Paris Men’s Fashion Week has just come to an end, so we’re looking back on the Fall/Winter 2022 collections presented by names like KENZO, Ambush, LOEWE, and more.
Courtesy of KENZO.
For Nigo’s debut as the creative director of KENZO, the Japanese designer welcomed a meeting of heritage and personal style. Drawing inspiration from the brand’s founder, Kenzo Takada, and his first collection presented in 1970, Nigo returned to the very same place Mr. Takada held his first show—in the Galerie Vivienne, with his shop Jungle Jap as its backdrop. To the unheard soundtrack of Nigo’s forthcoming album I Know Nigo (featuring A$AP Rocky, Kid Cudi, Pharrell Williams, and more), looks that tugged on cultural and conventional dress codes passed by. Nigo’s deep understanding of Japanese denim was seen echoed in the collection in contemporary ways, with trousers and jackets structured in new voluminous silhouettes, washes and pigment printed detailing. Knitwear—including cardigans, vests, dresses, and jumpers—was rich in color and texture, and catching attention with new flower graphics and animal motifs. Of course, throughout the entire collection, an emphasis on tailoring and Japanese construction hit a high note, too, with coverall jackets and workwear remixed in double-faced wool, as cropped versions, featuring bibs and scallops, and hand-painted detailing gained from his present-day studies of Aka-e pottery. For the line’s accessories and bags, Nigo revived Mr. Takada’s stuffed animal scarves, offered oversized casquettes and caps, created work boots with flower embellished soles, and continued to reinterpret many American classics—including bags with a Tamari monogram print—through a creative Japanese lens.
Courtesy of AMBUSH.
Yoon Ahn continues to break boundaries with her label AMBUSH, offering a contemporary collection full of technical fabrics, inventive fastenings, and hybrid styling. A question on what is practical, yet still luxurious, prompts the start, encouraging a mix of workwear and experimental style in new forms. Knits feature logos that change color when met by sunlight; recycled fabrics are introduced for tailored pinstripes, among others; all-organic jerseys are created; and heart-shaped cutouts are seen on dresses for an ultra-feminine look. The brand’s multi-cord drawstring hoodie gets an update with hiking-inspired fastenings and a touch by the graphic designer Hagihara Takuya; monogrammed skirts are seen in vintage-inspired hues like red-orange and seafoam green; and shoes, including sneakers and rubber boots, lead with vivid accents. In addition, forward-thinking leather bags meld Japanese design and Italian luxury, all made in Italy and inspired by the brand’s jewelry.
Courtesy of LOEWE.
Jonathan Anderson ventured far outside his typical LOEWE box with Fall/Winter 2022, shocking the fashion community with looks that shook Paris and beyond. “What is real today?” asked the collection’s notes. “Perfection is fabrication, imperfection is erased, illusion and displacement are the coordinates.” What followed were offerings that heightened those sentiments, including floor-sweeping sweater sleeves, heart cut-outs over breasts, tops with hoops and wires framing their cuts with exaggeration, oversized wiry “Smile” and “Hello” belts in gold, and dots of lights that illuminated coats. To say the least, the archetype of a man’s wardrobe was completely reimagined with a twist, allowing fur coats and jeans to pair, boxers to peek-a-boo under tops, dresses to protrude with trains in the front, and shoes in all shapes and styles to complement and contrast outfits with LED lights and rubber. Tote bags pared the collection back to a moderate place, with a nappa leather Cubi with sinkholes, a tall Amazona in a rectangular shape, a Flamenco clutch embellishes with shells, and more. For this collection, LOEWE answers that absolutely nothing, yet everything at once, may be real today.
Courtesy of Études.
Études celebrated a decade of fashion with an introspective look at the wardrobe for its twentieth collection. Functional workwear with sophisticated, formal tailoring takes the center stage, with raw cotton coats, jacquard joggers, and velvet jackets and trousers. Graphics reference past collections, such as “Nevermind” and “Panorama,” while bombers and jeans don new patches that recall the brand’s twenty seasons of collections. Special for the collection, as well, were nods to the Brooklyn-born artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, with recognizable works replicated as embroidery on houndstooth coats, white shirts, and denim. This season, the brand also renewed its partnership with the British bookmaker Solovair for boots and derby shoes, now in a two-tone white on black polka dot print.
Courtesy of Wales Bonner.
Wales Bonner’s “Togetherness” collection provides ensembles fit for a productive day, a magical evening, or both. Drawing inspiration from the Sweden-based jazz trumpeter, Don Cherry, and his artist wife, Moki Cherry, the brand aimed to offer a vibrant spirituality in dress. By embracing the joyful eclecticism that the duo embraced—their walls adorned by Moki’s tapestries, their bodies topped by printed tops and funky hats—Wales Bonner celebrated the world of craft and handmade pieces with pieces constructed in Burkina Faso. Loungewear is made from recycled cashmere, pajamas are embroidered, outerwear is expressive in turquoise nappa leather, and hand-crochet dresses and matching garments feature small mirrored detailing. For shoes, the label featured styles from its ongoing partnership with adidas, including reimagined Gazelles and sporty Mary-Janes in shimmering fashion.
