Although PFW Men’s might have been dominated by Virgil Abloh’s second foray as head of Louis Vuitton Men’s, serving a purple and grey hued Michael Jackson (and America) themed collection, there were plenty of other highlights (and some lowlights…) to keep us from getting bored.
A Tale of Two Virgils
Left: Photo courtesy of OFF White Right: Photo courtesy of Louis Vuitton
Virgil Abloh is the reigning king of Men’s fashion in Paris, with both his Off-White and Louis Vuitton runways taking centre stage. For both collections, Abloh pumped up the volume, serving oversized suiting, but that’s where the similarities end. Whereas the French heritage house dove into Americana for Abloh’s second collection, featuring an array of stars and stripes motifs as well as Michael Jackson-themed pieces, meanwhile Off-White which feels like a younger brand, went for a prep-school-inspired looks, styling collard shirts and ties under hoodies and football helmets as accessories.
GmbH streamlined suiting
Photos courtesy of GmbH
The German clubwear brand GmbH ventured into traditional German territory this season as it sent high-shine navy and white suits down the runway, printed with the brand’s hammer and pick logo. To offset the traditional pieces, the Berlin-based designers decided to forgo the classic button-up in favour of activewear-style shirts and zip-up sweaters.
Acne Studios brought counter-culture cool
Photos courtesy of Acne Studios
Between the fringe-bottom knitwear and the different shades of electric-coloured snake print, Acne Studios sent down a vibrant collection with a bold counter-culture theme pumping through its veins.
Life after Calvin Klein
Photos courtesy of Raf Simons
Less than a month after Raf Simons walked away from Calvin Klein – leaving the brand without a New York show – he came out of seclusion to show his eponymous label in Paris. The collection was dignified with long ankle-length coats, and the occasionally exposed knee patch. Although the designer says the collection was wrapped up before he decided to leave Calvin Klein, the rebellious “Burning Down the House” knee patches felt a bit pointed.
Birkenstocks go Fashion
Birkenstocks appear to be getting the Croc treatment as Valentino and Rick Owens both unveiled their versions of the German sandal this fashion week. The Owens’ version, which was part of his pop-up at the French department store, Le Bon Marché, featured a reimagining of the shoes’ classic metal buckle-closure with Velcro and plastic push-buckles.
Celine still looks like Saint Laurent
Hedi Slimane debuted the first menswear show for Celine at Paris. It did not feel as out-of-place as his first womenswear collection for SS19 –which shocked fans of the brand by introducing tight and short silhouettes that felt more reminiscent of Slimane’s previous designs at the helm of Saint Laurent, rather than the feminist aesthetic Céline under Pheobe was known for – but it failed to feel new. The skinny men’s tailoring felt similar to what he was celebrated for at Dior in the early noughts, while the English rockstar hair felt very Saint Laurent.