While “understated luxury” has gained momentum in the menswear industry and brands like Amiri and Gucci are now showcasing more understated menswear designs on the runways, a few outliers stand out from the pack. Rather than chunky knits in shades of brown and black and sleek suits, these brands added color and a touch of glitter to their collections for AW24.
FashionUnited took a closer look at the hottest trends from men’s fashion weeks in Paris and Milan.
Fair Isle Knitwear
Despite this, it is a pleasant start to the season as the Fair Isle riders make their return. Knitted pieces with colorful patterns have been updated this season, rather than being limited to their classic shape as seen at Kolor. Loewe transfers the style to a long-sleeve shirt for FW 24 and pairs it with loose-fitting beige cargo pants.
Sacai goes a step further and incorporates its pattern, which the Japanese luxury brand uses for its fluffy sweaters, throughout the collection: from denim two-pieces consisting of skirts and pants to cardigans and oversized outerwear. The collection also includes cutaway jumpsuits and maxi dresses, worn by models of all genders.
leggings
While pants have become baggier again in menswear in recent seasons, some brands now seem to be going in a completely opposite direction and defying gender stereotypes. Instead of jeans and suit pants, leggings and tights are also appearing on the catwalks. Leggings are paired with boots that they disappear into. Doublet uses tight pants in contrast with an oversized sweater and thus plays with the silhouette. Loewe, on the other hand, opts for a fitted shirt, creating a very linear look. Meanwhile, JW Anderson uses dark, sheer tights, although their length is no more than biker shorts. The British designer pairs the piece with loose shirts and sweaters, but also sends his models down the runway wearing nothing but tights.
Glitter and glamor
For the following evening, the designers turned their attention to women’s clothing and added a bit of glitz and glamor to the otherwise demure men’s clothing. There were different tops decorated with sparkling silver rhinestones. From muscle shirts to turtlenecks, the styles catered to a wide range of preferences. These shimmering pieces took center stage and were paired with understated suit pants or even the occasional dark skirt.
A political message
Fashion is often used to reflect society. At a time when wars are still raging in Ukraine and the Middle East and climate change is showing its increasing effects, designers are highlighting the importance of these issues in their collections.
Bluemarble and 3.Paradis stood for peace in the form of the peace symbol and a white dove print respectively. Emeric Tchatchoua, creator of the Parisian brand 3.Paradis, also presented a bag with the words “The world needs more love.” The bag is part of a look that features the face of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara on a red hoodie. A political statement – albeit controversial – coincides with the return of a particularly popular print on t-shirts in the early 2000s, regardless of prior knowledge of the person represented by the wearer.
The Berlin brand GmbH also took a stand and spoke out not only against discrimination, but also during its fashion show. Serhat Işık and Benjamin Huseby, the duo behind the brand, highlighted their solidarity with Palestine in a speech after the show. The collection highlights this through a watermelon print – the fruit has become a symbol of protest because it features the colors of the Palestinian flag – and kufiya, also known colloquially as “Pali fabric”.
Sober leather jackets
The styles presented by Fendi, Jordanluca and Valentino were a little more subdued. The three brands presented rather minimalist “leather” jackets and coats on the catwalks. Without logos or patch pockets and in some cases even without a collar, they presented the Quiet Luxury version of leather jackets from the world of motorsport and aviation. While Jordanluca played with red, Fendi and Valentino showed restraint with the color.
Cats
Some creators bared their claws to make themselves heard, while others focused on real cats. Feline was one of the most popular prints of the season and could be seen at brands including JW Anderson, Acne Studios and Givenchy.
Picturesque
However, it’s not just cats that have left their mark on the collections; Picturesque scenarios depicting a wide variety of situations were also conveyed in pastel colors on pieces such as suits and sweaters. Styles similar to those currently on display at MSGM, JW Anderson and Balmain have already been seen in previous seasons by Casablanca Paris and Kid Super.
This article was originally published on FashionUnited.DE.
