Paris Menswear Report
(PARIS) The Paris menswear shows are here, and the samurai, Mad Hatters, and manga villains have come out to play. So let's play!
COMME DES GARÇONS
It could almost have been called eponymous. Kawakubo's men's collection was indeed "like some boys" this season-four, in fact-as she payed homage to a quartet of Brits by sending them down the runway in the clothes that they inspired. Michael Kostiff, whose shop, World, held '80s London in its global thrall, kicked off a pajama-esque outing in comfy-chic staples made over with mismatched ethnic prints. Then came the art stars: Duggie Fields began a greaser-by-way-of-glam-rock parade with brash, tomato-red suits over wallpaper-patterned shirts; Andrew Logan's segment gave the Nehru suit a slouch makeover in sorbet shades; and Sebastian Horsley's cutaway suits and platform boots suggested a sinister Mad Hatter decked out for the clubs. Fabrics throughout were rumpled and relaxed, which added attitude to the often-abbreviated proportions. But most interesting was how Kawakubo broke down her influences. Post-modern designers often to confound their audiences with referential overkill that ultimately only covers up a lack of substance. Content to let her muses share the spotlight, Kawakubo wasn't making the show out to be anything but what it was-a tribute to someone else's vision as seen through her slyly skewed lenses.
JOHN GALLIANO
Equally breathtaking though far less pretty, Galliano continued the oversized Japanese vibe of his couture collection but imbued it with a savage, street-culture spin. A densley referential magpie's nest of rogue warrior archetypes, Princess Mononoke crossed swords with Braveheart, shamen with hoboes, cannibals with cyber punks. Clothes were dark or dun-colored and shown in grunge-y layers, thin horizontal stripes drawn shakily throughout like interrupted voltage lines; headpieces resembling medieval samurai helmets, yak wool and horns, and junk piles festooned with cassette tapes were interspersed with nylon stocking, stretched over sloppily lipsticked mouths for a vampire-bank robber look. The effect was both unsettling and awe-inspiring, as though our cultural detritus had come to life and had some disturbing things to say.
YOHJI YAMAMOTO
Yamamoto gave his urban villain a manga gloss this season, pairing combat boots with matte suits, sweaters, and trenches for a neo-Tokyo-at-night allure. The collection's greatest strength was in its details; liberally sprinkled toggle closures and graphics of doe-eyed anime girls styled as retro pin-ups on exaggerated turtlenecks, made sure a certain tongue-in-cheek quality was not lost. It won't convert any non-believers, but for those already obsessed with the aesthetic, the collection brought cartoonish elements together with real focus and sophistication.
LOUIS VUITTON
Though the overall effect was far from avant garde, Paul Helbers' quirky, '80s futuristic flourishes did add up to some subtle unpredictability. Inky ombré effects spiced up sleek, conservative coats and blazers, as did cloverleaf cuts and golden grommets on bombers with clover leaf lapels. Jolts of color were sparely used, effective, and fresh, as in traffic cone orange lace-ups, grass green corduroys, or an unexpected cameo by medium blue denim. Mixing nylon windbreakers with velvet vests, bellbottom slacks with bankers' trenches while still feeling pulled together, it showed luxury can feel casual and retain a sense of humor-an achievement in and of itself.
