Paris Fashion Week: basics are fantastic

After the blockbuster, make way for small houses. With a show-performance brimming with stars, Vuitton drew the spotlight on Tuesday, June 20, for the men’s fashion week spring-summer 2024 in Paris, which runs until June 25. In the days that followed, less famous brands presented their vision of the summer men’s wardrobe with one thing in common: the desire to stick to reality and to magnify everyday clothes.

“Reality is the root of our work, explain Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran, designers of Lemaire. What do we need to wear? In the morning, people are in a hurry, have to go to work, where they want to look confident. At the same time, in summer, we try to cover ourselves from the sun or storms. And with global warming, we need lighter materials. » All these reflections led the duo to imagine large hooded coats as light as sails, in airy cotton or fluid silk, multi-pocket jackets with adjustable drawstrings, loose trousers rolled up above the ankle, which let their sandals show through. laces.

Available in a palette of muted colors (ochre, taupe, khaki), this wardrobe is as elegant as it is practical. “We try to embellish the everyday wardrobe so that it gives us the impression of being the best version of ourselves”, summarizes the duo. Mission accomplished.

“I create the clothes I want to wear”, admits Matthew M. Williams, artistic director of Givenchy. His tastes are varied enough to explore casual suiting, formal suiting, sportswear or outfit for hanging out. This time he is also tackling school uniforms, inspired by his three children. We recognize the uniform with tie, short knit sweater, polo shirt, Harrington jacket, but with a game of proportions which is its signature: the sweaters are a little too short, the pants very baggy, the scuffed suede backpacks too small or too big. And then there is the dose of streetwear dear to the designer and his entourage of American rappers (who came in large numbers to this show): flowing and wide pants like joggings, hooded sweaters, XXL T-shirts… To avoid so that this simple wardrobe does not become simplistic, the designer has taken care of the details, adding discreet floral embroidery taken from the archives or hand-encrusted crystals.

Drawing on his five decades of experience, Paul Smith also drew inspiration from his archives kept in Nottingham (United Kingdom). He extracts a host of charming prints that he mixes on a graffiti-style trench coat, perforated suede sneakers, archetypes of uniforms, such as a biker jacket, a military trench coat or a shirt with patch pockets in blue deep, that of the British Royal Air Force. So many elements that happily spice up her easy-to-wear wardrobe. He applies the same facetious treatment to costume, his specialty.

“You have to think differently about the costume, too often associated with weddings, funerals, job interviews”, says the designer who offers suit sets in bright colors (lemon, poppy, powder pink), sleeveless jackets, worn next to the skin, without shirt or tie. And sometimes even without pants: just in underwear!

Emerald Cape Shirt

At Issey Miyake, the “Homme plissé” line represents the quintessence of functionality: monochrome clothes with minimalist lines, in a wavy wrinkle-resistant and stretchy material. The “pleated” has been around since 1988 but the Japanese brand continues to develop new technologies to improve it, and demonstrates it by deploying a large white roll in front of the guests. Between two layers of paper were slipped T-shirts so thin that they could not be seen until the members of the studio pulled them from the roll. In addition to their technical virtuosity, the garments are also perfectly versatile, whether it’s beige trousers that are as practical for the office as they are for the beach, or an emerald cape shirt that catches the eye without being ostentatious. .

The basic, however, has its downside: the risk of wallowing in what Hed Mayner calls “boring clothes”. For next summer, the Israeli teases archetypes of the men’s wardrobe to give them precisely an extra soul. The striped shirt, in wrinkled synthetic, becomes voluminous and rigid, as if ready to crack; the multi-pocket jacket or the blazer are excessive; the majestic trench coat looks like a grand duke’s cape. Going hand in hand with jewelry in the shape of keys or aviator glasses, the collection succeeds: the banal becomes intriguing.

For AMI, his label founded in 2010, Alexandre Mattiussi continues a quest for purity that began last season. At the Tennis Club de Paris, on a soft sand carpet, and in a palette limited to black, beige, grey, water green or sky blue, the designer delivers beautiful floating pants, striped blazers, microshorts or silky skirts 1990s. “There has been a lot of talk lately about the “quiet luxury” trend (discreet luxury) : this is precisely what my client is looking for »he assures.

The silhouettes find a point of balance between first communion tics (pleated scarves, high socks) and night owl sophistication, with very columnar striated heels from Buren or jeans embroidered with sequins . But without any excess. “I want more and more to reduce my style to the bare minimum, says Alexandre Mattiussi. In such an abundant and noisy fashion landscape, I realize that it almost becomes an act of resistance. »