Blacks In Fashion
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Paris Menswear Spring 2008
Next springtime in Paris the designers will be suiting us up for combat. Military influences continue to thrive in the season’s collections, with jackets and modified cargo pants. The palette is darker than we saw in Milan, where white and washed colors ruled.Here’s a rundown of the shows so far:
John Galliano
War was clearly Galliano’s theme for spring, albeit a glamorous, futuristic war in which soldiers wear body paint, printed leggings and gas masks. The designer used camouflage as a springboard for exploring other prints such as black and white stripes and swirls on combat pants and jackets.Galliano’s focus wasn’t just on Western war gear -- he also explored Castro-like military wear and Eastern headdresses on bearded, brooding models. Although military cuts have become old hat this season, Galliano took a turn with bright colors and surprising elements, such a pink, printed boxer-like shorts paired with a flak jacket.
John Paul Gaultier
Once again, Gaultier pulled off a truly bizarre and gender bending collection that included a silver metallic wrap skirt, split up to the crotch, and an Abbaesque costume of white sailor pants, suspenders,and a ’70s silk shirt unbuttoned to the waist.More successful were his military-style denim suits with silver or gold sheen, and his riding pants and boots matched with a short jacket.
His denim pants will probably be the most sellable items in the collection, given their metallic treatments and ankle lengths, especially after all the jodhpurs we’ve seen.
Lanvin
Next spring’s Lanvin man is so light and casual his whole wardrobe resembles silk pajamas. Flowing pants with a tie for a belt, and an untucked shirt with piping around the pocket kicked off the nightwear look. As the show progressed, garments took on a slightly more structured shape – vests were layered under loose jackets and slim shirts were tucked in – but pants stayed loose.Shorts were also present – and cuffed far above the knee – along with dress socks and shiny black dress shoes. The palette was mostly natural with light, silvery blues and grays and black for formal wear.
Louis Vuitton
LV’s vision of spring is sleek, simple and cornflower blue. Short, fitted pants, long shorts and simple blue tees were matched with blue sandals and dress shoes. The aesthetic is clean and crisp, in simple, unadorned cuts.After the blues, LV moved into naturals and a muted marigold on dress pants and vests, but the silhouette stayed slim. All of these pieces were given life with shimmering fabrics and breezy accessories, such as scarves and the sandals that are destined to be the look of the season.
Number (N)ine
Takahiro Miyashita’s latest collection mixes the diverse influences of militarism, religion and street grunge. A flowing, three-quarter length jacket with epaulets was shown with short pants, buttoned at the calf, boots and an oversized wooden rosary. The palette was black, gray and beige, but the dark mood was softened by the lightness of the fabric which looked from afar like brushed silk.Monastic shorts and long-sleeve shirts were shown in black and gray stripes, again with the oversized rosaries that constituted the only adornments of the collection.
While not unpleasing, the line stuck to the same fabric, cuts and silhouettes over and over again. A little color and diversity could have breathed life into an otherwise ho-hum show.
Yohji Yamamoto
Yohji shed some of his dark layers this season to pull off a combat-inspired collection of designer cargo pants, military coats and antiwar messages. Cargo pants featured not just pockets, but a zippered layer over the calf and suspenders. Coats were emblazoned with white doves or messages such as “Feel Like Being Home.”Combat wear aside, the designer continued to dabble in his signature black flowing pants and long coats, but this season he choose lighter fabrics and less complicated cuts.
Trends:
• Military jackets
• Blue, black & gray palette
• Metallics
• Short pants
• Modified cargo pants
• Sandals
• Boots
• Scarves