5 Things to Expect from Paris Fashion Week Men's SS27 From the controversy surrounding the Louis Vuitton show to Celine's first menswear show

After a Milan Fashion Week where excitement was in short supply but sunshine was abundant, it is now Paris Fashion Week's turn to unfold under the sign of the terrible canicule that has already driven droves of Parisians to plunge into the romantic (but dirty?) waters of Canal St. Martin. This edition's calendar holds no enormous surprises or incredible debuts; it is rather a reaffirmation of the existence of a very well-established Parisian scene of more or less indie designers, ranging from the now-classic Egonlab and Louis Gabriel Nouchi to Japanese talents — this year joined by SOSHIOTSUKI — to expatriate designers such as Rick Owens and Willy Chavarria.

Here, then, are the 5 things to expect from Paris Fashion Week Men's SS27.

1. Louis Vuitton vs. university students

The Louis Vuitton menswear show, designed by Pharrell Williams, will be held tonight on the great lawn of the Cité Internationale Universitaire in southern Paris and, for the occasion, the campus has been "privatised" through works that began in May and triggered fierce protests, as Glitz reports. Students, researchers and artists have created a petition that has already gathered over 1,300 signatures, after both Victoria Beckham last March and Loewe in October had already occupied the same lawn, causing damage to the turf. Residents and trade unions accused the foundation's administration of a lack of transparency and of granting excessive access to private events, a practice that was nonetheless justified by the need to generate revenue following eight-million-euro cuts in public funding.

2.      Dior Disco?

A new season and a new menswear show for Jonathan Anderson's Dior. Expectations are obviously high, and everyone is wondering what the inspiration will be for this new collection. After the menswear seen both in the recent Dior Cruise 2027 show in Los Angeles and the «game of unbridled associations» of the men's show in late January, we truly have no idea what the talented creative director has in store for his audience. Admittedly, his womenswear seems to have a more cohesive look than his menswear so far, but for that very reason the show we will see on Wednesday morning — moved to the morning precisely because of the excessive heat — feels intriguing. The invitation was a disco-ball-shaped charm: has Anderson been struck by disco fever?

3.      Dries Van Noten

Since Julian Klausner arrived at Dries Van Noten, the brand has found itself in a rare state of grace. Continuity with the work of the founder — now retired from the spotlight, though still involved in the brand's decisions — has been greatly respected by Van Noten's young protégé, who has also brought to the new collections a sensibility of his own, always capable of blending with the aesthetic that preceded him, which is perhaps one of the most complex and delicate to replicate in fashion.

4.      SOSHIOTSUKI's first Paris show

Born in 1990 and a graduate of the legendary Bunka Fashion College, Soshi Otsuki founded his brand in 2016, quickly becoming the youngest designer ever nominated for the LVMH Prize in 2019 — though he only won it this year. In January, his brand, which has since become a small cult and has even forged a collaboration with Zara, made its runway debut at Pitti Immagine Uomo in January as Guest Designer. Now the brilliant oversized menswear tailoring designer is landing in Paris, and he is the true new addition of the season.

5.      Celine by Michael Rider's first menswear show

We had not heard of Michael Rider before his debut at Celine, and in just a few seasons he has become the most quietly cool creative director in all of Paris, much to everyone else's chagrin. His Celine is fun, wearable and possesses a playful sense of volume, decoration and colour that makes his designs absolutely vital and dynamic, while remaining relatively classic. Following the extraordinary success of last season's menswear presentation, the brand had the great foresight to give its men's line a full show, and it will be the one we watch most closely this season.