The designer revolving door continues, moving top names from house to house, now impacting the Paris menswear collections too. Even with all the musical chairs, the Fall 2019 shows featured familiar names just in new roles. Kim Jones continued his architectural exploration at Dior with asymmetrical button blazers and leather pants, while Kris Van Assche transitioned from that his former Dior perch to Berluti spotlighting Italian craftsmanship at a house known for its brogues.
At Louis Vuitton, Virgil Ablohwent from pulling inspiration from a fantasy film icon last season (Wizard of Oz) to a musical one (Michael Jackson) with models even wearing single sparkly gloves, a signature of the king of pop. Hedi Slimane’s latest revision of the ’80s debuted at Celine with mixed reviews: some critics loved the slim suits, skinny ties, and bowl cuts, some did not — which of course begs the question: who will be next to be banned from his front row?
Another debut, Jonathan Anderson showed for the first time in Paris after years on the London stage. His namesake line featured oversized knits and balaclavas with giant snaps that retained a certain British street influence. His designs for Spanish house Loewe also featured larger-than-life sweaters and scarves, this time playing up space through the netting and lose knits.
As for the trends? Gender fluidity continued to dominate the runways, with softer, more romantic looks abundant and many models blurring the binary. That juxtaposition carried over in tailored looks rubbing elbows with fluid construction while streetwear continues to pop up in the omnipresent chunky sneaker and logo infiltration. At the end of the day, a modern man was presented in Paris who isn’t afraid of layers, design techniques, and bold style statements.
After a week of suits and such, buyers and editors were whisked off to the rarified world of couture, and a tad curious as to who will show at what house when the Paris menswear shows return in June.
Photography by Jonas Gustavsson
