What kind of clothes deserve to be on the catwalk? This question has been on the minds of fashion industry professionals ever since ready-to-wear supplanted haute couture in the 1960s and fashion shows ceased to show only the exceptional but also the everyday. In recent years, most designers have felt that catwalk shows were primarily communication tools for showcasing convention-busting collections. For this men's Autumn-Winter 2024-2025 season, presented in Paris from January 16 to 21, the trend has been reversed, with a lot of highly wearable garments. But to continue attracting attention – and even admiration – brands are doubling down on ingenuity.
At Dior, "it's a straight-to-the-point proposition," said Kim Jones. "I'm thinking more than ever about the consumer and what they're looking for from us: sweaters, jackets, blazers. Pieces to buy and keep; it's as simple as that." His suits come in neutral tones – gray, brown or beige – with simple button-ups and slightly flared pants. There are also zippered all-purpose jackets in plush leather and perfectly elegeant long wool coats with fine stripes, all cut in sumptuous fabrics.
To spice up this impeccable but very classic collection, Jones played with styling: He conjured up memories of dancer Rudolf Nureyev, whom his uncle Colin Jones photographed, and interspersed this timeless wardrobe with second-skin knitwear, ballerina-style loafers, turbans and boatnecks that leave the shoulders bare.
In addition, Jones highlighted Dior's expertise in made-to-measure construction with 20 couture looks of uncommon opulence, from jackets with rhinestone collars shining like a disco ball, to a cape in toile de Jouy embroidered with silver thread. What's more, the show's staging was perfect for creating buzz on the internet: The central part of the stage, where the couture models were gathered, turned on itself and rose up, with a star-studded entourage around it, from model Kate Moss to race car driver Lewis Hamilton to the K-pop group Tomorrow X Together.
There was theatrical staging also at AMI. At the Tennis Club de Paris, Alexandre Mattiussi recreated the facade of a Parisian building, with moldings, stone balconies and a carriage entrance from which the models emerged. "This collection represents life in a building at 5 am. There are those returning from a festive night on the town, and others leaving for the office," he said.
The result was an elegant, eye-catching range of straight wool coats, wide-legged pants worn low on the hips with a T-shirt stitched with shiny sequins, striped double-breasted suits and full wide pants. The color palette – chocolate brown, navy blue, mouse gray – was sober and tasteful. "It's not pretentious or snobbish. That's not what interests me. I'm interested in offering the right coat, the right trench coat, the right patent leather jacket or the very simple but impeccable black coat."
At Kenzo, Japanese jack-of-all-trades Nigo – stylist, DJ, music producer and long-time collaborator with Pharrell Williams – played on the discrepancy between the majestic Salle Labrouste of the Richelieu branch of France's national library and his collection, which mixed the codes of Japanese school uniforms with the world of Akira Kurosawa's samurai films, and the influence they had on the Star Wars series.
His wearable winter pieces – leather jackets, baseball jackets, striped flannel suits, duffle coats, kimono-style down jackets, embroidered jeans – were packed with historical references to the house founded by Kenzo Takada in 1978. These included floral motifs on jacket and trouser ensembles and geometric weaves on suits, knit sweaters and long coats. "I like the idea of using typically Japanese details on Western garments, as Kenzo himself used to do," said the 53-year-old designer.
Rather than focusing on decor, some designers have concentrated on the sense of detail to make a classic wardrobe individual. Such was the case with Véronique Nichanian at Hermès, who presented the wardrobe of a "versatile man, as life is today" in the subdued setting of the Palais d'Iéna. "I like to turn clothes upside down, play with proportions, create associations and shake up the great timeless pieces," said the designer, who has managed to arouse envy every season since she joined Hermès in 1988.
On the program for next winter are pea coats and short jackets, wrap-around coats to elongate the silhouette and narrow pants to slim the leg. The classicism of a prince of Wales or tennis-striped suit is countered by rubber-soled shoes. The colors are rather dark – anthracite, peat, petrol blue – and black evening pieces shine in lustrous calfskin or iridescent wool. Sparingly, flashes of anise or parma highlight the ensemble, an exposed seam or a thread floating in the wind, as if the garment were not quite finished. "The charm is the shift, the twist that means it's not exactly perfect," said Nichanian.
"Showing unwearable clothes on the catwalk is not the way I do things. Everything we show is produced and sold. We're in the real world!" said Paul Smith. Indeed, the English designer has always been pragmatic, continuing his research into classy but not stuffy menswear every season. The formal proposition was tightened around a few strong ideas: Playing with fabrics by using them against the grain, like pants cut from the nylon usually used for jackets or cargo pants with big pockets cut from precious Italian wool.
And above all, mix genres: a flannel suit worn with a plush mohair sweater, faded denim paired with a grandpa sweater and preppy tie. The collection was lit up by an original color palette, "all shades of eggplant," as Smith put it, acid green and buttercup, dosed in exactly the right amount, just enough to keep attention on the outfit.
At Auralee, the impression was of seeing people on the catwalk who we might pass on the street: One came out of the dry cleaner's with his clothes on hangers and wrapped in plastic in his arms. Another seemed to be on his way to a wedding and was carrying a suit in a bag. There were those who had just left work and still had their badge around their neck. Normality was staged but also found in this pragmatic, uncluttered presentation inspired by the transition between office life and nightlife.
With impeccably cut suits and ties, long coats over jeans and soft knit sweaters, wrap-around pea coats over baggy pants and long jackets with patch pockets, the look was elegant and unadorned. Pastel colors – light yellow, water green and lilac mauve – served this collection perfectly, with high-quality fabrics including Mongolian cashmere. For his first show at Paris Fashion Week, Japanese designer Ryota Iwai proved that you don't always have to go to great lengths to get it right.
Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version.