This week, fashion houses in Paris are introducing their menswear collections for the Fall/Winter 2023 season. Here, we’re looking at the latest from Saint Laurent, Givenchy, Acne Studios, Feng Chen Wang, and Berluti.
Courtesy of Saint Laurent.
Tadao Ando’s cylindrical concrete update within the Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection hosted an intimate audience for the presentation of Saint Laurent’s newest menswear designs. Posing a sequel to the maison’s preceding collection, the striking debuts (almost entirely imagined in black) were headed by long, fluid silhouettes, bold shoulders, and an elegant sophistication brought on by the most particular of details—a bow at the neck, a softly draped hood, a single leather glove. The brutalist concrete walls within the 1700s ornate structure posed a thoughtful juxtaposition between the finest of art and the finest of fashion, underscoring the exchange that often takes place between the mediums. In soft, luxurious fabrics like cashmere, satin, velvet, and mohair, the garments continued to erase the harsh defining lines between feminine and masculine, incorporating elements like sheer tops, deep v-necklines, soft drapery, and long, dress-like knits and sweatshirts.
Courtesy of Givenchy.
A remix of archetypes charmed onlookers at Givenchy’s Fall/Winter 2023 menswear show this week. The brand moved away from doing things out of habit or precedent and into following one’s individual style and instincts, offering updated clothing concepts rooted in classic comfort mixed with new techniques. Layering was a device used to personalize more common styles, while formality was treated as the wearer’s preference, either elevating or making a garment’s typical form more casual—seen in suiting with raw hems meant to unravel over time and the concept of an all-occasion sweatsuit. A few standout looks included a spacious overcoat and knit turtleneck styled with leather shorts and red knee-high boots; a pairing of opposing textures and colors in knits on top with black cargo pants, work boots, and a distressed denim skirt on the bottom; and a sharp all-over black suit that saw matching denim shorts layered over tailored trousers.
Courtesy of Acne Studios.
Acne Studios’s imaginative gaze offered a challenge to the “so-called rules of masculinity” in a collection conceived to channel a modern caveman. Photographed in a rocky environment, amid stalactite and stalagmite, the looks employed a fairytale palette of rich tones that delighted the eye when paired with fabrications like padded velvet, crinkled silk, broderie Anglaise, and delicate knits. The season’s silhouettes felt almost indicative of another realm, introducing looks that embodied a sort of delicate nobility, featuring sensually revealed shoulders, body-hugging shapes, and delicate tie closures with scalloped lace edges. Some of our favorite ensembles were the distressed pinstripe trousers and lace camisole, styled with knit-and-leather sleeves and a glittering purse; a velvety puffer with a pair of relaxed blue leggings and tall leather boots; and a monochrome gold look featuring an off-the-shoulder top, studded fitted pants, and matching pointed-toe boots.
Courtesy of Feng Chen Wang.
New from Feng Chen Wang was a unisex collection of playfully off-beat icons, conceived around the idea of a joining of disparate parts—be it male and female, eastern and western, or traditional and modern. Reworking timeless styles to fit its own codes and ideas, we saw pieces like button-up denim jackets, tailored suiting, long denim skirts, and shearling bombers, though nothing looked exactly like we had seen them before. There were statement pockets, quilted details, garments with detachable panels, and Chinese knot closures, which replaced buttons and hardware on nearly all outerwear. Paired with a palette of cool tones and pops of bright, warm pinks and reds, the designer played with ideas of proportion, too, incorporating pieces like furry Yeti boots, exaggerated scarves, and other oversized fur elements. One of the collection’s highlights was based on the Chinese “Hundred Families Robe” tradition (100 pieces of cloth collected from 100 families to create a patchwork robe for a new child), which used patchworks of surplus fabric to create new garments—like a double-breasted overcoat with that fastened up top and waterfalled down the back.
Courtesy of Berluti.
Berluti’s collection “The Great Escape” was made around the idea that modern luxury should embody ease and essentiality. The collection encompasses garb for everyday wear that was dynamic, stylish, and effortless, spanning occasions from sports and leisure to travel and business, and ensuring simple transitions between them all. To be released in four separate drops—Summit Icons, Ascend Play, Ridge Travel, and Peak Point—the Fall/Winter 2023 collection focuses on timeless wardrobe staples, elevated sportswear (think cashmere sweat suits), tailored pieces that combine technology and craftsmanship, and weatherproof outerwear, respectively. Through the collection, we saw pieces like a leather varsity jacket in maroon, cashmere joggers infused with notions of suiting, leather bags and cross-body pouches, soft, slim suiting worn with turtlenecks, shearling-lined footwear, and more.
