Paris Catwalk Fashion Show fw2010: Jean Paul Gaultier

The Jean Paul Gaultier fashion show opened with two girls fighting against each other in a boxing ring that stood in the centre of the stage. Then beaten up models in JPG designs and boxing accessories came on stage. They wore face protection, boxing gloves, belts with the JPG logo and carried towels around their necks. They had bleeding noses and band-aids all over their faces, as if they had just been beaten up.

JPG’s designs varied from sporty to chique. We could see lots of leather:  belts, pants, jackets and  details. Some knitwear (long scarfs and warm sweaters) was introduced as well. Sporty hoodies in several different shades were worn underneath the models’ neat coats and jackets.

On his T-shirts JPG had printed pictures of muscular male torso’s. And with a few skirts and some sparkling tops the French designer showed his feminine side.

Singer Chris Brown, familiar with beating up, attended the JPG show.

Paris Catwalk Fashion Show fw2010: Louis Vuitton

Dutch designer Paul Helbers presented a very wearable Louis Vuitton menswear collection. His decent-looking models wore items you could easily imagine on men passing by on the street.

The clothes came in masculine shades like dark gray, black and brown. Paul Helbers designed knitted cardigans and double-breasted, long, woolly coats. As seen in other f/w menswear collections the LV-jackets – as well as his bags – often had leather details. The leather used for some coats almost looked fake, while it had no creases, tears or what-so-ever.

A lot of big bags were shows. Christian Schoeler had painted some Vienna-inspired ones in white with fading colors, representing winter landscapes. Most models wore leather gloves and walked on boot-clogs in which they’ d tucked their legs.

At the end of the show both Paul Helbers and Marc Jacobs appeared on the runway, while Marc Jacobs applauded for his Dutch colleague.

Paris Catwalk Fashion Show fw2010: Francisco van Benthum

One of the good things of Dutch designer Francisco van Benthum is that he refuses to give up. He believes in himself and his power as a designer, and that deserves a lot of respect. Especially in these days, where big labels with big money try to blow you away when they can. Francisco presented a collection which showed a more classic side of his signature. His softer, fluid silhouet still exists with a more rounded shoulder for jackets, but he added some British flavor with cropped jackets in a small Higgins-check, slim dinner-jackets and cardigans. He mixed the formal with the casual – and addded also some sportswear. Hopefully he’ll find some clients who appreciate his love for fabrics and design. He deserves it.

Paris Catwalk Fashion Show fw2010: Viktor & Rolf Monsieur

It was the first time since Viktor & Rolf introduced their menswear-collection Monsieur in 2003 that the Dutch duo held a show in Paris. It was a small, intimate show with music of one single guitarplayer and totally different from their big womenswear-presentations.

The Monsieur-collection lies close to what the designers like themselves, a mix of streetwear and tailored suits with a touch of the unexpected. For next fall Viktor & Rolf unveiled a refined collection in a dark (mostly black) color palette mixing formal and casual, ranging from quilting and trousers with elasticated cuffs and a focus at the dinner jacket.  Splashes of black paint were on the floor but also at trousers, a models’ face and in silver on a T-shirt.The unexpected lies in the layering and mix of different textures and fabrics. Of course the collection has all the ingredients of next fall: the large, comfy cardigan, the suit, the knits, the boots, the grays and the blacks.

Milan Catwalk Fashion fw2010: shoppinglist

While the fashion circus is traveling to the next stop – Paris – we thought it might be helpful to give you already a sort of shopping list. You’ll never know what you might run into during the sales !

Milan was all about slim suits in techno fabrics, mixed with bulky grandpa’s cardigan’s often used as a coat and a rough knitted aged sweater. Military style is back, especially in coats – look for navy duffels in blue, aviator-jackets in black/shearling, the Monty-coat and officer-coats in army-green with golden buttons.

Black is still the new black, but also all shades of gray. The darks are often mixed with rich colors as purple and burgundy. New are camel and off white, mixed with buttery yellow.

