Sporty-Formal Hybrid Shoes, Ballet Flats for Men + More at Paris Fashion Week Men’s Spring 2020
Paris Fashion Week Men’s began its six-day run on Tuesday, and it’s already off to a buzzy start. Here’s everything you need to know about what’s happening on the runway, in collaborations and on foot in Paris for spring ’20:
June 21:
Berluti
Kris Van Assche created the ultimate fusion of sports and formal in his new Alexandra Edge shoe. The hybrid footwear with its contrast fluro sole was an inspired cross between a sneaker and a dress shoe. “It’s all about the contrast between tradition and being contemporary,” the designer told FN. “I refuse to think that Berluti should only be about timeless luxury; it’s a fashion brand, so it’s also for now.” He also found a novel use for the nails used in a footwear atelier to affix the sole to the upper. He used them as you might do with studs as a form of embellishment.
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June 20:
Amiri
For spring ‘20, Mike Amiri evoked Woodstock ‘69 — the morning after to be precise. Suede Western boots and loafers in sand and dusty pastels echoed the colors of the collection worn by bohemian beatniks, while baseball boots in pristine white nodded to the season’s retro trend.
Karl Forever
The great and the good of the fashion world descended on Paris’ Grand Palais to celebrate the life of the late great Karl Lagerfeld. The iconic designer famously hated funerals but we’re sure he would have approved of the line-up which included musical performance by Pharrell Williams and violinist Charlie Siem and dramatic readings by Cara Delevingne, Helen Mirren and Tilda Swinton.
Rick Owens
“I’ve been motivated to explore my personal Mexicanness as a reaction to the US president’s fixation on a border wall,” the designer wrote in his show notes. Which explained the deafening Azteca ceremonial drummers. He collaborated with eco-conscious sneaker label Veja for the second time, on a hiking sneaker with asymmetric details plus “megalace” runners, in partnership with Thomas Houseago, the artist behind the giant sculpture in the middle of the Palais du Tokyo showspace. He also joined forces with Champion on a capsule collection of T-shirts.
June 19:
Y/Project
Last week Glenn Martens told FN that it would have been easy for him to create hype with a Y/Project sneaker but that he prefers to go a more sophisticated route with dress shoes and interesting constructions. He didn’t disappoint.
Shoes with dramatically chiseled toes came teamed with the off-key silhouettes that have made his name and boots took on interesting geometric shapes thanks to clever cutting techniques. One of the male models also showcased a pair of Martens’ women’s heels carried in his transparent concertina purse.
Byredo Launches “Byproduct” Sneakers
Byredo creative director Ben Gorham has launched his debut sneakers. Dubbed Byproduct, the high-top styles were unveiled at a presentation this morning and modelled by a squad of current and former basketball players. “I’ve been wanting to make a sneaker since I laced up my first Air Jordans over 30 yrs ago,” Gorham told FN. Each pair is pieced together from leather left over from the production of Byredo handbags, making the upper of each entirely unique.
June 18:
Heron Preston
Alton Mason opened Heron Preston’s show with a tailored suit made of foam, created with the architecture firm behind the Salt Shed in NYC, where Preston did his first Fashion Week presentation in 2016. There was also a four-piece Gore-Tex collab, a partnership with Levi’s, plus lots of recycled materials from nylon to tweed. He also included a Nike collaboration that he created especially for Air Max Day. “The vibe was concrete jungle,” said the designer backstage. “I decided to invite a bunch of people who have been inspiring me, like painter Robert Nava, based in Brooklyn, who literally puts art on clothes. It was like creating a big family of collaborators.”
Bode
For her poetic men’s runway debut in Paris, CFDA Emerging Talent award-winner Emily Adams Bode introduced the ballet slipper for men. She teamed it with workwear-inspired suiting, hand-painted silk shirts and crocheted knits. The performance-culture aesthetic of the collection referenced her family ties to the Ohio-based Bode Wagon Company, which was commissioned to build show wagons for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Sankuanz
They’ve collaborated with Puma in seasons past but for spring 2020 it was Timberland that got the Sankuanz treatment. White Timberland work boots came with a smudge of blue spray paint around the eyelets and a Sankuanz logo purple cuff to the rear.
Ami
During Alexandre Mattiussi’s Ami’s show, the tinkling of tiny bells resonated throughout the Grand Palais. But it wasn’t the soundtrack. Rather it was the jingling trinkets embellishing the high heeled boots, jackets and pants sported by the coed cast. The designer said he found it calming, “a kind of meditation, pretty and poetic.” He was right. A little meditation over fashion week is no bad thing.
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