(Vanessa Ho • The Student Life)
As we return for another semester, it feels only right to start my column back up by documenting the most important week in fashion: Paris Fashion Week (PFW). Every January, 60+ designers show their collections in locations strewn across the city for celebrities, clientele and buyers/stylists from around the globe.
I’ve been following PFW menswear for around six years now and it continues to amaze me how increasingly mainstream these shows become each year. Runway photos used to only be accessible through websites like Vogue, but now they’re plastered all over news outlets’ social media pages like advertisements. As prices swap exorbitance for outright ridiculousness, the general public becomes, ironically, more enamored with the spirit of consumerism that fuels PFW.
Since we’re on the topic of consumerism and unaffordable things, Louis Vuitton feels like a great place to start. In his second season since taking over the position of creative director from the late Virgil Abloh, Pharrell Williams sought to establish his vision for the brand by … choosing a theme that had absolutely nothing to do with its history or prior collections. This collection combines westernwear, workwear and suiting with loud bags and graphics from Pharrell’s previous show.
While I can’t knock the inspiration, which looks to subvert the typical perception of a “cowboy” by using Native American materials, colors and music, Louis Vuitton is not the brand to tell this story. Not only are they a French leather maker that started in the 1800s, but their current brand identity feels more catered to Instagram accounts like @leaguefits that document NBA players’ looks than anyone with an appreciation for fashion. All this collection does is continue to capitalize on the same clientele that will purchase $1,000,000 handbags without a thought by unveiling collaborations with streetwear brands like Timberland in a futile attempt to be just as different as Abloh.
There are some good looks in the collection, but the contrasting themes and continued usage of monogram bags and childish digi-camo print were the final nails in the coffin for this collection, making it clear that Pharrell has a long way to go before establishing any concrete brand identity.
On a more positive note, Olivier Rousteing’s Balmain collection was pleasantly surprising. Ever since their infamous biker jeans fell out of fashion some 10 years ago, Balmain felt kind of tacky, like something that would plague the shelves of Saks Off 5th or Nordstrom Rack. This collection, however, reestablishes their status as a top fashion house.
Spearheaded by a long coat bedazzled with Swarovski crystals that give the appearance of a woman’s face, the collection displays equal variety to that of Louis Vuitton in a much more tasteful way. Elements of Anthony Vaccarello’s Saint Laurent as well as Abloh’s Louis Vuitton are both present, with elegant monochromatic looks complementing vibrant pieces created in collaboration with Ghanaian artist Prince Gyasi. And they all fall under the umbrella of the theme — sapeurs, traditionally francophone Africans who mix traditional French tailoring with bold African color schemes.
After picking through these two shows, it became clear that no other show deviated enough from the brand’s identity (or lack thereof) to warrant a deep analysis. In fact, most other major brands’ shows can be summarized in a sentence or two.
Givenchy struggled to decide which direction to go in after parting ways with Matthew Williams, resulting in a collection with too much breadth and not enough substance to make an impact.
Prada continued to explore suiting with minor twists in an interesting way, but their runways contrasted heavily with a logo-adorned ready-to-wear collection ubiquitous among luxe consumers.
Dior styled their models in an intriguingly androgynous way, with deep-cut shirts, sheer tops and a slicked-back hair and headband combo that gave the impression of an imminent facial, but the clothing didn’t add anything except for the notion that Kim Jones threw his previous collections in a blender with Kiko Kostadinov and gave it the all clear.
Loewe featured innovative cuts and materials, but Jonathan Anderson went a little over the edge in toeing the line of surrealism both in full looks and individual pieces. Rick Owens was similarly over-the-top for me; though I am a huge fan of his work, the inflatable boots featured on most looks this season pushed the exaggerated silhouettes he has developed so well in his recent collections into the realm of complete impracticality.
At this point, it might sound like I hated everything, so I do want to point out a few collections that caught my eye.
Hed Mayner was particularly enjoyable to sift through as the comically oversized silhouettes featured throughout the show poked fun at the current obsession with all things large and wide-legged. Lemaire’s commitment to silhouette and layering spoke for itself as the brand continues its rise in popular culture with its latest collection that traversed the color spectrum. Doublet’s ever-abstract show straight out of a horror film featured some surprisingly styleable looks and a great variety of materials.
I want to close my analysis out by making a request to a particular multihyphenate who has both shown at PFW and released music recently. Nope, Pharrell is not the man on my mind. Kid Cudi, I would like to formally request that you never make a commercial clothing collection again. Please, just save yourself the money, time and effort. I’m begging you.
I’m going to spare the readers the details, but all of these runways are available on WWD and Vogue for viewing. They may not be the most practical or attainable pieces to look at, but sometimes the joyful pleasure of critiquing a $10,000 coat while wearing a $5 T-shirt is more than enough.
Gus Gingrich PO ’24 is from Walnut Creek, California. In his free time, he enjoys stressing over being outbid on Japanese auction websites and mocking up re-designs for his dorm room closet.
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