Fashion
The Best of Paris Menswear Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2013/2014
18:57Paris Fashion Week will never disappoint anyone. Yes it is a lot more dramatic than other fashion weeks but isn't that what fashion is about, drama? Going into fashion week, Louis Vuitton was a clear favourite for me. I thought I would find other collections appealing but there weren't that many wow shows this year at Paris Menswear fashion week. Even artistically defiant designers such as Alexander McQueen fell short of greatness this year. With all this being said it was very difficult to find stand out shows at this fashion week however I found a few that caught my eye.
Louis Vuitton is known for their bags, not their clothes, which is why the accessories in this show were flawless. If you were never sure about which man bag to carry, this Louis Vuitton collection will help answer that question.
It seems as if all accessories were made to match each individual outfit that walked the runway which means you'll need to get more than just one man bag.
The sunglasses were absolutely beautiful. If you have no interest in Louis Vuitton clothes, at least appreciate the sunglasses.
In terms of print, colour and fabric I think this was one of the richest shows at Paris Fashion Week.
The collection featured head-to-toe prints which is unusual for a mens show. The head-to-toe print is definitely for the more extravagant man as even the fabric it comes in makes it all the more avant-garde.
There was a hint of velvet in the collection. Velvet seemed to be the popular fabric choice for accents in the Milan shows. I guess velvet could be the go to fabric for next season's shows as well.
For some reason this show for me was very Hugh Hefner, well Hefner in the '70s. I think it's all the bow ties and almost gown looking suits that turned it that direction. Besides the Hugh Hefner reference, the show was also very Bear Grylls, but a very stylish Bear.
Capes, stripes, fur and the rich colour I spoke about previously all made up the Bear Grylls look. Royal blues and purples were used for the looks .
Speaking about blue, the colour still seems to be the new black. For the Louis Vuitton show, blue has been paired with an almost maroon or plum colour. No it is not colour blocking, maybe just an extension of it.
There were a few beanies here and there and some leopard print as well. It was not the most cohesive show I had ever seen however it did have everything a man needed for winter and for every occasion during the season.
It took me a very long time to appreciate this collection. The first time I saw it, I really liked it but I could not decide what I liked about it.
I think the personalities that were conveyed with each look is what drew me to this collection. There is a look for every type of man in every type of situation.
The collection starts off with looks similar to the Hackett London show but they are not as 1920s as the London collection. Very dapper and tailored.
It then starts to become very 2013 with almost metallic coats making their way in the collection.
Browns, white, black all make up this everyday man collection.
Another thing that makes this collection great is that each piece from the outfits can be worn separately. You do not need to wear the whole outfit head to toe to look nice. While going through the collection I found myself matching separate garments from different looks.
The collection also follows function before form, there is no way these men are getting cold this winter.
Some might argue that this show is too boring, too simple. I won't lie, it is simple but it's not boring.
Once again this collection is borderline Christian Grey, a tame Christian.
The show consists mainly of black garments. White, grey and hints of red make appearances every now and then.
The collection as a whole was very tailored and seems as if it was made custom for each model.
In the middle of the collection there were two-toned suits that made an appearance. The two tones almost flirt with the idea of colour blocking, traditional colour blocking.
Colour blocking was never my favourite trend but colbat and royal blue was. I thought that last season would have been the last time we saw the blues but they are still on the runway. I have no room to complain because the colours are beautiful but it would be nice to see another colour trend.
In order to tone down the very formal element of the show, Dior used triangles enclosed in a circle as a graphic on some of the garments.
I don't like how white was sometimes used in this collection. The white shiny coat is not a favourite of mine but it is nice to see a risk on the runway at times.
Kris Van Assche gave us a very minimalistic show that illustrates how a basic man's wardrobe should look which is why this collection is a must see for all men.
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