Comme des Garcons Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2013
Rei Kawakubo sent an army of dressed-down guys onto her spring runway. Their hair dyed orange and clamped with studded leather headbands, the models navigated a grid of steel poles wearing pajama suits paired with slouchy overcoats. The designer underlined the collection’s rebellious mood by splicing together unexpected fabrics and silhouettes, such as a gray pinstripe coat with strips of black snakeskin and studded leather. Her simple shirt-and-pant combos came in fabrics that could come from a rocker’s wardrobe — red tartan, leopard print, camouflage and gold lame.
Hermes Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2013
The Hermes-collection designer Veronique Nichanian sent out were sporty silhouettes in unexpected fabrics. Like zippered parkas in chiffon calfskin; T-shirts in perforated leather; and sweaters inset with lambskin panels.
Appealing were the sophisticated, summery suits done in deep blue linen canvas or virtually sheer seersucker in pale shades. Along with a series of single-breasted, navy wool and mohair tuxedos.
Viktor & Rolf Monsieur Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2013
The Viktor & Rolf Monsieur ss2013 collection reflects the house’s approach to a smart gentleman, with unexpected twists in detail. Inspired by the vibrant colors and relaxed silhouettes of India, the collection merges a layered, soft silhouette with a traditional sartorial approach. The result is a colorful collection with an elegant, relaxed attitude.
The silhouettes are a combination of summer tailoring layered with light, easy pieces. Colorful tunics peak out through the range and have a relaxed summer fit. A house classic trench in terracotta is lightweight and unexpectedly lined with the signature spectacles-print, an iconic print for Monsieur.
The tuxedo in summer wool-silk is freshly done in a dove grey resulting in a modern, chic approach to evening wear.
The traditional, western herringbone print is modernly re-interpreted in variations. A palette of salmon and oranges ranging from pale to bright are the highlight seasonal colors against classical contrasts of white, black, midnight and beige.
Composed of a combination of brushed leather, canvas, mirrored leather, or suede, the shoes and bags complement the relaxed elegance of the collection.
Givenchy Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2013
‘The cult of communion’ was the starting point of the Givenchy menswear-collection. The church incense and organ music that preceded the show set the mood already. Tisci printed innocent white brocade with spooky looking vestigial faces. He played with layering and proportion and gave just a small reference to priestly vestments by adding a white collar that peeked from under black coats or ice-pink satin.
The designer had artists reinterpret classic religious imagery to provide the collection’s graphic tees and sweats, which have made Tisci’s work for Givenchy such a visible presence around the world.
While the designer continued his devotion to active shapes — sweatshirts, polos, T-shirts and baseball jackets — he set aside his recent fixation with skirts for men. Instead, bi-level tunics flapped under suit jackets. Inspired by the Bauhaus movement, the tailoring was bold and linear, with triangles of fabric inset into lapels and shirt collars.Tisci treated feminine fabrics like satin and organza as sweatshirt material, stamping his sporty jerseys with female religious icons instead of player numbers.
Junya Watanabe Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2013
The Beatles were the soundtrack for a sweet, urban/preppy collection from Junya Watanabe. He said he moved away from structure although his men looked rather sharp-dressed. There was a easy feel to the collection with the fresh-faced models in suits and separates in cornflower blue, khaki and pale gray. Pants were cropped above the ankle or cut into trim Bermudas. Individual touches included elbow patches and pocket trims in shirt fabrics.
Ann Demeulemeester Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2013
This time Ann Demeulemeester – the Belgian queen of black – wanrted to prove she can use color too in her collections. Her show opened with deep-wine purples and ended with orange and sea blue.
She may have changed her color palette, but her man stays the same: romantic and a loner. Some oriental elements resonated in this collection, like the side-tied silk kimono tops bubbling out from beneath jackets, trailing sashes behind. Demeulemeester made it her own by undercutting preciousness with ease. She loosened her stricter silhouette with wide, soft pants, some printed with casual stripes or graphic roses.
Dries van Noten Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2013
It was all about camouflage-prints at Dries Van Noten. He carved them into tailored jackets and crisp Bermudas. He used them to line parkas, to trim color-blocked shirts and he splashed them onto cobweb sweaters. Van Noten presented many ways to mix the prints into a modern wardrobe: as a shirt under a navy suit; as a light, silken trench over tapered trousers; as printed pants or shorts under a shantung blazer in a pumpkin shade.
Overall, the athletic chic vibe, heightened by the rugged sport sandals that grounded every look, was masculine and appealing.
Louis Vuitton Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2013
Next year is the 30th anniversary of the Louis Vuitton Cup, prelude to the America’s Cup, so it was no surprise Kim Jones took LV to sea in his third season as Men’s Style Director for the house. He added sport to LV’s two totems, travel and luxury.
There were chic options for all the crew aboard: handsome double-breasted navy suits, rugged and colorful foul-weather gear and artfully frayed and decaying denim shorts and jackets.
Rick Owens Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2013
The message of Rick Owens was lightness: unstructured jackets in sheer organza, worn with shorts with panels at the front and back, or fitted pants. Then monastic dresses entered the picture, like a sweeping caftan in blurry hand-painted gray checks, accessorized with bold chain bracelets.
More wearable – read: urban – were the bombers and hooded parkas in summer-light organza, or cotton anoraks in graphic kite prints.
Mugler Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2013
Nicola Formichetti, creative director of Mugler, choose an aquatic theme for his menswear-collection. He and menswear designer Romain Kremer brought in a new tailoring team and focused at fundamentals — jackets, pants and shirts — “without being too extreme,” as Formichetti said. The suits had a muscular presence. The look was sharp, with structured shoulders, no lapels, and attached, cutout tops revealing shards of skin. The theme worked well for graphic scuba tops and sleek trenchcoats in sea foam green or oil-slick black.
