Even in an evermore metaverse-obsessed world, physical fashion weeks remain bellwethers of our wardrobe trends. Over the past two years, these summits have seesawed, largely due to Covid-19 and its variants, back and forth between digital, in-person, and “phygital” presentations. Despite the upheaval, the fact remains that there’s no more powerful a showcase of what’s to come stylistically than these events — and they’re not always just about the clothes: Fashion weeks start conversations about identity and self-presentation, and how those evolving attitudes fit into, or reflect, popular culture.
Kanye West and Julia Fox arrived at the Kenzo show together. Credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Kenzo
Paris Fashion Week’s most recent iteration, which unveiled a bounty of menswear for the Fall-Winter 2022 season, took a demolition swing at old menswear conventions in the ongoing establishment of a new normal. With ideas that were often gender dismantled or blended, infused with surrealism and other uninhibited motifs, designers pushed forth an agenda that felt broader — and braver — than usual.
Read on for highlights from seven stand-out shows.
Front row buzz at Kenzo
The designer and musician Nigo, who founded the globally revered streetwear label A Bathing Ape in 1993, presented his very first collection for the label Kenzo in front of a buzzy crowd including a denim-clad Kanye West (or Ye as he prefers) who was there with Julia Fox (Fox wore a denim look by Schiaparelli). Pharrell Williams was also spotted, wearing eye-catching Tiffany & Co. diamond-rimmed shades.
Pharrell Williams at the Kenzo show wearing a pair of Tiffany & Co. sunglasses. Credit: Victor Boyko
The catwalk was the first show by new artistic director, Nigo. Credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
While stylistic references to the year 1970 were seen in the form of embroideries and patches on berets and varsity jackets, there was a fashion-forwardness about the collection, with a myriad of separates and a confident use of plaid, pattern and color. Tailored and workwear pieces alike cut a genderless silhouette.
Big ideas at Loewe
Playful images and bare skin were key components of the Loewe show. Credit: Peter White/Getty Images
For Fall-Winter 2022, Anderson offered a topcoat trimmed in holiday lights, denim micro-shorts, a gloved sweater with long fabric tendrils trailing from the fingertips, and a jumper with a heart-shaped keyhole that exposed the left nipple. He also sent forth a knit muumuu featuring a meme-worthy cat with a parakeet on its head. The designer told media that the collection was partially inspired by what we see — day in and day out — on our phone screens.
A final moment at Louis Vuitton
The late Virgil Abloh’s final collection for Louis Vuitton was another standout moment. The lineup was fantastical and dream-like, and it played with the signatures and hints that Abloh had interwoven in his work throughout his three and a half years at the house before his untimely death last year. There were men in skirts, lace kits worn as wings, hats with spiked ears, a Wizard of Oz motif, colorful Keepall duffels, comic-book style illustrations, and much, much more (as was typical of Abloh, the ideas never really stopped).
Backstage at the Louis Vuitton show. Credit: Matthieur Dortomb/Louis Vuitton
Avant-garde fun at Rick Owens
Helmets inspired by ancient Egyptian artifacts were affixed with lightbulbs and hoods became zipped face coverings, complete with tiny cutouts for visibility. A sleeveless tee brashly spelled out the word “urinal.”
Rick Owens adorned his new collection with functioning lightbulbs. Credit: Valerio Mezzanotti/OwensCorp
The collection included shirts inscribed with unusual slogan like ‘Subhuman,’ ‘Inhuman,’ ‘Superhuman,’ and ‘Urinal.’ Credit: Valerio Mezzanotti
Hints of Gaultier at Y/Project
Y/Project’s show featured a range of head-to-toe body prints. Credit: Peter White/Getty Images
Bluemarble
Bluemarble — from Anthony Alvarez — hosted its first runway show this season. Alvarez coined his label after a nickname for planet earth, which arose from a photograph taken by Apollo 17 in 1972. Mixing American sportswear, European savoir-faire and Filipino artisanal touches, his output resulted in funky, fun, and cozy-seeming clothes such as a pair of generously broken jean trousers, paneled in a torquing cut with strips of glitter-spangled fabric.
The Bluemarble collection was packed with fun details. Credit: Bluemarble
Dior
Kim Jones’s latest collection paid homage to Dior’s founder. Credit: Stephane Cardinale/Corbis/Getty Images
Jones’ introspection proved notable. Most significant was his version of Dior’s famous “Bar” jacket, which was introduced in 1947 — for women. It features a cut-and-construction that adds subtle hourglass curves to the garment’s architecture, and Dior’s idea was so groundbreaking at the time that it prompted a whole moniker for his creative oeuvre — the “New Look.” Jones’ men’s versions featured double-breasted finishes with top-stitched seams.
Top image: Dior recreated the Alexandre III bridge for its menswear catwalk.
