The Menswear Trends That Dominated at Paris Fashion Week
Amidst a gaggle of industry insiders, bloggers, influencers and a cohort of emerging and established designers, Spring/Summer 23’s menswear trends were born last month at Paris Fashion Week.
As well as a bout of temperamental weather, June 21st - 26th saw the French capital ring in a celebration of creativity, unison and innovation. Memorable moments arrived courtesy of KidSuper designer Colm Dillane - who staged a live auction of paintings that inspired his collection while models walked the runway - and Rick Owens, whose breathtaking presentation at the Palais de Tokyo set a darkly apocalyptic mood via flaming spheres that hovered above the catwalk.
Masterful set design and front rows scattered with famous faces made this Paris Fashion Week an unforgettable one, but there’s no denying its main event: the clothes.
Keep reading for a rundown of the week’s stand-out looks, the menswear trends on our radar for SS23 and the labels behind it all.
Louis Vuitton
Best described as a love letter to Virgil Abloh, Louis Vuitton’s Paris Fashion Week presentation was steeped in the playful, imaginative aesthetic championed by the late creative director.
The Louvre provided an impressive backdrop for the luxury House’s runway - a carefully staged toy race track that paid tribute to Abloh’s Yellow Brick Road concept for SS19. In fact, the designer’s influence was felt in both subtle and definite ways throughout the show: from the 3d paper planes (a favourite motif) embroidered onto tailoring and coats, to Kendrick Lamar chanting ‘Long Live Virgil’ as the design team took a bow.
Cementing the season’s Canadian Tuxedo trend, a model emerged in a loose-fitting, acid-wash double-denim ensemble complete with colourful beading, but no trend was better expressed than the movement towards all things purple. Think polo necks, printed shorts and suede moon boots in shades ranging from lavender to Cadbury.
There’s no room for binaries in 2023; that’s why Louis Vuitton and a handful of other designers made sure to feature a few female faces in their menswear shows at Paris Fashion Week. The message is clear (and it’s one Virgil would’ve been proud of): fashion is for everyone.
Loewe
Gracing Paris Fashion Week with its nature-meets-technology presentation, Loewe put its own unforgettable spin on SS23’s menswear trends.
Described by the brand as a ‘botanical exploration’, the collection fused tailoring, accessories and sneakers with sprouting green vegetation to set a fresh, organic mood.
Tablet screens styled as face masks and attached to outerwear displayed scenes of birds in flight and fish swimming - encouraging fashion consumers to stay connected with the natural world as well as the digital one.
The fluro palette championed for SS23 by designers like Givenchy and Paul Smith also lent its upbeat, zingy flavour to Loewe’s collection. Pieces like a lemon yellow shirt and skin-tight leggings in bright rainbow hues seemed to take on an ultra-neon effect against the glaring white backdrop, while an absence of print kept the saturated shades in focus.
Footwear had its moment too. Beating out denim slides and a host of grass-covered sneakers, the Spanish label’s slouchy leather boots stole the show with their statement soles and oversized drawstring ties. Givenchy and Hermès debuted chunky footwear silhouettes too, cementing this maximalist trend as one to watch for SS23.
Dior
Inspired by Villa Les Rhumbs (Christian Dior’s childhood home on the Normandy coast) Dior’s Kim Jones pulled together one of Paris Fashion Week’s most evocative, dream-like sets.
Models stepped from behind the carefully recreated pink front door to find themselves walking through a grassy, flower-studded meadow - a tribute to the founding designer’s passion for gardening. Befitting the bucolic backdrop, the clothes on show were crafted for a life spent in the great outdoors. Think waterproof jackets, hiking boots and camping backpacks - even a buckled-up Dior water bottle to cater to the most label-conscious outdoors enthusiast.
Tailoring might not seem an obvious choice for a day in the garden, but when it arrives in soft pastel shades and - crucially - is styled alongside rubber rain boots, it starts to make a lot more sense. This streamed, classic take on tailoring sees slim-fitting silhouettes replace the oversized ones that have dominated in recent seasons; it was the same story at Canali’s presentation, where sharp suits and clean lines won out over relaxed cuts.
Don’t see yourself in a suit anytime soon? Try adopting one of SS23’s more casual menswear trends. The humble tank top, for instance, has cemented itself as a new-season hero piece thanks to iterations by Dior, Courrèges and Hermès to name a few.
AMIRI
The sun emerged briefly from behind the clouds at Paris’ Jardin des Plantes on June 23rd, ensuring AMIRI’s So-Cal skate pants and basketball shorts looked right at home in the French capital.
Sun-bleached denim, bold branded shirts and tie-dye prints are AMIRI’s bread and butter - the very dress code that’s catapulted the LA brand to global success in 8 short years. Needless to say, this season doesn’t deviate too far - save for some ultra-refined forays into pastel-tone, wide-leg tailoring that prove there’s essentially nothing Mike Amiri can’t do.
All things gauzy and semi-sheer are primed to dominate menswear trends for SS23, with mesh bodysuits and pullovers appearing from the likes of Marine Serre and A-Cold-Wall*.
AMIRI’s see-through shell suit is perhaps the most memorable spin on the trend though, just one of a number of sporty, ‘90s-inspired looks that fused athleisure with high fashion.
The finishing touch of choice? High-top sneakers…with virtually every ensemble; that’s a trend that will never stop giving. If you’re only making one investment for SS23, AMIRI’s pretty clear about what it ought to be.
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The takeaways: neon shades are in but purple is every designer’s new favourite colour (especially if its splashed across a tank top or anything made of mesh), tailoring should be kept classic and denim kept relaxed and, when it comes to footwear, the chunkier the sole the better.
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