Paris pulse: what the cool guy next door must wear next summer
Chinese designer Sean Suen and Japan’s Junya Watanabe’s urban everyday looks contrasted with the party-hard bling offerings from Rei Kawakubo as major houses roll out their kitsch vs normcore, 1950s vs ’80s menswear collections
After London and Milan, it was Paris’ turn to showcase the latest men’s spring/summer 2018 collections and style face-offs such as “kitsch vs normcore” and “’50s vs ’80s” were predominant over five days. Here are some menswear must-haves for next summer:
Kitsch was king in Milan – Dolce & Gabbana’s love-themed catwalk setting and heavily embellished dolce vita menswear. In Paris, Rei Kawakubo’s Comme des Garcons Homme Plus show took kitsch to another level.
Known for her intellectual take on fashion, Kawakubo’s collections were all about disco and party-hard bling. Her sequin-covered models danced on stage wearing 1980s-flavoured menswear with an edgy spin and disco wigs.
Kris Van Assche offered his take on kitsch for next summer while celebrating his 10th year at the creative helm of Dior Homme. There was a dreamy and youthful “coming-of-age” spirit to his collection, that switched between late ’80s-inspired evening wear and athleisure-flavoured pieces and accessories.
Standouts were Van Assche’s too-cool-for-school basketball shirts with a reversed “Paris” print; the “Christian Dior Atelier” printed tuxedo; the wide-legged, sporty suit trousers; and photo-printed bomber jackets.