Fashion Week: Paris Menswear Turns to Youth In the Streets

Paris menswear trends were dominated, generally speaking, by looks approaching the aesthetics and lifestyle of today’s teen generation all the way to twenty-somethings.

The millennial spectre hasn’t set the pace for leading concepts in collections as strongly as the Parisian designers have shown these new season for Fall Winter 2017.

In a world bombarded by marketing, with a wide sense of awareness regarding brands -and still under the spell of hyper consumerism, young men define themselves with signature graphics or the deconstruction of such, so fashion is fascinated now by the new ways to imprint logos in their confections looking for validation from the ‘cool kids’ community. We dare to say that the Vetements collective is to blame, having fashionistas wearing the DHL logo as if they were employees themselves, yet new cuts and fabrics bring the piece to ’statement’ status differentiating them of simple uniform attire. Supreme, carrying the flag of the street style, is another clothing company predecesor to the logo a go-go phenomenon, whose recent collaboration with Vuitton has re-introduced the use of the brand name as crucial to any accessory, and once again in enormous proportions.

The Louis Vuitton x Supreme collaboration at Louis Vuitton for Men Fall Winter 2017.

 

The Logo Trend at Dries Van Noten Men Fall Winter 2017

The Logo Trend at Dior Homme Fall Winter 2017

 

Dior, Loewe, Balenciaga, Andrea Crews, Louis Vuitoon, Icosae and Dries Van Noten were some of the runways projecting a graphic design paradise. Demna Gvasalia, replicated his signature satirical style at Vetements for Balenciaga, with Bernie Sanders campaign logo from the US Democratic Party becoming the ‘it’ logo on display.

Following a socially aware conceptual base supporting the new creative outcomes, women’s movement made its way to the runway by filling what it used to be a strictly male event, turning it into a both-genders adventure. Mixed and gender-fluid shows are now marching along with the masculine collections, despite Kris Van Assche clamining men’s clothes are losing definition, fashion seems eager to leave any attachment to being conservative and, contrary to Dior’s designer, looking to redefine what a male wardrobe is.

Continuing the line on what appeals to the modern men, a streetwear aesthetic dominated the trends with informality imposing its touch on the garments. Very few carpet pieces, like Berluti, Ann Demeulemeester and Wooyoungmi, opposed the informal trend set by the signature piece of comfortable footwear: trainers, matched with <hood> apparel in one corner to the couture heights of Dior or Balenciaga, and the suits of Vuitton, trainers are here to stay.

Trainers at Balenciaga Fall Winter 2017

 

 Trainers at Louis Vuitton Fall Winter 2017

 

However, for every major key line structuring the trends’ leading thread, there’s always a counter proposal and Paris wasn’t in need of other fashion weeks to juxtapose the dominating styles. On Fall Winter 2017, French menswear couldn’t deny its civilized way of going classical, as it does season after season, and it is impossible to complain when such beautiful male garments are made, always with an aristocratic air both in the quality of construction and in the upper class aura from the golden years of tailoring.

The Dandy Aesthetic at Ann Demeulemeester Fall Winter 2017

 

Ann Demeulemeester was crowned the catwalk of this dandy aestheticc, while pinstripes populated for once the commonly cutting-edge confections of Christian Dada and Henrik Vibskov. Other brands shining in masculine patterns and shades burnt gold, rust brown, nostalgic of long-gone decades were Paul Smith, Agnes b, Officine Generale, Alexandre Mattiussi, Kolor, Loewe, Berluti and Haider Ackermann.