BEAUTY: Clothing--Misc. Paris Fashion Week

Men's Fashion Month in Europe draws to a close with the end of Paris Fashion Week. Here are some interesting details that hit me right from the Spring Summer '25 shows:

J.W. Anderson showed some fascinating pants at Loewe: voluminous and gathered trousers, harem pants out of cable knit, or gathered with an attached semi-skirt (reminiscent of the look of tying a shirt around one's waist and letting it trail behind), or slim with a double wrap belt which loops at the shirt as well as at the waist.

Jeanne Friot continues her fun graphic of belts and buckles printed on tops and sheaths. She also continues her enthusiasm for genderless garments!

Jonny Johansson's label Acne Studios continues their own similar idea with a lookbook featuring trompe l’oeil printed jeans...stacks of belts, frayed fronts, and long chains hanging from belt loops are not really there...they just look like it!

But then in the same collection, Acne showed some sharp tailored looks with some amazing tall boots with very wide shafts. I am in love.

Speaking of shoes, this is a nice segue to Feng Chen Wang's sci-fi inspired suction cupped soles, topping last season's shoes that had giant rubber covers that looked like the facehugger from the ALIEN films (seen here)...

Walter Van Beirendonck's collection was inspired by circus clowns and not in a good way... clowns are running the world, says he...and the Lego shoes were worth the price of admission.

And even more shoes from LGN Louis Gabriel Nouchi. His collaboration with Puma resulted in a rubber molded slip-on featuring soles of gripping teeth.

Songzio showed what appear to be wrestling boots but transformed into summer sandals. They are fantastic. In black, white, grey, or blue and pink!

https://www.loewe.com/
https://www.jeannefriot.com/
https://www.acnestudios.com/
https://fengchenwang.com/
https://www.louisgabrielnouchi.com/

https://songzio.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--Loewe

J. W. Anderson presented his Spring Summer 2021 collection in what he called a "Show In A Box," seen here...the box includes pieces of fabrics featured in the collection along with inspirational cards and pressed flowers, and of course many different sized images of the garments themselves. And since Anderson is also the current Creative Director of venerable Spanish brand Loewe (founded in 1846!), he curated a "Show In A Box" for this SS '21 collection as well. I love the knitwear aspect in Anderson's work, and of course the accent on the idea of artisans and handcrafted elements is earnest and engaging. It is a lovely, moving idea that feels nourishing for this time. Watch the video and look at that gorgeous shibori shirt.

https://www.loewe.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--Loewe

Jonathan Anderson is a busy guy. He not only helms his own eponymous label J.W. Anderson (previously here), but he has been Creative Director at venerable Spanish leather goods brand Loewe for six years now, and he has continued to create beautiful, evocative collections for both houses. And for this Paris Fashion Week, he created a soft, flowing Spring Summer '20 collection for Loewe. Even though the house was founded in 1846 in Madrid by a group of Spanish leather craftsmen, and the brand proper originated in 1876 when Enrique Loewe Roessberg, a German craftsman, joined the group, Loewe's heyday seems to have been in the 1960s and 1970s. A certain hand-crafted interest in leather came out of hippie counterculture from that period, and hand tooled leather goods were seen everywhere. Anderson has re-energized that interest and cultivated a sense of artisan-made craft-based clothing and accessories. What we see for this collection is actually very close to the freedom and spiritual expansion that came from the 60s and 70s.

Anderson says the collection reflects "a childlike dream state" and I can sense that in the loose, pajama-like feel of some of the looks (like sleepy boys about to go to bed) as well as the djellabas and ultra-refined suede caftans. (The childlike state is delightfully reflected in the sweet pink leather iPhone case around one model's neck.) The Mediterranean stripes on the lovely knitwear pieces remind me of the beautiful colors and stripes I found on foutas on the Côte d'Azur. It all adds up to a relaxed, dreamy moment.

And of course since Loewe is a leather goods house in Spain, there are glorious Roman sandals, moccasins, espadrille boots (!LOVE!), and slip-on leather shoes.

https://www.loewe.com

BEAUTY: Clothing--Misc. Paris Fashion Week, FW '16-'17

Misc. Men's Paris Fashion Week.

Raf Simons. Long sleeves. Large scale. More cocooning, more pulling into one's shell like Damir Doma and more childhood like Fendi. Simons' collection directly referenced youth in varsity sweaters with anonymous school letters and insignias.

Y Project. Odd detail at the hem of jeans...an extra bell or cuff, buttoned...

And it seems that the break out star of the season was plush toy fur, seen not only at Fendi, but also at Ann Demeulemeester (who, it must be noted, also included long hair along with plush toy fur!)...

...and plush toy fur also at Loewe. Like kids dressing up as Fred Flintstone...

http://www.rafsimons.com/
www.yproject.fr
https://www.anndemeulemeester.be/
http://www.loewe.com/