Menu Menu

Our top picks from Paris Fashion Week Men’s AW20

Menswear has made it’s final stop in Paris, bringing an end to the first fashion month of the new decade. Here are some of the highlights from AW20’s best shows.

The last male models have departed Paris FW’s AW20 runways, wrapping up what has arguably been one of the best men’s fashion weeks in the world’s style capital to date. It’s been pretty hard choosing my favourites, but in case you missed it, here’s a roundup of three standout moments that I’ll be thinking about for the rest of the year (before my attention is diverted to the quickly approaching extravaganza that’s womenswear).

Jacquemus

Simon Porte Jacquemus certainly knows how to put on a show. Currently trending all over Instagram, his latest production – though considerably less over-the-top than the last – successfully dictated the most exciting upcoming trends in a minimalistic yet bold setting that’s received a great deal of praise on social media. This season’s collection, saturated with soft hues of grey, cream, olive, and beige, pays homage to the designer’s beginnings, particularly the luxurious simplicity of his early creations. Worn by completely au naturale models (including Bella and Gigi Hadid), the gorgeous silhouettes were all presented with sustainability in mind after Jacquemus pushed his manufacturers to start using an eco-friendlier fabric. My biggest take-away, however? That he’s fully embraced the sock-and-sandal trend. Thank goodness it’s finally acceptable to wear open-toe shoes in winter.

Dior

For this season, menswear director Kim Jones made a touching tribute to British fashion stylist Judy Blame with punk-inspired elements that tie in beautifully with Dior’s signature luxury aesthetic. Jones – who is very open about his frequent reference to archives – visited ‘50s Dior haute couture for influence, injecting incredible detail into otherwise classic pieces that men will be dressing in for years to come. Featuring reworkings of the pillars, AW20 is all about cable knit sweaters, camel overcoats, and Chelsea boots, reimagined to fit Jones’ unique vision of arranging discarded things (safety pins, buttons, bottle tops) as artful adornments to clothing; just as Blame was famous for. Models navigated a runway equipped with large Perspex boxes that emitted red, white, and blue smoke, an innovative way to debut a timelessly elegant collection.

Louis Vuitton

Virgil Abloh’s done it again, stepping away from his recognisable streetwear-heavy aesthetic with a collection that ‘studies the evolving anthropology of the suit and the reprogramming of traditional male dress codes.’ Drawing inspiration from the ‘guys you see on your commute’ as he puts it, LV AW20 sees a more refined approach to menswear with tailoring, bold accessories, and a handful of new interpretations of the luxury label’s monogram.

The blockbuster show presented a whole new side to the designer’s versatile creativity, complete with a seriously grand set that totally outdoes the 200-metre-long rainbow catwalk from 2018. Working with Playlab Inc. Abloh transformed a tent in the Tuileries Gardens, painting its walls with blue skies and fluffy white clouds as well as planting a giant beanstalk right through the middle. Looking like something straight out of The Truman Show, Abloh also scattered enormous models of tools around the room, including scissors, thread, and a pencil. It’s this approach to set design that’s garnered him a reputation as the fashion-show expert, one that gives his audiences plenty to look at while still perfectly enforcing the theme of his new lines. ‘Spectacle’ doesn’t even cover it.

Accessibility