Sermons, scaffolding and hand luggage only: highlights from Milan and Paris men's fashion weeks

The Guardian

28-01-2025

If the rumours are true and this is Kim Jones's last outing as men's creative director, he is bowing out of Dior on a high. On the same day in Paris, he debuted an ultra-elegant collection and was presented the prestigious Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur by Anna Wintour. The designs were inspired by Christian Dior's Ligne H collection from AW 54/55 and featured reworked beaded opera coats with belts and bows. Enacted with couture-like precision, there were countless possible future red-carpet looks. Even a sweatshirt was given a haute spin in draped leather. Photograph: PR IMAGE
NYFW's hot ticket designer decamped to Paris for his 10th anniversary show, bringing his loyal community with him. For the occasion he took over the American Cathedral on Georges V with blood-red flowers, flickering candles and a performance by Columbian singer J Balvin. His signature emboldened proportions could be seen across workwear and sportswear in a collection that was a celebration of Mexican-American heritage. An advocate for social justice and equality, Chavarria took his bow to a soundtrack of the sermon Right Rev Mariann Edgar Budde made at Trump's inauguration. Photograph: PR IMAGE
A three-storey scaffold structure carpeted in an Art Deco-patterned carpet by costume designer Catherine Martin was the jaw-dropping set at Prada. Catwalk looks included caveman style, fur-like shearling collars and vests, clothing pierced through with jewellery and cowboy boots. Backstage, co-creative director Raf Simons described the visual mash-up of genres, which spanned corsages to pyjamas, as 'warm and human and beautifully domestic', while design partner Miuccia Prada said 'we have to resist the world becoming conservative… We have to be optimistic.' Photograph: PR IMAGE
AW25 saw creative director Pharrell Williams collaborate with longtime friend Nigo, the founder of streetwear brand A Bathing Ape and artistic director of Kenzo. The set comprised 24 display cases showing pieces from Louis Vuitton's archives, as well as those of Pharrell Williams, Nigo, and other private collectors. The collection fused Japanese elements, such as pops of sakura (cherry blossom) pink and matcha-tea-ceremony trunks, with rhinestoned pizza charm necklaces and lobster-shaped bags. Photograph: PR IMAGE
A liberal sprinkling of velvet in midnight and sapphire blues, merlot, and deep green set the tone for an elegant but relaxed AW25 collection. Comfort and softness was key in these easy-to-wear looks. The man himself took his bow in a velvet double-breasted blazer styled with a T-shirt and trainers. While at Prada a narrower silhouette of trouser than has been the norm in recent times prevailed, here they remained loose, sometimes tucked into boots. Photograph: PR IMAGE
D&G's AW25 men's collection, titled Paparazzi, explored cinema and an actor's on – and offscreen – life. The concept of a paparazzo became popularised by Federico Fellini's 1960 film La Dolce Vita , and our appetite for celebrity news has been fed by paparazzi pics ever since. The show, complete with models acting as paps, showcased looks meant to feel apt for an actor's lifestyle, from off-duty big, shaggy shearling coats worn with jeans, to a black tie finale where outfits meant for the red carpet were accessorised with 1940s-inspired brooches. Photograph: PR IMAGE
In a meta move, the models walked over grass turf that was meant to represent the Australian hills where the sheep supplying the brand's merino wool roam. The silhouettes leaned into volume, with trousers and jackets generously cut and boxy. The designer Alessandro Sartori employed a tonal palette stretching from taupe to grey and black via warm browns and plum accents. Age-diverse casting included actor John Turturro (67), speaking to the idea that the brand has cross-generational appeal. Photograph: PR IMAGE
Véronique Nichanian proposed a wardrobe to really keep the chill out for AW25. Coats in rich espresso, chocolate and taupe leather had high shearling collars and high-shine water resistant rain coats were layered over removable whip-stitched blanket jackets. A witty take on the first Hermès bag, the Haut à courroies (originally designed to carry riders' boots and saddles), had the distinct turn-clasp fastening detail picked out in a playful join-the-dots motif. Photograph: PR IMAGE
The IM Men label took over the catwalk slot from Homme Plissé this season. Taking a single piece of cloth as the collection's starting point, a lightness to garments was underscored via the use of perforated and pleated fabric. Kimono references were visible in the wrapping and folds of the looks. At one point, models held aloft a large square of fabric, letting it billow like a sail as they ran. The show was accompanied by an installation by Tokujin Yoshioka (who designed the torch for the 2020 summer Olympics in Tokyo) of two robotic arms moving similar fabric squares. Photograph: PR IMAGE
A collaboration with heritage American outerwear brand Filson took centre stage at Junya Watanabe's menswear AW25 collection, with retro Filson advertising posters decorating the venue entrance. The Mackinaw Cruiser jacket, a classic originally crafted for forestry workers, was reworked in Watanabe's signature patchwork cut-and-sew technique. Versions came in mixed fabrics, including leather with contrast pockets, back yokes and sleeves. Looks were styled with jeans, shirts and ties, suggesting a more urban customer than the axe-swinging original. Photograph: PR IMAGE
Mike Amiri created a fantasy Hollywood lounge bar set inspired by Hotel Roosevelt and The Formosa Cafe for his AW25 collection, which also debuted womenswear. The plush, carpeted scene – with cafe tables hosting VIPs sipping espresso martinis – ran through the centre of the hanger-sized catwalk. Think high-octane 70s glamour: sleek shirts in stripe-foulard silks, lurex knitwear, crystal embroideries, leather and velvet tailoring. 'A homage to Hollywood and Los Angeles, a celebration of the city I call home. A collection filled with optimism, dreams and love,' declared Amiri's show notes. Photograph: PR IMAGE
Simon Holloway unveiled his third Dunhill collection in the ornate salon of a Milanese gentleman's club. Core themes of English classicism and casual elegance prevailed. A key inspiration was the drape suit, introduced in the 1930s by Savile Row tailor Frederick Scholte and made popular by the Duke of Windsor, who embraced its athletic cut. Versions of the iconic Dunhill car coat created by founder Alfred Dunhill appeared in charcoal grey suede shearling (trend alert!) and fine wool whipcord. Smoking jackets in tie-print motifs on silk and velvet stood out. Photograph: PR IMAGE
This season Rick Owens turned his attention to travel. Having spent more than 20 years making the journey to his factory in Concordia, Italy, Owens has refined his packing to fit into a carry-on case. Celebrating with a Rimowa collaboration, the ubiquitous silver case was given a bronze makeover at Owens's request. Naturally a Rick Owens capsule wardrobe is more memorable than most – think flared wax-coated denim, intricate linked leather boots and, surprisingly, long-johns (an essential for Californians like Owens facing European winters).
Photograph: PR IMAGE