It seems men will have their own legging as well, regarding the many long-johns we spotted in the collections. It was a favorite of Dolce & Gabbana and maybe for some women, but we’re not sure men will like them. At home yes, outside hmm (maybe only underneath a comfy ski-overall). Instead of a long-john look for a slim, too short pant with or without ‘cuffs’.

The rough look is perfect with the military boots, beautifully aged at Burberry, polished at Bottega Veneta. Fans of modern classics can stick to the Gucci-loafer. More accessories: an Italian cap, berets and an army-bag.

One of the main messages the coming season is layering: a T-shirt, a denim shirt, a jacket, a cardigan or two, something leather, silver mesh or glitzy (like patent leather, or plastic). The style moves between polished Seventies style (like Prada), Fifties playboys (Gucci) and ageless rockers turned businessmen.

Milan Catwalk Fashion Show fw2010: D&G

The D&G fall-collection is the answer to what the well-dressed snowboarder will be wearing, in the snow or at the after-ski. Thick Fair Isle sweater-coats, trapper hats, chunky turtlenecks, shimmery ski pants, shearlings and bombers—all luxe and made to be layered. Mixed with gray flannel suits, a velvet blazer or even a black tie  and the Olympics can begin.

Milan Catwalk Fashion Show fw2010: D Squared & Tokio Hotel

Since DSquared is designing the clothes for their coming tour lead-singer Bill Kaulitz of Tokio Hotel had the honor to open their menswear-show in Milan. His extravagant outfit had nothing to do with the theme of the show – Hockey Horror – but he made an impressive entrance and survived his stroll along the catwalk like a pro. The theme of the show had everything to do with hockey, THE national game in Canada,  and  everything that comes with it, the bloody fights included. Some clothes reminded of hockey-outfits, from the wide shorts to the big shirts. Fabrics were shiny and glitzy like ice, black was the main color. Of course everything was mixed the wrong way on purpose, but we already know that trick.

Milan Catwalk Fashion Show fw2010: Alexander McQueen

The Alexander McQueen-collection for fall 2010 was an entirely printed collection—of suits, leather coats, ski masks, even shoes. Some of the prints were on the dark side (like a pile of human skulls and bones), some simply puzzling (smeared paint, fur, knits, drops of rain). The silhouet was pretty stiff and straight, with ski-like trousers, shorter jackets and 3/4 coats sometimes half patent/half wool.

Milan Catwalk Fashion Show fw2010: Versace

Alexandre Plokhov, design director for Versace menswear, took the new movie ‘Tron Legacy’ as inspiration for his fall-collection. The result was a vision of a futuristic world, but also back to Gianni Versace’s days of hard-edged metal mesh. This was agood show, sharp as a laser beam and glossy. Plokhov modernized Gianni’s original ideas, giving the black leather a bursting-bubble decoration and weaving metal mesh into vests or as shoulder pieces. The neon-patterns on shirts looked like tie-dye leaking, but were all digital.  These were often mixed with sleek suits in cyber blue.

Milan Catwalk Fashion Show fw2010: Gucci

Gucci showed us the tasteful side of the Seventies – a period where a lot of mensweardesigners refer to for their fall-collections. Tasteful as in: monochrome camel, beige, black and off-white, faded blues, yellow and reds but also rich colors. This was not the most remarkeable Gucci-collection, as in new. The silhouet is still slim, with shorter jackets which had broader lapels, no excess of big accessories except for classic Gucci loafers, big sunglasses and a big bag. The Gucci man is still an angry young playboy, but he’s waiting for better times to come. It’s remarkablke that hardly any label shows tuxedo’s these days, I guess partytime is over. ‘ Come as you are’ sang Kurt Cobain while the last pack of models strolled down the runway. The Gucci-man just wears a velvet jacket in midnightblue, bottlegreen or burgundy. No bow, no shirt.

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