Thursday, November 21, 2024

The Hits Outnumber the Misses at Menswear Paris Fashion Week Spring 2025

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Yesterday, the whirlwind (and emotional) Spring 2025 season of Menswear Paris Fashion Week came to an almighty close. The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode looked to Chitose Abe at Sacai to round out the six-day menswear spectacle.

Rewind to last Tuesday and it was Pharrell Williams at Louis Vuitton who opened up the French fashion festivities, as he ushered his A-list guests within the courtyard of the UNESCO building. The world’s flags served as the backdrop, as models walked the damier-inspired runway. Williams’ fifth official collection as the creative force behind the famed French fashion house boasted gender-neutral suiting, elevated denim, Western-inspired outerwear and plethora of covetable accessories.

Grace Wales Bonner’s Spring 2025 collection celebrated the work of pioneering Trinidadian artist and textile designer Althea McNish. The British designer offered a wardrobe inspired by nighttime vibrance in cities by the sea, featuring striped crochet and mouliné knitwear. Nigo, at Kenzo, chose the gardens of the Palais Royal to stage his new collection and leaned into the house’s print legacy as he boldly continues to leave his mark on the brand with his use of bamboo prints and a newfangled tiger emblem.

Subsequent to staging his last two collections within his own home, Rick Owens returned to the Palais de Tokyo for the Spring 2025 season of Menswear Paris Fashion Week. Titled “Hollywood”, the designer cast 200 models from around fashion schools in Paris and cloaked them in white belted robes, funnel-neck biker jackets, shredded bodysuits and a variety of capes. On day four, Kim Jones paid tribute to his friend, the South African ceramicist Hylton Nel. Models paraded through the show space of oversized sculptures in tailored trousers and bermuda shorts, sleeveless knits – all in a muted color palette.

JW Anderson kicked off the weekend celebrations brimming with design ideas. Celebrating 10-years at the helm of the Spanish luxury fashion house, the Northern Irish designer insisted A handful of models emerged from backstage in feathers, often gilded ones, as upside crowns hanging off their temples. A handful of models emerged from backstage shirtless, wearing only billowing, draped pants. Elsewhere throughout the collection, there was masterful uses of leather and nods to military dress. Come Saturday evening, it was time for the fashion pack to gather and bare witness to the swansong collection of Dries Van Noten.

Needless to say, the Spring 2025 season of Menswear Paris Fashion Week was a blast. Scroll further for the hits and misses, all in accordance with theFashionSpot’s loyal army of unfiltered fashion critics:

HIT | Hermès

IMAGE | SPOTLIGHT

“I am kind of loving it for its breezing and effortless styling. Definitely one of the few collections will inspire me this summer.” [JohannesL]

“I find this collection delicious. It is not your making a fashion statement collection for sure, but it serves its client base perfectly. It would fit any man’s wardrobe. The fabric looks luxurious, and the overall styling looks confident and at ease with themselves.” [Mody]

“Lots of beautiful, intelligent and thoughtful clothing here, with a light touch of playfulness. I’m looking forward to checking out the details and feel the materials in person.” [j022215]

See all the looks from the Hermès Menswear Spring 2025 collection.

MISS | Acne Studios

IMAGE | SPOTLIGHT

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: What happened to this brand?” [youthinasia]

“Trash.” [matheus_s]

“This is so disrespectful to their loyal costumers.” [helmutnotdead]

See all the looks from the Acne Studios Menswear Spring 2025 collection.

HIT | Yohji Yamamoto

IMAGE | SPOTLIGHT

“Best creative collection so far. Yohji’s still the genius we know.” [Constructionist]

“Still untouchable and the surprise of Charlotte Rampling!” [WAVES]

“Nice prints. The silhouettes feel so clean and livable. Humans wearing clothes instead of the opposite.” [Alquimista]

See all the looks from the Yohji Yamamoto Menswear Spring 2025 collection.

MISS | Dior Men

IMAGE | SPOTLIGHT

“I don’t quite understand why Delphine Arnault keeps him around? Is Dior Men performing so well in sales that she simply doesn’t care? Or the designers she wants are unavailable/unwilling?” [GRFC]

“Why are designers these days afraid to make clothes for men? To create clothes to make you look good and confident? I hate the casting: models with no charisma and bland.” [GivenchyAddict]

“I swear he is colorblind, there is no other explanation at this point.” [avonlea002]

See all the looks from the Dior Men Spring 2025 collection.

HIT | Loewe

IMAGE | SPOTLIGHT

“I think it’s lovely. Much more wearable than previous collections.” [Ihhbl]

“I actually admire this collection; it’s a a graceful output from JW. Usually when I watch a Loewe menswear show, I like the collections and appreciate JW’s experimentation but accept that it’s not super pragmatic/meant for me. But this time around, there were a few looks that I felt hit the right in-between of experimentation and ready-to-wear.” [Overindulgence]

“I’m very into the pants, to be honest. Loving how he plays with proportions and movement.” [thiago]

See all the looks from the Loewe Menswear Spring 2025 collection.

