BEST OF PARIS MEN'S SPRING 2014


If there’s one thing never in short supply during Paris Fashion Week, it’s variety. The Last Magazine fashion director Alastair McKimm’s top ten looks from the Spring 2014 men’s collections offer a range of options, from sleek minimalism to riotous prints, all demonstrating the boundless creativity and imagination on view in the French capital. At Givenchy, Riccardo Tisci went for a futuristic tribal look, combining face paint with technical prints for a dizzyingly fresh æsthetic. Alexander Wang made a forceful men’s début at Balenciaga, offering streamlined classics in innovative materials, including a PVC raincoat with the swirling glow of a hologram. Lucas Ossendrijver and Alber Elbaz also offered a pared-down vision at Lanvin, with smooth lines and clean shapes in bright colors that were eminently desirable. Kim Jones went on a road trip at Louis Vuitton, sending out a gorgeous, high-end take on all-American archetypes against a pulsing soundtrack of R.E.M. Phillip Lim also turned to the United States at his show, taking inspiration from Southern California’s surfers for his characteristic urban cool. Hedi Slimane continued his exploration of rock-star dressing at Saint Laurent, with a skinny silhouette and a hard edge backed by the blinding glare of a wall of spotlights. Rick Owens went full-on hardcore, inviting Estonian rockers Winny Puhh to provide the soundtrack to his crisp dark sportswear. Raf Simons drew his guests far outside the city limits to a distant Gagosian gallery, and offered an appropriately brilliant homage to Pop Art imagery under a soaring Calder mobile. Damir Doma played with volumes, with wide silhouettes that were a striking and convincing contrast to the skin-tight cuts we’ve grown accustomed to. Florals were one of the biggest trends at the shows, and Dries Van Noten—never one to shy from a print—went for broke, pouring his blossoms onto every available surface in a collection that glowed with intense dedication.

Louis Vuitton photography by Ludwig Bonnet. Rick Owens photography by Valerio Mezzanotti.

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