The recent menswear fashion weeks in Paris and Milan have returned to their former glory. This is seen as an indication that the market is on the mend.
The menswear industry took a beating due to the pandemic – with the fashion week calendar in both those cities trimmed down for two years.
That said, brands were already pulling out before Covid-19. They opted out from holding solo events to present their men’s collections, instead focusing on unisex or women’s shows.
When lockdowns eased last year, the scene was slow to recover.
Nevertheless, last month’s shows brought big names back to the menswear stage. They signalled an exciting change.
Saint Laurent opened Paris Fashion Week Men’s, while John Galliano’s Maison Margiela closed it. These two brands were missing from the menswear fashion week calendar for the longest time.
Saint Laurent’s last men’s show in the official calendar was way back in 2016. Maison Margiela last showed Galliano’s first artisanal men’s collection in 2018, and ready-to-wear men’s collections before that.
At Milan Fashion Week Men’s, Gucci put on a menswear-only show for the first time in three years.
While the menswear fashion weeks in New York and London didn’t manage to bounce back, industry insiders are hailing the resurgence in Milan and Paris as a good sign of recovery.
Read more: Menswear is expected to boom, as Paris Fashion Week Men's makes big return
A man's world
Vogue declared that “the night belonged to menswear” at the 2023 Golden Globes, adding that stores have been reporting unprecedented growth in the sector for months.
According to AFP, menswear is currently seen as a bright spot in the fashion industry, with hopes that it will boom in 2023.
“Saint Laurent, Gucci and Givenchy are working almost better in men’s than women’s at the moment,” Alice Feillard, director of buying for Paris department store Galeries Lafayette said.
Fashion houses also used the recent menswear fashion weeks to create a buzz in different ways. Coinciding with the occasion, Dior broke the news that Park Ji-min (known as just Jimin) from BTS was appointed as global ambassador.
The K-pop superstar is a worldwide phenomenon. He is adored by fans for his good looks and the way he dresses.
In just two weeks, Dior’s Instagram post about Jimin becoming the face of its menswear has garnered close to four million likes.
A few days after the Dior announcement, Valentino named Min Yoon-gi, or just Suga, (also from BTS) as its ambassador. Givenchy also got on board, appointing Big Bang’s Taeyang (Dong Young-bae).
Louis Vuitton tapped Hong Kong rapper Jackson Wang. He is one of the members of South Korean boyband GOT7, and is lauded for his love of dressing up.
The announcement was made shortly after Wang made an appearance at the Louis Vuitton Autumn/Winter 2023 menswear show.
This concerted effort by brands to push their menswear by means of a sudden influx of famous male ambassadors can only indicate how important the market is becoming (or has become) recently.
US luxury department store chain Saks Fifth Avenue even held a swanky event last week in celebration of its renewed commitment to the men’s business.
A 40,000 sq ft (approximately 3,716 sq m) men’s shopping area on the seventh floor of its flagship store in New York was unveiled.
Brands like Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Burberry, Fendi and Givenchy will have a place in this exclusive space.
Saks Fifth Avenue introduced an invite- only men’s ambassador programme too.
Read more: Milan Fashion Week Men's shows renewed vigour, as the market bounces back
Back in trend
As for trends, the Autumn/Winter 2023 menswear fashion weeks showed off plenty of diverse looks.
Grunge made an appearance at various shows, including Givenchy, Louis Vuitton and Gucci. Slashed and ripped denim, baggy hoodies, caps and more were used to channel an eadgier vibe.
Also, the colours were a lot toned down for the season – yes, even for Autumn/Winter which is naturally less vibrant compared to Spring/Summer.
Black was a staple for certain fashion houses. Dolce & Gabbana even made it sort of its theme.
“This has nothing to do with minimalism, rather with simplicity,” Domenico Dolce was heard saying during the press conference.
“These are our codes which span from black, to black, to eighty percent black.”
Combined with the colour were lots of overcoats, which then brought to mind the idea of villains and mob bosses, or maybe even vampires.
If you want a different colour, then maybe go for purple. JW Anderson, Emporio Armani, Fendi and more all showed purple outfits on the runway.
Yet again, it seems the theme for these looks is to keep everything else streamlined.
Even classic suits made their way back onto the runways. There were still pieces featuring deconstructed tailoring though.
Perhaps it is a way for designers to reconcile modern menswear with the idea of traditional cuts and designs that the younger generation of men are more interested in.
However, don’t think that designers are totally holding back. There were plenty of quirky elements pushing the boundaries.
Collars were seen to be massively oversized. Sharp and dart-like, it is hard to miss this trend – although if there is a practical function to it, nobody knows.
A few brands even went the avant-garde route with unusual shapes like wavy jackets and cartoonish jumpers.
“I do feel like less is more. But in a new way,” Jonathan Anderson, creative director of Loewe, told Vogue.
“I don’t think we’re heading into modernity like it was. It’s not like 90s modernity; there’s something more peculiar happening.”
“We are always interested in showing our style in a situation that is not a conventional fashion show,” Christophe Lemaire was quoted as saying. He is one of the creative directors for the Lemaire label.
“We are very much inspired by cinema, music, and people on the street – we are always trying to find a balance between reality and something elevated.”
Elevated it certainly is. Where the menswear market is concerned, it seems that there excitement and a renewed vigour to be found in the different collections.
Whether classic or modern, chic or grunge, men’s fashion looks like it is back in action once again – if the Autumn/Winter 2023 fashion weeks are any indication.
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