Louis Vuitton kicks off Paris men's fashion week amidst heatwave
Pharrell Williams' show for Louis Vuitton will mark the first day of men's fashion week. It began on Tuesday in Paris, featuring Etudes Studio and Auralee, amidst a heatwave sweeping across France.
The heatwave, with record temperatures expected until the end of the week, is also impacting the Parisian shows. Some have been moved to earlier times to avoid the heat.
“We are applying the rules established in the government and state's heatwave plan,” explained Pascal Morand, executive president of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (FHCM), to AFP. He added that he had sent a “message to all members and participants, outlining all the regulations to be followed during the heatwave”.
As is tradition, students from the Institut Français de la Mode (IFM) opened the spring/summer 2027 week. To cope with the stifling heat, organisers distributed water, fans and misters to the public.
At the IFM, on the banks of the Seine, models walked impassively to the rhythm of the music, despite some wearing coats and thick jackets.
A little later, Études Studio unveiled its collection, sheltered from the heat in the raw setting of the Galerie Basse at the Palais de Tokyo. The Parisian brand drew inspiration from the work of American artist and architect Gordon Matta-Clark, a prominent figure in the 1970s. The collection featured a graffiti-print denim set and a trench coat with a hole in the front and back. The colour palette consisted of cream, brown and charcoal grey, with touches of brick red and aubergine.
The first day will conclude with a major show from Louis Vuitton in the evening. Its artistic director Pharrell Williams, a multi-talented star, is expected to bring “a younger vision of fashion and masculinity (...) with an emphasis on the suit, on tailoring, something that is very popular with the new generation,” Patrick Clark, head of fashion at GQ France magazine, told AFP.
In January, the designer presented his collection centred around a futuristic house in a bucolic garden, after sending out camel leather slippers as invitations. This time, he has kept the material and colour but has focused on the cap. On Instagram, the American designer has revealed clues about the theme of his upcoming show. He posted a photo of a surfboard in the same tones and a video of surfers, seemingly announcing an ode to the ocean and the beach. “Life is born in the water. (...) To connect with the ocean is to reconnect with one's roots,” can be heard.
Among the other anticipated shows is that of Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson, who will present his third menswear collection for Dior on Wednesday. After presenting a collection in January that blended aristocratic and punk touches, the 41-year-old designer may once again choose to surprise with unlikely combinations.
Until Sunday, some 70 brands will unveil their new collections for the upcoming spring and summer. The debut menswear offerings from British designer Sarah Burton for Givenchy on Thursday, and those from American designer Michael Rider for Celine on Sunday, are also events to watch.
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