men's fashion travels to the future in Paris

Near the dome of the Republican Guard stables in Paris, the intense chirping of birds that inhabit the nooks and crannies of its iron and glass structure mixes with the flashes of cameras trying to capture what, unfortunately, is elusive: the journey that the perceived has in the human mind.

The idea of ​​restraint comes from Peter Hujar's stylus photography. I wondered what the collection would look like if it were the same, comments Jonathan Anderson, creative director of Loewe, after presenting A Radical act of Restraint, his Spring/Summer 2025 men's collection. From there, he compared the work from Hujar to that of Mackintosh, Carlo Scarpa, Susan Sontag and Paul Thek with the ease of someone comfortable publicly embracing their passions. I love that these people are unique; in terms of ideas, they think uniquely.

The subjective nature of the beginning has given way to a refined and pointed proposition, to clothes that have nothing to do with each other when we look at them and when we observe them. The metal vertices, which are a circle, a square and another circle, are incredibly difficult to make, but when you see them, they become something easy. Other tops, in logo-printed silk, play with the idea of ​​labels; while other pieces appear to be mesh when they are actually leather or appear oversized when fitted perfectly to the body.

Why is Jonathan Anderson's vision so appealing? Because it releases a tension that keeps us awake. Because nothing is what it seems, like the two wool looks that move as if they were made of a 20th century material, or like tailoring, which, as familiar as it may seem as a concept, transforms into something new in his hands: I wanted it to be something that we built from scratch, we made the fabric from top to bottom. […], it is incredibly lightweight, but it returns to its original shape, no ironing required. Everything is turned slightly inward, nothing is what it seems. It's a black suit, but it's not exactly what it seems. It is clothing, but it does not belong to the common domain of clothing.

The theatricality of Rick Owens

Speaking of weird: two days before, Rick Owens had decided to reduce his collection to ten looks, repeated 20 times, to dress the 200 cast members of his show. It was a massive presentation, a convention of differences. A unique gathering which, presented in the language of Hollywood blockbusters in the style of Cleopatra (1934), resulted in a perfect spectacle for a mass audience. Its celebration of the collective carried out in groups of models walking in lockstep or representing human statues has become a new demonstration that it is clothes that must adapt to the body and never the other way around.

Hermès Relaxation

In another area of ​​fashion, Vronique Nichanian, who has been at the helm of the creative direction of Herms' men's line for 36 years, this time took on the challenge of elevating clothing and accessories traditionally associated with the beach. Thus, its silks sway as if agitated by the sea breeze, even if they do not experience a single drop of wind, the belts are worn with double buckles like boat ropes, and the leather bags meet the highest expectations of the most desired summer. . It was a casual collection for men who take their dressing very seriously, the very people who should pay attention to another classic of this fashion week, Lemaire, and Auralee, the brand of Japanese designer Ryota Iwai.

The farewell

The Last Dance by Dries Van Noten

Do you remember the last time something or someone put a lump in your throat and put a smile on your lips? Martin Margiela, Ann Demeulemeester, Diane von Furstenberg, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Haider Ackermann and the other participants in the latest Dries Van Noten fashion show, designed by Dries Van Noten himself last Saturday in the Paris suburbs, will take the time to reflect. forget the Belgian designer's farewell lesson, especially since almost no one wanted him to retire.

When he announced his intention to begin a new stage in his life at the age of 66, after nearly 40 years at the head of his brand (Van Noten also managed to avoid this farewell coinciding with some sort of round number), the overall feeling was one of sadness. It's not that there aren't many designers like him in the industry, it's that there isn't anyone like him. However, when the time came, there was only room for joy.

In a previous interview with the New York Times, he stated that this latest collection was not going to be a greatest hits compilation, but rather the next stage of his career, which, by personal decision, also turned out to be the last. Thus, what could be considered references to the past (from the model who opened the show, Alain Goussin, who also participated in its debut in 1991, to the use of navy blue or magnolia yellow) are in reality references to himself. Or proof of his loyalty to himself. This is my 129th show; like the others, he waits impatiently, writes Van Noten in his farewell message. To create is to leave something lasting. My feeling right now is that it's not just mine, but ours, always.