Paris pulse: what the cool guy next door must wear next summer
Chinese designer Sean Suen and Japan’s Junya Watanabe’s urban everyday looks contrasted with the party-hard bling offerings from Rei Kawakubo as major houses roll out their kitsch vs normcore, 1950s vs ’80s menswear collections
After London and Milan, it was Paris’ turn to showcase the latest men’s spring/summer 2018 collections and style face-offs such as “kitsch vs normcore” and “’50s vs ’80s” were predominant over five days. Here are some menswear must-haves for next summer:
Kitsch was king in Milan – Dolce & Gabbana’s love-themed catwalk setting and heavily embellished dolce vita menswear. In Paris, Rei Kawakubo’s Comme des Garcons Homme Plus show took kitsch to another level.
Known for her intellectual take on fashion, Kawakubo’s collections were all about disco and party-hard bling. Her sequin-covered models danced on stage wearing 1980s-flavoured menswear with an edgy spin and disco wigs.
Kris Van Assche offered his take on kitsch for next summer while celebrating his 10th year at the creative helm of Dior Homme. There was a dreamy and youthful “coming-of-age” spirit to his collection, that switched between late ’80s-inspired evening wear and athleisure-flavoured pieces and accessories.
Standouts were Van Assche’s too-cool-for-school basketball shirts with a reversed “Paris” print; the “Christian Dior Atelier” printed tuxedo; the wide-legged, sporty suit trousers; and photo-printed bomber jackets.
The fashion industry has for the past few seasons been mimicking and appropriating lower-middle-class aesthetics and subcultures in an apparent rejection of elitism. This has translated into a style that has become distinctive by being indistinctive – “normcore”.
But why is an industry that tugs at the purse strings of a select wealthy few so obsessed with the so-called “ordinary people”? In Paris, Demna Gvasalia had the answer: because it sells.
The founder of Vetements and creative director of Balenciaga, Gvasalia has even designed Balenciaga-branded bicycles this season. These are already being sold at exorbitant prices in Paris’ much-hyped concept store Colette. Balenciaga’s latest collection featured rugby and polo shirts; slouchy granddad jackets and parkas; shorts, work pants and jeans; and supermarket-style flat leather bags.
Sean Suen offered a slightly romantic and grown-up menswear collection with clean cuts and lines in tonal colours.
Celebrating the late ’50s with an ’80s postmodernist twist – and more specifically the sexy librarian and reporter look – Dries Van Noten showcased his men’s offering at the former offices of the French daily newspaper Libération. The Belgian offered one of his most subdued collections, contrasting with his signature opulent colourings, patterns and embellishments and featuring functional and desirable ready-to-wear that combined matt and glossy treatments with fluid and structured cuts.
