PARIS MENS S/S 2010 HIGHLIGHTS.

Paris offered what Milan didn’t and possibly couldn’t. Galliano’s design was close to non-existence and simply atrocious. Nevermind the hundreds of designers with endless exploration on deconstruction and Damir Doma alikes, my mind is set on my favorites.

Two words: Playful Practicality. The styling at Lanvin was sheepishly looking like Drew Barrymore’s character in Charlie’s Angel. (Remember when she disguises herself as a man with the stache?) The relaxed languor mood in the clothes still represents the house menswear aesthetic. Like the rest of Paris show, there were traces of Sportswear -- Lanvin’s was subdued than the rest. The collection appeared feminine. That femininity was overcome with added details such as rep ties and pocket squares.



The unique artisanal approach at Dries Van Noten with mismatch fabric challenges the imagination. Uncommon textiles for menswear collection, traditional Southeast Asian textiles were reduced to the simplest form – What seems to be Songkets were sculpted into sharp double-breasted jackets. Ironically, the soundtrack that accompanied this modern-ethnic inspired collection was ‘boom boom pow’.



Raf Simons is no longer obsessed with the Future; he presented a new generation of Adams known as ‘The Second Decade’. Not like what we’ve seen in the past collection, it feels like the brand is maturing rapidly. The Raf Man is all grown up. I particularly liked the halfway cummerbunds with the utility belt fronts.

The location was a garden and supposedly the Garden of Eden inspired the concept. That explains the redundant belts coiling on hands, necks and waist. Perhaps it symbolizes the serpent or simply one of cases of an innovative design gone wrong.

Image Via WWD & Various Sources.

Dinie