The style juggernaut returns to Paris this week, with Saint Laurent rejoining the lineup and menswear on a sizzling streak, even when the business stays cautious of financial headwinds.
The altering world of menswear is evident on purple carpets around the globe, the place the likes of Timothee Chalamet and Harry Styles have helped redefine male model, ditching monochrome tuxedos in favour of daring outfits and vibrant colors.
Just final week, Vogue declared that “the evening belonged to menswear” on the Golden Globes, and shops have been reporting unprecedented development within the sector for months.
So the thrill is deafening across the menswear exhibits hitting Paris from Tuesday (Jan 17), boosted by the return of two big hitters in Saint Laurent on Tuesday’s opening evening, and John Galliano’s Maison Margiela closing the week on Sunday (Jan 22).
Saint Laurent has not introduced a males’s present within the official calendar since Belgian designer Anthony Vaccarello took the reins in 2016, preferring one-off appearances in unique areas such as Marrakesh and Venice.
Read extra: Menswear draws on a youthful vibe for the Autumn/Winter 2022 fashion season
Succession discuss
In Milan final week, the place style exhibits haven’t even completed as the business caravan decamps for Paris, the discuss was all about who would succeed flamboyant artistic director Alessandro Michele at Gucci following his latest shock departure.
In Paris, the big unanswered query is who will take over at Louis Vuitton following the early loss of life of Virgil Abloh in November 2021.
The label obtained fashionista tongues wagging when it introduced that Thursday’s (Jan 12) present is being dealt with by wunderkind Colm Dillane, the person behind sizzling younger Brooklyn label KidSuper – together with an accompanying movie shot by French director Michel Gondry.
While many are fearful concerning the affect of potential recessions, tightening environmental rules and inflationary prices, menswear is seen as a vibrant spot.
“Saint Laurent, Gucci and Givenchy are working nearly higher in males’s than ladies’s in the intervening time,” stated Alice Feillard, director of shopping for for Paris division retailer Galeries Lafayette.
“We’ve been seeing this exponential development for 2 or three years… It’s actually taking off,” she added.
Read extra: What’s the future of men’s fashion weeks? Is the menswear calendar dwindling?
‘New area of expression’
Even males’s lingerie are gaining floor on the feminine market. Male underwear was up 3.3 p.c within the first 10 months of 2022 to 400mil euros (RM1.9bil)), in opposition to 2.5 p.c development in ladies’s lingerie (to a nonetheless dominant 1.5mil euros), in accordance to figures from the Salon International De La Lingerie, which is held in Paris this month.
“Menswear has drastically developed in recent times,” stated luxurious professional Serge Carreira of Sciences Po college. “It has created a serious new area of expression, innovation and analysis for the homes.”
Givenchy notably deserted high fashion and took up menswear after the arrival in 2020 of US designer Matthew Williams, identified for his luxurious streetwear. They stage their runway present on Wednesday (Jan 18), with key rival Dior strutting out on Friday (Jan 20).
One identify that usually comes up as a potential successor at Louis Vuitton is Grace Wales Bonner, who presents her personal present on Tuesday (Jan 17). She is a part of a rising development of girls designers who concentrate on dressing males, together with fellow Brit, Bianca Saunders.
There is additionally pleasure for the return of award-winning US designer Emily Bode, identified for utilizing recycled materials, who stayed away from Paris in the course of the pandemic. – AFP
