Attention art and literature lovers – the AW ’23 Paris Men’s Fashion Week was officially for you! With stripped back collections inspired by James Baldwin, renaissance art, and T.S. Elliott, the week was an immaculate love letter to the world of modernism, with notes of apocalyptic chic for good measure.
The motif of Paris Men’s Fashion Week was a niche but powerful one: everyone from fan favourites such as Dior to emerging designers such as Wales Bonner were inspired by the late-twentieth-century avant garde and modernist movement, which largely developed in the enclaves of the city itself.
As the period was defined by crisis, social change, and hedonism, these themes were echoed across many collections as fashion merged with the world of art and literature in an homage to the intellectuals of the past.
Highlights include Louis Vuitton’s three piece suit which is covered in a painting, Loewe’s sweatshirt, mini-angel wings, and fur boots combination, and Dries Van Noten's beautiful flora and fauna inspired embroidered coats.
While the literary movement opened the week, apocalyptic apparel fittingly closed it. This was seen in Marine Serre’s full-body dress (which wrapped the model’s face in a mask, balaclava style); Rick Owens’ stunningly silhouetted leather cape skirt and boot ensemble, complete with eyeliner a la Blade Runner; and Junya Watanabe’s end-of-the-world attire, consisting off monochromatic, weather-protective denim dresses, body vests, and puffer ensembles.
With a number of collections equipped to handle any natural disaster late-stage capitalism throws our way, Paris Fashion Week ended on an inspirational note by Marine Serre: ‘Each of us holds the power to help slow down the present accelerated timeline.’
Overall, the week offered a powerful celebration of history and agency, proving that optimism can be found in any era – past, present, and future!
To view the collection, click here.
If you liked this piece about Paris Fashion Week, you might also like our piece about Milan Men’s Fashion Week.