Give me five: the best 5 moments of PFW
Paris Men Fashion Week FW17
Fashion
January 24th, 2017
January 24th, 2017
French Fashion Week is over. Men's fashion leaves Paris, now it’s Haute Couture time. In the eyes remain few images that overlap on one another: ravers, modern dandy that look like Sherlock Holmes grandchildren, emulating Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, tartan fans who seem to come from the far west, rock stars, models with wig on the head sewn on clothes and toys. The best deals? Read here!
#1 Balenciaga
Balenciaga opens this latest edition of the Paris fashion week. After the successful debut last year as creative director of the French brand, Demna Gvasalia returns with a collection dedicated to office clothing, reinvented through sports elements and oversized shapes. At the sixth floor of the LycÈe Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague, in a gray location, similar to a meeting room with lots of conference calls chairs and techno soundtrack, the Georgian talent offers a look on his idea of style: long and classic coats, bomber jackets, sweatshirts, jackets, tailored suits, T-shirt, baggy or super tight pants worn with the shirt open, pieces of pajamas, padded maxi scarf, motorcycle boots and sneakers with triple sole. Gvasalia as usual plays with volumes, backs opposed to the narrow waist, creating garments for an informal businessman with details that pay homage to Bernie Sanders, an independent member affiliated with the Democratic Party, and to his campaign for the presidency, both for the selection of colors, red and blue, and for the use of the logo's font which now becomes Balenciaga. Balenciaga and Demna Gvasalia for president?
A walk around the Big Apple becomes the inspiration for the latest Louis Vuitton collection. Kim Jones, artistic director of the brand, walking through NY streets and eras, through the seventies, eighties and early nineties, through the works and the look of "Artists and musicians, friends and heroes". There are overlaps of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Julian Schnabel's pajamas, Keith Haring's street style, cool details like Robert Mapplethorpe's hat, Andy Warhol's Pop Art, stylish rework by Daniel "Dapper Dan" Day, but also hip-hop, the decadence of Studio 54 or the '70s the late Art Deco style trend evoked by Louis Vuitton graphic, imaginary advertising from the 30s, decorating silk pajamas. All united by the strength of the LV logo and collaboration with Supreme. The French brand and US mix their two souls, creating collection that includes apparel, accessories, jewelry and evokes a metropolitan informal, where the coolness to win. Pop culture and street culture blend, hybrid pattern in the colors that appeal, as the deep red beautiful who, along with black and brown, enhances the baby carriers, the travel bags, backpacks, scarves, baseball jackets and vests. It's a unique collaboration, instantly became viral on the internet and on social, "a global mass phenomenon, we function perfectly together", yet another object that, touched by Supreme, turns to gold. Because that the American streetwear brand is an unstoppable force of the trade that has conquered the likes of David Lynch's caliber, Larry Clark or Kate Moss and creates collections that exhausted in a few seconds. So remember this date: as of July 17, 2017, in select stores Louis Vuitton, and in temporary locations you can buy designer clothes and LV Supreme. A curiosity on the Paris show? The label of Monsieur Vuitton has become the first to share his fashion show, view looked in the front row by David Beckham, Travis Scott and Usher in a live streaming video on Periscope 360 with 160,000 viewers.
Dries Van Noten shows are always spectacular, but never overflowing, excessive. And during the fashion week just ended in Paris this fascinating simplicity is sublimated, it becomes even more obvious, more important, starting from the choice of the set. The designer chooses an underground tunnel at Porte de Versailles, the place already used for autumn-winter 1993-94 fashion shows and autumn-winter 1996-97 women, key years of the Antwerp Six, and colored entirely of red, from floor to ceiling. On the catwalk, on the hit "Lust for Life" sung by Iggy Pop, the Nordic essentiality walks hand in hand with the celebration of male classic fabrics. Van Noten plays with essential silhouette and important volumes. The shoulders become very wide, droopy, in duvets, in double-breasted jackets, coats in the years '40, ankle-length and with great collar that is worn with ease along with combat boots and blue jeans. The extra large sweaters with embroidered blade winks at Peru, the quilted sweatshirts are decorated with images of horses, flowers climb on the body. In addition to these and tartan hints, no frills, just red and white flares to play down the severity of a collection dominated by dark colors.
#4 OFF-WHITE
Virgilio Abloh has a unique talent: the ability, as many argue, to bridge the divide between streetwear, high fashion and contemporary pop culture, bringing together for his show a unique mix of Vogue editors, rappers and social networks personalities. For the autumn-winter 2017 collection, the Kanye West's creative director recreates within the UNESCO headquarters the atmosphere of a wood with thin birch trees and fallen leaves. This romantic and surreal set is animated by a group of models wearing garments from diverse style. It's a very contemporary mix of high and low pieces, of outerwear faux fur, velvet quilts, extra long mohair sweaters, wide leg pants, Lurex socks, checkerboard patterns, doves and leaves' gold. Inspiration? The last election campaign U.S., during which Donald Trump has defined climate change as a "hoax”.
Heron Preston made his debut for the first time with a fashion show at Paris Fashion Week. "For You, The World", the title of the collection, reflects man's personal style and consists of a few, but interesting, pieces: hoodies, utilitarian pants, bomber jackets, tees, turtlenecks, jumpsuits. The eclectic designer explores the conventions of workwear, between luxury, athleisure and street wear, including black and vibrant shades of orange, including camo patterns and herons prints. A curiosity? All dresses are made in Italy with a focus on the environment and ecology, although not totally green.
