Fall/Winter 22 from Paris isn’t going to be cold and grey, at least when it comes to menswear. Instead of the usual earthy, dark color palette, the French capital’s catwalks shine in summery tones.
From rainbow-like color gradients and material mixes to printed suits with colorful motifs, brands such as Y/Project, Louis Vuitton and Kidsuper show that winter can be different. Large scarves and fluffy coats provided the necessary warmth and security.
Suits as canvas
As part of classic men’s fashion, jackets usually rely on a good cut, a suitable choice of material and sometimes a special color note. Prints and motley patterns are less part of the repertoire. That seems to have changed this season and various labels such as Louis Vuitton, Kidsuper and Gravalot are giving the garment a new look.
Gravalot shows different colored striped suits, but also a blue model with gold stripes and leopards. The big cats tiger all over the jacket and the matching pants. Henrik Vibskov uses a combination of floral pattern and checks for a two-piece suit. Kidsuper uses the entire surface of the suit to place a love scene that was originally drawn with wax crayons. The New York label also brought a chess player to a brown corduroy suit. The late designer Virgil Abloh’s latest Louis Vuitton collection also featured a painterly backdrop on a suit. The special thing about it is that the artwork is not simply printed on the suit, but is part of the coarse fabric.
gradients
The colorful color gradients that run through the entire collection at Taakk and are used for jackets, trousers and shirts provide even more radiant effects. Namesake shows a long skirt with lots of splashes of color and logos, which together create a total work of art.
Y/Project sends its looks through the body scanner and brings upper body prints onto tops, shirts and dresses onto the catwalk. These are reminiscent of Jean Paul Gaultier collections from the 90s. Fittingly, Y/Project designer Glenn Martens is responsible for Gaultier’s next haute couture collection, which will be shown in Paris on Wednesday. Kidsuper uses color gradients for silky tops and dresses. Études mixes shades of brown and orange on a knit sweater. There is a matching hat for this. Yohji Yamamoto played with darker tones reminiscent of the paper of an old treasure map.
patchwork
Patchwork was also increasingly seen on the catwalks, including at Acne, Jil Sander and Kolor.
Kenzo and Kidsuper combine different tartan patterns in their looks. In addition, the Japanese designer Nigo combines stripes, dots and floral prints for his first Kenzo collection. Jil Sander shows off a white vest with various plush and knit textures. Acne Studios presents a whole range of patchwork looks in which different patterns, colors and fabrics collide. In addition to the mix of materials, Kolor also uses different layers and lengths, which result in a collage-like, slightly chaotic image. Kidill also plays with a mix of fabrics and textures. The label relies on various floral patterns that are brought together with bows, mesh and other structures. Rick Owens, White Mountaineering and Louis Vuitton also show looks with patchworks.
Deformed silhouettes
Silhouettes can be changed in many ways. A special styling can create a new form, but also a special object or a static material. Yoshio Kubo and Loewe deform their looks with round objects, which creates a certain dynamic.
Yoshio Kubo uses multiple thin hoops with pleats styled around the waist and neck. Loewe designer Jonathan Anderson deforms T-shirts and shorts as if he had distorted the end points in Photoshop. GmbH puts a special focus on the shoulders. The upper chest area of a black top almost looks like a sculpture from the Berlin label, which looks as if the designers have worked out the collarbone extremely.
protection in the scarf
What high turtlenecks and hats with ear flaps were for men’s fashion week in Milan, large scarves are for Paris. Lukhanyo Mdingi shows a floor-length patchwork version, Hed Mayner a matching puffer scarf with the coat and Études a complement to the white knitted look. Rhude also presents a large football scarf with a logo and Bluemarble combines a knitted hat with ear flaps and a scarf in one accessory
fur coats
Even though real fur is being used less and less, the look seems to be totally in vogue. No style was seen more often on the Paris Men’s Fashion Week catwalk than the fur jacket, in a variety of skins and finishes.
Egonlab and Ernest W. Baker shows classic coats in dark tones. Georges Wendell presents a shorter jacket with a lapel collar. Sankuanz sends a knee-length coat onto the catwalk and uses fur elements as lining for jackets with a snakeskin look. GmbH, System and Rick Owens also use elements with a fur look for their jackets.
