed shirts likewise continue to be omnipresent. And lastly, to counterbalance some of the fun, sleeker, utilitarian items felt strong such as leather and nylon jackets with bolder metal hardware and large patch pockets.

Must-have item: Louis Vuitton’s Nike Air Force 1 collaboration.

Best presentation: The variety of formats this season offered plenty of options. Dior’s return to the runway with the Travis Scott collaboration delivered a pretty incredible set and a return to pre-pandemic showmanship. Also particularly stunning was Alyx’s video show, shot on the black sand beaches of Stromboli.

Talent scouting: Two collections shown by American talents stood out this past week: Reese Cooper and 4S Designs by Angelo Urrutia.

 

Louis DiGiacomo, senior vice president and general merchandise manager of men’s, Saks Fifth Avenue:

Favorite collections: Dior’s collaboration with Travis Scott was definitely a standout. The collection felt well-balanced and directional for the season, with relaxed silhouettes and sophisticated casualwear translatable for the outdoors and the workplace. Kim Jones also delivered an incredible lineup of accessories, including hats, bags, sunglasses and jewelry.

Top trends: This year, everything is about outdoor comfort. Last year, there was a focus on indoor comfort — hoodies, sweatshirts, T-shirts. Now we’re seeing a strong transition to outdoor comfort, with relaxed silhouettes, lighter fabrications, and looser fits that can be worn outdoors at social gatherings and in the workplace. We saw a ton of versatile jackets on the runways, including soft tailoring, bombers and safari jackets, perfect for transitioning from outdoor activities to the office. Shorts and camp shirts also dominated the runways. From short shorts, Bermuda shorts and elevated basketball shorts, shorts were dressier and more versatile this season. Camp shirts appeared as an upgrade to last season’s knitwear, being worn under sport coats, bombers and all of this season’s versatile jackets. Lastly, we saw an infusion of dusty colors — toned down pinks, lilacs and yellows. This felt like a diversion from the vibrant, punchy colors we saw last season.

Must-have item: Versatile jacket and shorts.

Best presentation: Dries Van Noten. The indoor/outdoor presentation came to life in a way that made you feel like you were actually there experiencing the fashion in real life.

Talent scouting: Grace Wales Bonner continues to deliver a new and fresh way for men to dress up without compromising on tailoring, with beautifully tailored wide-leg trousers and linen elements. Charaf Tajer’s collection for Casablanca was visually stunning. His clever use of color gradients and ’80s-inspired graphic elements resulted in a fun and exciting collection. Martine Rose continues to impress, with each item in her collection offering an unexpected twist while remaining approachable for the modern man. It’s been exciting to see her football [soccer] references come to life in her designs and become a signature element of her brand.

Franck Nauerz, men’s director, Le Bon Marche:

Favorite collections: Dior, Zegna, OAMC. Those brands have found the balance between bringing an innovative silhouette with outdoor and technical details, without compromising the elegance of a well tailored men’s wear wardrobe. Comfort, amazing color palette, strong point of view and a modern take on men’s silhouettes.

Top trends: Flowers continue to rise up inside the men’s wardrobe. Pastel and neon color palette were very present this season and brought fresh energy to the collections.

Must-have item: Pastel or neon suit, sleeveless knitwear, and of course any piece from the Dior/Travis Scott collection.

Best presentations: Dior brought back the thrill of a life runway show. An amazing collection with the full stage experience and the right amount of Hype. Zegna keeps bringing freshness with that mix of outside and inside presentation, while staying authentic to its fabric roots.

Talent scouting: Wales Bonner: The collections are becoming more mature, better curated and still manage to keep that one of kind silhouette. Casablanca: In just a few seasons, the brand was able to find its unique voice and imagery into the men’s wear arena. Fresh, elegant and very desirable pieces. Valette Studio, for its first season, the level of maturity of the collection was very impressive. A strong genderless silhouette, with a very well-constructed garment.

Margaux Lataste, men’s wear, luxury and designer buyer, Printemps:

Favorite collections: Dior, Dries Van Noten, Namacheko, Casablanca, Louis Vuitton.

Top trends: Heritage, roots and know-how, retro, vintage and the ’90s, bright colors, pastel colors, tie-dye and new tailoring.

Must-have item: A bomber, varsity or leather jackets and any bright or fluo color item expressing joy, partying and fun!

Best presentation: Dries Van Noten in the whole city of Antwerp.

