Paris Fashion Week

In Rick We Trust

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Photo of LeeAnet Noble (Dance Choreographer) via Into the Gloss Reaction to the Rick Owens Spring/Summer womenswear 2014 show in Paris has been swift and divisive. In the presentation Rick eschewed the use of traditional models and instead assembled a team of step dancers recruited from US sororities. With the lack of racial diversity on … Read more

Louis Vuitton SS14

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Kim Jones may have initially seemed like a strange fit at Louis Vuitton but he’s definitely hit his stride at the world’s most famous luxury brand. I was a big fan of his fresh take on FW13 , and he continues to inject newness and youth into this spring/summer collection. This time Kim Jones set his sights on America, literally hitting the road from coast to coast to get inspiration from this collection (going from New Orleans to Las Vegas with plenty of spots in-between).  Jones showed a runway collection where the mythology of the American road trip is merged with the brand history of Louis Vuitton. While Louis Vuitton isn’t really a brand I look to for my own wardrobe I can’t deny that there’s something special about what Mr.Jones is doing for the historic French luxury house. This collection is in the vein of what Ralph Lauren may have done in the mid 90s updated for the way men want to dress now.

If you ever wanted to see the LV monogram and riffs on everything from plaid to west-coast paisley prints in one collection; look no further than this. This is the summer road trip clothing for the gentleman who’s wealthy enough to fly private.

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Dries Van Noten SS14 Menswear

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Dries Van Noten comes correct with another extremely strong season. As one of the few designers who constantly threads new territory with each men’s collection while still maintaining the DNA of his aesthetic  his collections are ones I always look forward to seeing. While brands have started an arms race of sorts, ODing on bigger, brighter, and more elaborate prints, Dries shows his mastery here , succeeding where many have failed. Models wore an array of florals taken from different periods throughout history.

The details are carefully thought out and the fit of the tailored pieces impeccable as to be expected from one of the Antwerp six. Everything from the size of the collars on the shirts, to the eyewear choices, to the gold-foiled background of the runway match the tone of the show perfectly. While his aesthetic may not be my own, Dries is an aspirational brand for me. I can always imagine myself in it and I hope I can acquire some pieces from this collection. I applaud Dries for avoiding the noise in the fashion industry and humbly steadfastly containing to deliver quality collection after quality collection at an incredibly fair price-point for the men’s fashion market.

More images after the jump 

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Rick Owens SS14 Menswear

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Rick Owens latest Paris showing is possibly his most minimist collection yet. Having played with glam rock elements and more ornate displays in the past few collections, he returns here with a ‘less is more’ philosophy. His trademark leather jackets return stripped down to all but their most simple shapes. Tank tops and t-shirts have few accents except for a few zipper and touches of mesh and leather. The footwear is a mix of the divise Adidas collaboration (which is growing on me, day by day, though still something I wouldn’t buy for myself) and a new equally strange-looking boot.

Adding to the show’s proceedings was a much buzzed about performance from a former Eurovision contestant band as Winny Puhh that Rick says he discovered on the internet. Despite a collection that didn’t stray too far from his foundations, leave it to Rick’s to find a way to keep finding new ways to tell his strange stories.

More images after the jump

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Raf Simons SS14 Menswear

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Raf Simons has had a long storied career in fashion. Now at the helm of womenswear for Dior, many in fashion felt that own namesake label was placed on backburner for the past few seasons. This strong Spring/Summer 2014 collection should dispel that notion. Taking place 30 minutes outside Paris at the Gagosian Gallery surrounded by the work of artists Alexander Calder and Jean Prouvé, this show was Raf’s attempt at creating a memorable fashion moment.

Now that his label has survived through 20 years in the business, Raf had a chance to breathe and re-collect his thoughts. Bits and pieces of his past designs show up here, the bright optimistic flashes of color, the modernist graphics, and a certain youthful nonchalance expressed by each model who walked by. Something Raf himself commented on in his interview with Dazed :

“All the boys were natural tonight. There was nobody who did the hair for them. We showed them as they come so it was very much about the way of dressing, the way of choosing the clothes as a way to express yourself. It was not a camouflage in terms of how you can create yourself with hair or product or styling. You think about the collection and that is what is interesting right now. You can just take it or leave it but hopefully take it. “

With the length of the shirting and jackets being purposefully long and paired with shorts that were inches from the knee, there was a androgynous edge in the collection but the pieces themselves are versatile enough to be worn many manner of ways.  I particuarly liked the black perforated tech-jacket and the bright sneakers/boots which looked like Jetsons pop-art versions of Art Maxes and hiking boots. Suffice to say, this will be a collection that will appeal to fans of Raf Simons.

See all the looks after the jump 

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VFILES Xtreme Paris Fashion Week Videos

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If you haven’t seen any of these VFILES XFW (Xtreme Fashion Week) videos stop whatever you’re doing right now and click play on the above videos ASAP. Video coverage of fashion shows is often poor quality, bland and poorly edited but luckily for us these videos buck the trend. XFW captures the frenetic energy of … Read more

Style Inspiration: Color Theory No.1 – Hermès RTW SS13

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In the past two years I have transitioned from only buying mostly neutrals to wearing many more colors on a daily basis. Color and textures are such essential aspects of dressing and I’ve come to appreciate well-paired colors in day to day life. Taking a color theory class in my studies really helped me improve … Read more