Paris Fashion Week Menswear FW2017 RECAP

Lanvin
It started last week at Dolce & Gabbana´s millennial minded show and in Paris the major focus on youth proved to be a trend. Both the collections of Lanvin as well as Dior (“I have always been drawn to the moment when boys become men and they are still clinging onto to dreams, desires and freedoms and haven’t yet slipped into the straitjacket`, Kris von Assche stated) were big shoutouts to their youngest customers. Hoodies, sweaters, leather jackets and sneakers being the eyecatchers for FW2017, styled in a cool but careless way. Like a striped purple and pink cropped sweater with a tartan shirt popping from underneath paired with some red checked sneakers, that felt young yet original.

Louis Vuitton x Supreme
Fashion professionals described it as the collaboration of the century, so we were on the edge of our seat when Louis Vuitton revealed it´s collection with Supreme. A selection of red colored stand out items like small bags and bandanas covered in logos and LV´s signature print. Highly desirable, yet affordable designer pieces that will have youngsters go wild. Items that fit in with the big focus on logo trend that is currently driving up the sales of major fashion houses. A smart sales trick Dior, Loewe and Balenciaga also experimented with in their collections, even though the luxury meets streetwear collaboration received some mixed reviews, New York Times calling it “the fashion version of a murder-suicide”.

Balmain
Apart from the clothing another big trend during menswear fashion week seems the number of female models walking the shows. The last couple of years every major fashion house seems to be sending out some women (whether or not dressed in womenswear). A trend that perfectly fits in with the whole acceptance and importance of gender blending these days. Even though designers who claim menswear is losing it´s definition might be in the right. Balmain has always been a fan though and has been using the menswear shows to send out it’s empowered amazons for seasons now.

Balenciaga
Coinciting with the focus on youth formal wear is changing. At Balenciaga Demna Gvasalia showed just how formal and street are merging by sending out checked suits paired with eye catching sneaker boots and bomber jackets worn over suits and shirts. Sneakers go well with any outfit, was the message, a man of age (look #3) emphasized.

Dries van Noten
´Tastemaker in chief´(what a wonderful nickname) Dries van Noten presented us with a subtle throwback to his previous collection. He brought back classics like blazers, washed out jeans, woolen coats and baseball jackets yet faced towards to future. His collection had a kind of hardness in it (that definitely came through in a shiny red lined coat), instead of the delicacy we usually taste at his shows. Less detailing, more statement making. Dries van Noten even sent out his version of the logomania trend by creating pieces that had the logos of his supplying and producing companies (that barely make ends meat these days) on it. Next season the Antwerp based designer will present his 100th collection, but this was already a retrospective delight.