Talent scouting: Namacheko, Courrèges, Casablanca and the Lacoste x Bleu Mode collaboration.

 

Masayuki Takahashi, director/buyer, and Takahiro Toyota, buyer, of GR8:

Favorite collections: Courrèges, Wales Bonner, JW Anderson, Casablanca, Namacheko and Rick Owens.

Top trends: Tight and colorful styles inspired by the ’60s and ’70s. Set-up styles with a uniform tone all over, including hats. Resort style with lots of wide trousers, sandals and shirts.

Must-have item: Vitamin-colored handbags, resort shirts, graphic knitwear, sandals with voluminous soles and straps, and denim trousers in various finishings.

Best presentation: Wales Bonner. The images and sounds made me feel nostalgic, even though I knew I was in a foreign country. The content of the collection was not too different in a good way, with colors that match the sunset, and it reminded me of my time in Morocco between the Paris collections, which eased my anxiety about the corona disaster.

Talent scouting: I didn’t find any new brands in the Paris collections. However, I was inspired by the brands that we carry at GR8, because they have a very aggressive approach. Casablanca in particular made a big impact, we are very much looking forward to the opportunity to see samples at the exhibition in Japan.

Bruce Pask, men’s fashion director, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus:

Favorite collections: Charaf Tajer paid tribute to Japan and the sport of table tennis in his standout Casablanca Paris collection that was filled with his signature ornately illustrated printed silk shirts, cabana sets and light-hearted, pastel-colored tailoring influenced by the Memphis design movement. This is fashion made for having fun, captured slickly in his film “Masao San” and the spirit was catchy. Kim Jones’ Dior collaboration with Travis Scott was the hot ticket in town, with a lot to love in this collection that was an ode to Scott’s Houston heritage and Monsieur Dior’s visit to Texas in 1947, his first trip to the U.S. Flared tailored track pants and full cut shorts were paired with trim tailored jackets made for evening, knits with a reworked oblique logo, one-of-a-kind George Condo painted shirts, and a great new ’90s-inspired skate sneaker. Just a few of the many sure to be in demand pieces from this terrific collection. Pierre Mahéo’s beautifully styled runway show for Officine Générale was full of French charm and a polish that felt fresh and perfectly seasonal. This rather timeless wardrobe-driven collection featured great easy pieces like short zip jackets, relaxed suit separates, and great leather and suede outerwear lightly layered with untucked and unbuttoned shirts and crewneck knits paired with crisp, tailored pants and shorts in fresh stone, pale blue, olive and lavender color stories. In a Loewe collection heavily referencing club culture, Jonathan Anderson spoke about going out and having fun in a film presenting an eye-popping collection with layers of bright neon paired with corresponding vivid signature leather accessories, disco-ball sparkles, and easy, loose shapes made for the dance floor.

Top trends: Shorts in all shapes were seen in most collections, from dressy tailored versions to cargo pocketed utility shorts and cropped cabana sets. A colorful printed silk shirt is a must this season, especially short-sleeved styles with elaborate and ornate graphics and illustrations. Monochromatic dressing unified layered looks in solo color stories from head to toe that looked slick and sophisticated, seen at Officine Générale. Slouchy pants, from flares to full cut, grounded looks in a relaxed, louche mood at Dior, Dries Van Noten, Rick Owens and Wales Bonner. Pale tailoring in warm and cool tones looked fresh and seasonal in jackets and soft suit separates from Officine Générale and Wales Bonner.

Must-have item: Any one of the many great pairs of shorts seen throughout the collections. A colorful printed silk shirt is a must this season, especially short sleeved styles with elaborate and ornate graphics and illustrations. Charaf Tajer showed an abundance of elaborately illustrated prints in his slick fashion film for the new Casablanca Paris collection, while Dries Van Noten featured matching camp shirts and silky short sets in vivid fluo colors in bold geometrics. The new skate inspired sneaker from Dior.

Best presentation: Kim Jones and Travis Scott’s runway recreation of a red rock canyon with models weaving between giant cacti, tall mushrooms and a monumental faux bleached steer skull was an amazing spectacle that just had to be seen to be believed, the perfect setting for a memorable collaboration collection filled with covetable pieces for the season.

