With Paris Men’s Fashion Week underway, we’re sharing details on the Fall/Winter 2021 collections presented by Issey Miyake, Rick Owens, KidSuper, and Maison Mihara Yasuhiro.
Courtesy of Issey Miyake.
Issey Miyake’s collection “Never Change, Ever Change” debuted online with a video work yesterday, taking a modern stance to reevaluate classic, conventional menswear. Evolving while staying true to house values was a priority of the season, reflected in silhouettes that will become new basics of the menswear line like tailored pleated suiting, several styles of the house’s solid pleated garments, and other easy moving cuts with simplistic lines. The brand used 100% recycled polyester for the first time in a move towards sustainability, alongside a pleated tweed iteration and a print series inspired by African basket motifs. Highlighted in the film presentation directed by Kyotaro Hayashi and choreographed by Ryo Noguchi and Makiko Izuwe were looks like a cropped blazer in the basket print paired with solid black plissé trousers, a wide-legged take on the pleated pant with a collarless coat, and a pair of quilted sweats in yellow with a deep navy sweater.
Courtesy of Rick Owens.
Rick Owens’s futuristic lens returned with inventive silhouettes and a flair for theatrics. Entitled “Gethsemane”—the garden where Jesus prayed before his crucifixion—in reference to the almost-biblical nature of the suspense experienced throughout the last year, the house has described its new collection as “primitive and profane.” Silhouettes and ideas from recent seasons continued, like long, flowing overcoats, exaggerated shoulders, tall leather boots with thick platforms, and jackets worn open with nothing underneath. A palette of black, gray, navy, and purple infused a moodiness to fun styles like knitwear with extra sleeves and neck holes, coats with extra flaps of puffed material; and washed pieces of denim cut from jeans slung across the body, on top of other garments. Looks were each complete with accessories like rectangular sunglasses, face coverings that trailed off into scarves, and either a pair of the house’s signature leather boots or a pair of platform shoes in collaboration with Converse.
Courtesy of KidSuper.
Captured in various spots throughout New York City, KidSuper’s latest designs were as varied as the characters one might see walking its streets or browsing the shelves of its many bodegas. The house debuted the collection through a series of videos with a comedic twist, depicting moments in the lives of various city inhabitants, like a moment in a butchery, a youthful group committing a carjacking, and a pickpocket being harassed for his crimes. Most garments featured colorful visuals like a sketch of a building blueprint and several takes on a woman’s face imagined as a print, an all-over graphic, and a variation made from patchworking and embroidery. Standout looks included a whimsical fur coat and matching beret worn over a matching print set, a powder blue suit with a ribbon tied at the neck, and a long peacoat with the bust of a girl embroidered across its front.
Courtesy of Maison Mihara Yasuhiro.
Embracing the idea that we may never really understand the meaning of fashion and choosing to move forward anyway, Maison Mihara Yasuhiro’s Fall/Winter 2021 collection focuses on the contradiction between two beliefs—thesis and antitheses. Following the lines of this paradoxical situation, the season’s looks have been created using garments in multiple fabrications and textures, utilizing heavy layering like zippered cargo pants worn with a sweatshirt, flannel, and a faded green jacket on top; or a distressed streetwear look featuring a jersey pants-and-shorts combo and a silky bomber jacket with extra pieces of material patchworked across its silhouette. Statements sleeves could not go unnoticed, including styles like a denim jacket with balloon-cut sleeves and a suit jacket with structured shoulders reminiscent of football padding. Other looks we loved were the multi-color puffer jacket worn with wader-style overalls and the amply-cut green plaid suit paired with matching sneakers.
