The Many Firsts of Paris Men's Fashion Week Spring 2019
From Jacquemus's first menswear collection that we've been anticipating for months to Kim Jones's debut for Dior Homme, there were many noteworthy firsts at the recently concluded Paris Men's Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2019. Here's a wrap-up of the most dazzling moments of them all:
Kim Jones at Dior Homme
Artistic Director Kim Jones and jewellery designer Yoon Ahn stunned everyone with their romantic, floral-filled debut collection at Dior Homme.
The designer duo with a strong luxury streetwear background did a street-infused collection for the French fashion house, but with the same sophistication that we've always adored Dior for.
If you take a closer look, those embellished shirts, embroidered tulle and new Tailleur Oblique jackets nod to Dior's haute couture roots and the Atelier's excellent craftsmanship.
Add to that an exclusive collaboration with KAWS, and the collection is a full 10/10.
Jacquemus' first men's collection, "Le Gadjo"
Four months after announcing the launch of Jacquemus Homme, fashion darling and French designer Simon Porte Jacquemus finally unveiled his first menswear collection, titled Le Gadjo (which refers to a non-Gypsy boy).
Staying loyal to his love for the Mediterranean Coast, the debut show took place at Marseille, a sunny town in southern France that was the key inspiration for the collection.
As with his other collections, Jacquemus' menswear debut was well-received for its offerings of luxurious athletic wear and breezy blazer sets. There's even more good news for Jacquemus fans: the Le Gadjo collection will be available on Ssense.com in just a few weeks.
Maison Margiela's couture for men
The Artisanal Men's Collection, a first for Maison Margiela, showed us a glimpse of a new kind of menswear — one designed with haute couture in mind.
Using traditional materials and silhouettes from women's haute couture, the collection highlighted the use of organza, chiffon, vinyl and patent leather; as well as corsetry, embroidery, cape cut and kimonos.
In the coinciding podcast series The Memory of... With John Galliano, the designer talked us through his idea to blur gender stereotypes in uniforms, his obsession with the bias cut and the story behind this collection.
Virgil Abloh for Louis Vuitton
"We're the world," said Abloh, Louis Vuitton's first African-American Artistic Director, at his debut menswear show for Spring/Summer 2019. The designer set his show on a rainbow-hued runway outside the Palais-Royale, which was dedicated to everyone — regardless of identity, nationality and race.
And, like anything Virgil-related, the show played host to dozens of Hollywood A-Listers including Kanye West, Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, Naomi Campbell and Bella Hadid.
The designer had also invited a total of three thousand local art students to his show, which was a first for the Maison that he now helms.
A fan of this collection or not, it's Virgil's humble, open-minded spirit and his determination to reach ambitious goals while starting from zero that is worthy of our admiration.