HIT | Ami

IMAGE | SPOTLIGHT

“What a breath of fresh air. It is so french and unpretentiously fashionable. The Row is definitely the Temu/Shein version of this. They try so hard to look like this!” [tourbillions]

“I have such a soft spot for this brand. Good collection and great casting as usual.” [couturefan]

“This brand has been slowly floating onto my radar in recent months. Even though this collection features materials and colour combinations that I’m not necessarily usually fond of, everything is very well put together here. Many of the greens and mustard combinations actually look great, especially the looks with the men’s trenches. And then of course the reds are the end are great.” [Fiercification]

See all the looks from the Ami Menswear Spring 2025 collection.

MISS | Rick Owens

IMAGE | SPOTLIGHT

“Rick Owens really thought he did something with 10 looks repeatedly 20 times on 200 models.” [THD96]

“So tired of these costume collections. Stop and design some fashion, Rick.” [Alquimista]

“I did not like this collection. I really respect Rick’s aesthetic, but it’s tired to me now. It has plateaued to put it kindly. People who are wearing Rick nowadays are all wanna-be’s, so it’s been pretty commercialized to me. Doesn’t feel as special anymore.” [jeremydante]

See all the looks from the Rick Owens Menswear Spring 2025 collection.

HIT | Dries Van Noten

IMAGE | SPOTLIGHT

“A beautiful swan song. I like it doesn’t feel like the a greatest hits collection but rather a continuous chapter of his fashion journey.” [THD96]

“Perfection, top to bottom. What a spectacular swan song. I love that he goes out on an extremely high note and now he can enjoy the retirement he deserves. The casting is so perfect.” [TaylorBinque]

“A beautiful farewell, and what a wonderful casting. I collected many pieces of his shows over the years, wearing Dries to multiple key moments in my life both public and private. He truly approached menswear like no other.” [Thefrenchy]

See all the looks from the Dries Van Noten Menswear Spring 2025 collection.

MISS | Wales Bonner

IMAGE | SPOTLIGHT

“What’s the point of spending thousands on a fashion show when you don’t have anything interesting to present?” [avonlea002]

“Stop trying to make her happen. Constantly underwhelming.” [Lorenzogi]

“This is the kind of hyped designers that when given a heritage house falls flat. Some nice ideas but no vision.” [toubillions]

See all the looks from the Wales Bonner Menswear S/S 2025 collection.

MISS | Courrèges

IMAGE | SPOTLIGHT

“Nicolas Di Felice is talented but his gimmicks are somehow turning his good designs and cut into a whole gimmick. When you should concentrate on a cut of a jacket, a shoulder of a coat or the hem of a dress, you are there looking at a stupid hand on the pocket.” [Lola701]

“Yeah, stick to womenswear.” [tourbillions]

“Just do non-binary collections with shared spaces. Stop calling this menswear.” [jeremydante]

See all the looks from the Courrèges Menswear Spring 2025 collection.

HIT | Louis Vuitton

IMAGE | SPOTLIGHT

“That was quite a great show and quite a strong collection from Pharrell. It’s better in terms of cut and silhouettes plus, some looks were very chic. The cast was wonderful. So far, the best collection of the season.” [Lola701]

“I like it, good to see Pharrell Williams actually making an effort to do something new!” [Kanzai]

“The best collection I’ve seen of him. Williams has got an eye for fashion and for a probable it-piece.” [Alquimista]

See all the looks from the Louis Vuitton Menswear Spring 2025 collection.

HIT | Junya Watanabe

IMAGE | SPOTLIGHT

“A great collection!” [MModa]

“Beauty of a collection. Eccentric, well made suits. His fun jackets that I would love to own. And T-SHIRTS. The sensibility of proposing t-shirts for summer. When so many designers pretend nobody wears them cause they want to seem intellectual or something…BS. T-shirts are a staple of the modern wardrobe and fashion houses tend to sell bad ones. Not Junya.” [Alquimista]

See all the looks from the Junya Watanabe Menswear Spring 2025 collection.

MISS | Kenzo

IMAGE | SPOTLIGHT

“I just want to cry. Close the house please.” [yslforever]

“OK, it’s been 3 years. Can we fire Nigo now?” [LadyJunon]

“I admire anyone who even tries to dissect this collection and give some sort of critique. It is just complete nonsense of a collection.” [90sFan]

See all the looks from the Kenzo Menswear Spring 2025 collection.

HIT | Sacai

IMAGE | SPOTLIGHT

“Everything is so easy on the eyes, and unmistakably Sacai.” [vetements]

“I love it, easily one of my favorite collections of this menswear season. This collection feels very nonchalant, a modern French look with a Sacai twist. The styling is perfect, making you want to wear the clothes straight out the runway. I’m obsessed with jackets and knitwear, they look so much fun to wear. The tailoring is sublime and relaxed but still impeccable. Bravo Chitose, another hit,” [THD96]

“The most wearable in years! I love the knits the most.” [TomBlanksFullFatMiuMiu]

See all the looks from the Sacai Menswear Spring 2025 collection.

HIT | Comme des Garçons Homme Plus

IMAGE | SPOTLIGHT

“The coats are to die for, especially these two. It’s a beautiful collection.” [avonlea002]

“I like the black coat from the first look, the flat ruffles look interesting.” [jeanclaude]

“There is so much fashion ‘good manners’ out there that I have to say I like this for not doing that. Thank you for punching my face, Rei. These clothes challenge me, seduce me. I want to try them all.” [Alquimista]

See all the looks from the Comme des Garçons Homme Plus Spring 2025 collection.

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