Valentino Mens Paris F/W 2013

Du Sublime au Ridicule: Paris Men’s Fashion Fall 2013

Gentle reader,

After falling head over heels in love with men’s fall fashion in Milan last week, the Paris shows have left me feeling like I need to change my status to “It’s complicated.”  I had high hopes that the super-skinny 60s-inspired shapes, nerdy glasses and fantastic outerwear would continue and I certainly wasn’t disappointed with Valentino’s amazing collection on the first day, which was more than a distillation of the best shows in Milan; it was an elevation.  The tailoring was impeccable and, even though you might not show up to the office wearing a cape over a plaid jacket and ever-so-narrow cropped pants, this show made me think about trying it. 

Hedi Slimane Diva

The Trouble with Hedi

Gentle reader,

Doesn’t it seem like ages since we were gearing up for the big battle between Raf Simons at Christian Dior and Saint Laurent’s Hedi Slimane at last month’s Paris Fashion Week?  They were both fashion-world darlings showing their first collections at their respective new houses, which are coincidentally the jewels in the crowns of competing luxury giants LVMH and PPR, so it seemed something exciting might happen.  Well, we all know now that nothing remotely resembling a battle really went down.  Simons showed a collection that was Dior-esque, I suppose, but without compromising his own minimalist aesthetic, which met with good reviews.  Mr. Slimane, on the other hand, designed a collection of Stevie Nicks/Rachel Zoe rocker chick costumes that didn’t go over so well and exposed a rift between him and the press that seems to be getting wider by the minute.