The Hottest Trends From Paris Men’s Fashion Week Fall Winter 2023
Which runway shows stood out most this season?
Spirited, sophisticated and stylish. This season's Men’s Fashion Week in Paris took us on an impactful six-day journey through dazzling collections and celebrity moments which we’ll want to relive over and over again. Loewe, Dior and Louis Vuitton drew on renaissance art, T.S. Eliot’s poetry and the late Virgil Abloh’s creative prowess, respectively, for inspiration, making this one of the most exciting, refreshing and star-studded menswear seasons in recent memory.
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Fashion’s obsession with Korean idols continues to rage on with tons of celebrity appearances, including from BTS’ Jimin, recently named a brand ambassador for Dior, and bandmate J-Hope, who stole the show with additional appearances at Louis Vuitton and Hermès.
Of course, we can’t forget about the other noteworthy K-pop guests, including LV’s newest brand ambassador Jackson Wang, NCT’s Ten at Saint Laurent, Seventeen’s Hoshi at AMI and BIGBANG’s Taeyang, who was spotted at Givenchy.
Filling Abloh’s shoes is a challenge, but Dillane proved that Louis Vuitton’s menswear line might be in safe hands if he gets the job. His latest collection was designed by the label’s in-house team, which worked with Abloh throughout his tenure, with Dillane lending his creative direction and keen eyes over the production of selected pieces.
The seamless amalgamation of Abloh’s colourful aesthetic and KidSuper’s punchy illustrious prints could be seen on the countless outerwear-heavy looks which pounded the dreamy bedroom runway, designed by the Gondry Brothers, while the one and only Rosalía performed a special set of her greatest hits.
Look out: bold animal prints are back and better than ever. From Givenchy’s snakeskin pants to Kim Jones’ subtle leopard-print trench coat, this trend has roared back to the runways with tasteful execution in the tailoring department.
Jonathan Anderson’s copper wings for Loewe further supplements this with individually cut metal feathers that were also embossed by hand. While the entire collection shifted towards simpler silhouettes and colours, the unconventional materials and finishes show that maximalist fashion is still holding strong.
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Although skirts for men already made a massive comeback last year, it was revitalised this season thanks to one trusted styling trick – layering. On the runway Ximon Lee’s wide array of skirts caught the audience’s attention, but it was the layering of miniskirts on top of leather trousers which kept us interested.
Off the runway, Emily In Paris’ Lucien Laviscount pulled up to the Louis Vuitton show in a baby blue pleated maxi skirt and pants combo that brought just the right amount of drama and whimsy.
Over the past year, furry hats have quickly become a quirky statement piece for stars like Megan Fox, Kendall Jenner and Rihanna. Now, it’s officially been designer-approved with Feng Chen Wang’s oversized cowboy hat and Kid Cudi’s Ushanka hat.
Feng Chen Wang didn’t just stop at headgear, though - the designer’s latest collection featured furry coats, bags and shoes, as well. Just a couple of days later, Rick Owens debuted a hairy bomber jacket with accentuated shoulders filled with punk rock energy.
Flannel, tartan and other checkered patterns had a chokehold on early 2010s fashion, but faded into the background pretty soon after. Thanks to the indie sleaze trend though, we’re now seeing their resurgence in full force.
Comme Des Garçons had an excellent spread of tartan suits with kilts and shorts which sat on the edge of preppy and rebellion. Hed Mayner went for a neutral palette with an oversized tartan coat, a pair of wide-legged pants and a blanket scarf. EGONLAB had a more subtle approach, using flannel shirts to accentuate certain looks and tartan scarves structured to appear as if they were frozen by the wind.
Kim Jones’ latest collection for Dior was an homage to T.S. Eliot’s melancholic poem “The Waste Land” and more importantly, to Yves Saint Laurent’s fleeting time as creative director of the house in 1958. Some of the pieces were adapted from Saint Laurent’s best archival designs, like the off-the-shoulder ‘Acacias’ wool sweaters which were slouchy in all the best ways. One standout included embroidered chains of lily of the valley flowers, which were one of Christian Dior’s favourites.