This Year’s Spring/Summer Paris Men’s Fashion Week Was Anything But Ordinary

Widely regarded as the style capital of the world, it’s no surprise that Paris Fashion Week sits at the centre of everyone’s design calendar. This year, it didn’t disappoint. The 2022/23 Spring/Summer Men’s showcase was loaded with incredible collections from some of the best menswear designers in the world, but for those who couldn’t make the trek this year, we’ve covered arguably this year’s three most iconic shows. From Dior and Louis Vuitton to our favourites at Celine, let’s jump in and fulfil those Paris fashion week cravings.

Louis Vuitton Men’s Spring/Summer 2023 Show

In a stunning move that made headlines around the globe, Louis Vuitton transformed the grounds outside the Louvre into a life-size toy train set. The yellow brick road-inspired runway swirled around the set was a nod to Virgil Abloh‘s Wizard of Oz fascination, arriving complete with big red balloons inked with the LV logo dotted around the runway. Before his passing, Abloh was renowned for his ability to translate childlike fascination into his high-fashion collection, both with LV and Off-White. This season, the idea of ‘play’ was woven through the 73-look collection and this played through the music, as well. Another theme central to Abloh’s work, his shows were often paired with trailblazing artists and mixes. This season was no different, as the show opened with a high-energy performance by the Florida A&M University marching band, which was then followed by a live set by rapper Kendrick Lamar, who performed from his seat wearing a sparkling crown of thorns. From there, the high-fashion showcased kicked off. Shirting with zig-zagged hems and suiting in the most delicate shade of violet opened the show, followed by coats that dangled charms shaped like sandbox tools, racing leathers in psychedelic wavy panels. A black suit covered in origami paper planes, and two backpacks sprouting giant 3D-printed loudspeakers were standout pieces, while charm belts wrapped around overcoats made a serious statement. In terms of accessories, LV’s models walked with candy-like jewellery and or colourful beaded necklaces, creating a uniquely playfully aesthetic. Some outfits were crowned with woven skull caps dripping with beads and paper hat-looking designs made from smooth white leather. The collection also unveiled a new supersized chunky skate shoe called ‘Le Boyhood’, its fat laces are treated through those same chunky beads, forming one of the collection’s many wearable incarnations of ‘play’.

Abloh’s love of flowers was reflected in floral motifs that were delicately embroidered on dégradé tapestry chenille coats, while a rustic jacquard moucheté gave suits and shorts a tactile effect. This was continued with outsize suits and coats with flower-shaped buttons. The denim was worn loose, while skirts appeared in layered pleats and even in a frothy white tulle. Some of the skirts featured a high-waisted cut, these were styled with knit crop tops, creating a silhouette that not only felt fresh but was irresistibly cool. 

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Dior Homme Spring/Summer 2023 Show

For PFW 2022, Dior took the ‘go big or go home’ notion to the extreme. On the grounds of the Parisian monastery Val-de-Grâce, the maison placed a staggering 19,000 plants dotted across a real lawn inside the marquee, where the flowers were planted after the event. At either end of the garden-themed runway stood two houses, each smaller-scale reproductions of Christian Dior’s childhood home and Duncan Grant’s farmhouse in England. Artistic director of menswear at Dior, Kim Jones stated to WWD, “It was the starting point of a collection that mixed elegant tailoring, inspired by Dior’s revolutionary New Look, with gardening and hiking influences, in the form of technical outerwear, some of it embellished with prints drawn from Grant’s artworks and furniture designs.” The collection as a whole was a celebration of soft gradations of dusty pinks, pale greys and blues as well as a myriad of pastel hues. These pastels were featured on utilitarian silhouettes and punchy printed knits. Straw hats reminiscent of Grant’s personal style were rendered by milliner Stephen Jones in a 3D-printed version in an openwork pattern inspired by the pergola in Dior’s garden. Dior’s signature cannage motif was also carved out and moulded into futuristic sandals made from a single piece of recycled rubber. The outfits were grounded in the natural world, with some featuring works from Grant. These included the “Lilypond Screen,” made around 1913 and the painting “Musicians” which was reproduced on a sweater. While a fan design was embroidered on a transparent tulle top. There were variations on Dior’s Bar jacket, made in semi-transparent silk organza that revealed the garment’s construction. A fresh take on the signature side-buttoned Tailleur Oblique was also on display with suit jackets featuring a layered lapel that resembled a pair of buttoned sleeves. The collection also features double-layer shorts, zippy camo-jackets and one-shoulder tops. A beige suit was paired with a sporty backpack, while duck egg blue coats were quilted for a utilitarian edge with zips and pockets. Dior also collaborated with Mystery Ranch on a series of utilitarian Saddlebags, belt bags, rucksacks as well as backpacks that came with intricately embroidered detachable covers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqavGQWE8U0

CELINE Homme Summer 23 Show

French fashion house CELINE made its awaited comeback this season, closing 2022 Paris Men’s Fashion Week in. trademark style. Hedi Slimane picked Palais de Tokyo, Europe’s largest museum of contemporary art as the location for his official comeback to Parisian runways, opening with the designer’s signature light show. Packed with retro vibes and many references to rock stardom, the show saw BLACKPINK member Lisa and BTS member V both command attention sitting front row as they showcased looks from Slimane’s collection titled “DYSFUNCTIONAL BAUHAUS.” From there, Slimane sent out a lineup of bare-chested models in sheer and sequin-embellished pieces, unzipped tops, dazzling blazers and oversized jackets with metallic embellishments and fringes. Models also wore big necklace plastrons that acted as clothes, as well as leopard print and coconut tree landscape patterns that appeared on short sleeve shirts and paired with sunglasses and the model’s hands thrust in front pockets. Celine made a statement with their pants as models wore a mixture of stovepipe leather pants and skin-hugging pants along with Winklepickers and blue drainpipe jeans that were capped with fringed black leather coats and shades. While gently flared black pants were used as a backdrop for statement fringed coats and jackets. Pointy boots with cone-shaped heels were paired with fancy blousons decorated with studs, fringe or all-over sequins. A long beige coat was thrown over a leather jacket paired with an ultra-slim tie and a white shirt added depth to slip-on shoes and raw-edged jeans. Each Celine model variously emitted punk, rockabilly, grunge or emo vibes. Check it out

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