Balenciaga
At Balenciaga, it was daddy’s day out at the park on the weekend—perfect timing as it was the week after Father’s Day. Demna Gvasalia sought inspiration from young dads with their kids, staging the show at Bois de Boulogne in Paris where real families were spotted strolling around the public park despite the summer heat. Clothing wise, many pieces were pretty much what you can find in any dad’s closet. Case in point, loud Hawaiian print shirts, polo shirts, worn jeans, and oversized blazers and jackets that might just earn a nod of approval from gramps.
Louis Vuitton
Kim Jones made us want to scuba diving in glamour with a lineup made of fluid textures and silhouettes, mostly in varying shades of blue and khaki-green. Hawaiian shirts were aplenty (perhaps this season’s biggest trend?), some layered with organza above for a slightly elevated aesthetic, while lightweight jackets will prove to be popular with the maison’s clientele, from leather-neoprene jackets to glossy, billowy raincoats.
Dries Van Noten
Dries Van Noten’s menswear show for SS18 was the definitive guide to how to dress for the heat in style. The checklist includes short shorts, retro, boxy floral shirts (what did we tell you about Hawaiian shirts?), socks worn with sandals, and belted trenchcoats in languid fabrics. The colour palette was exceedingly muted for the season, think dull shades of brown, beige, and khaki—but trust Van Noten to make it work in an understated fashion.
Loewe
Jonathan Anderson’s latest lineup for Loewe has got us raring to go for a beach vacay this summer, replete with poolside essentials i.e. basket weave bags, suede bathing suits (made for lounging, not for swimming), creased silk shirts that had a lived-in look and a tank top with a skull and crossbone embroidery. Quirky at best—but likely a collection that would appeal to the younger generation.
Hermès
It’s not hard to miss out on the youth-centric aesthetic at Hermès this season (an evident shift from what past collections entailed). Creative director Veronique Nichanian jumped on the street-culture bandwagon, rolling out trackpants, hoodies and parkas in technical fabrics that looked shiny as they were vivid in primary colours of red and blue. She imbued the house’s iconic Chaîne d’Ancre maxi link graphic motifs and elements of top-stitching throughout as well.
Dior Homme
Celebrating his 10th year at the helm of Dior Homme, Kris Van Assche went against the grain by downsizing silhouettes and proportions of suits when everyone else was hopping on the boxy silhouette trendwagon this season. The first look was perhaps a nod to Dior’s New Look Bar jacket with a nipped waist, while logomania took a subtle stance via the slightest details including a “Christian Dior Atelier” label sewn on the sleeves and as a logo on tees.
Alexander McQueen
Sarah Burton gave us a contrasting collection of all sorts at Alexander McQueen’s first menswear show in Paris. Trenchcoats, jackets, and suits were given an edgy, leather treatment, while summer-appropriate pieces came in the form of cotton shirts with broderie anglaise. Her mastery of technique was evident with the later half of the lineup. Look closely and you’d find a fastidious amount of detailing on separates and outerwear, some with trailing red threads and others with tufted florals for an impeccable, textured effect.
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The best of Milan Men’s Fashion Week SS18 came in shades of blue
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