Best presentation: I was completely charmed and actually quite touched by KidSuper designer Colm Dillane’s quirky and surprisingly moving film documenting his quest to make a randomly selected group of strangers’ dreams come true, from skydiving to falling in love and mountain climbing. Colm’s infectious enthusiasm along with his Crayola colored portrait-driven prints and knits were winning. Anthony Alvarez’ Bluemarble show was quirky and fun, with great color and wild pattern creating an uplifting mood to match the enthusiasm of the audience.

Riccardo Tortato, head of buying departments and men’s fashion director, Tsum Moscow and DLT St. Petersburg; fashion director, e-commerce, Tsum.ru:

Favorite collections: Hermès and Burberry

Top trends: Summer shorts.

Must-have item: The Hermès man bag.

Best presentation: Real live fashion shows. I support any brand that was able to make a real show in Paris.

Talent scouting: Casablanca.

Joseph Tang, fashion director, Holt Renfrew:

Favorite collections: The Paris collections truly felt invigorated and energized with a newfound attitude and style that has projected a new definition of men’s fashion. Kim Jones’ vision at Dior continues to push boundaries, this time with the added influence that Travis Scott offered to the collection. With Antwerp as the backdrop, the Dries Van Noten show brought us straight to the hub of inspiration — showcased quite literally through the prints and graphics of the collection. JW Anderson’s take on rave culture and the intersection of the two artists’ perspectives of the collection continued to promote the new definition of men’s wear through neon T-shirts and sequin tops.

Top trends: The overall tone of the season was “get out and party” and “wear whatever makes you feel your best”! Gone are the days of the formulaic men’s versus women’s shows — if Paris showed us anything it’s that there are no longer specific rules or styles for each gender. The new effortless silhouettes we saw from brands like Hermès, Casablanca and Paul Smith had us dreaming of an escape to where we’d be able to wear these clothes. Optimistic candy color hues and prints dominated the runways, appearing on crisp shirting or the new skinny flared pant. We didn’t see many suits or ties — for spring it’s all about the new take on casual with an unstructured jacket paired with looser pants and sneakers.

Must-have item: Travis Scott’s version of the Dior Saddlebag, worn with the skinny flared pant; a Dries Van Noten printed anorak; any of Loewe’s innovative cactus leather pieces, and the intarsia knit vest from Jil Sander.

Best presentation: The fashion film is the new presentation model for showcasing the collections, and we really enjoyed the ‘70s spirit seen at Casablanca. Virgil Abloh’s collection for Louis Vuitton was a “cultural tapestry” that juxtaposed traditional with modern takes on men’s fashion.

Talent scouting: While travel is not in the cards for us this season, we continue to discover new brands and designer talent through digital showroom profiles and by leveraging social media. We intend on expanding our brand matrix this season but are still navigating through market.

Masuda Shinsaku, director and buyer, United Arrows and Sons:

Top trends: Designers are adapting and imagining foreign scenery and culture due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. At the same time, they’re rediscovering the depth of domestic culture and expressing it in their own ways.

Must-have item: For men thinking about dressing up, a belt is the key for next season, I think. People are going back toward the classics, like wearing Ralph Lauren-style looks, but an unexpected belt can create a new classic silhouette.

Best presentation: Louis Vuitton by Virgil Abloh and Casablanca by Charaf Tajer

Talent scouting: Kidsuper — the movie was just fascinating.

Bosse Mhyr, director of women’s wear and men’s wear, Selfridges:

Favorite collection: Louis Vuitton was magnificent this season. The collection was the perfect example of Virgil Abloh’s incredible creativity and how he has managed to adapt his vision to fit beautifully within the world of Vuitton. The casting, the narrative, music — everything came together so naturally, it was a real treat. I predict the Nike x LV Air Force 1 sneakers will be on the top of everyone’s wish list next season.

Top trends: Sportswear, color blocking and resort beach wear.

Must-have item: No questions here — a pair of the Nike x LV sneakers. Ideally a high top. Or actually any of the 21 styles shown. Social media was going into overdrive with photos flooding the feeds.
 
Best presentation: Louis Vuitton, Casablanca, Rick Owens and Wales Bonner had all stand our presentations.

Eric Young, founder, Le Monde de SHC Shanghai:

Favorite collections: Dior, Rick Owens, GmbH, B+ Umit Benan.

Top trends: Loose cut with good tailoring suits as seen at Dior men.

Best Presentation: Dior, Hermès, Phipps

Talent Scouting: Lazoschmid, GmbH.