MENSWEAR : Light and Loose
Lighten up and brighten up. That was the message from the menswear designers recently exhibiting spring, 1992, collections at SEHM, the annual fashion fair in Paris.
SEHM attracts up-and-coming talents, and several designers are gaining international attention. Prime among them is Dominique Morlotti, who showed his first signature collection in February, after designing for Christian Dior for some time. He has also opened a boutique on the chic rue Saint-Sulpice on the city’s Left Bank.
Morlotti’s casual wear updates classic sweat shirts, anoraks and khaki trousers. Asked how the international recession is affecting the industry, he said, “Change is very much in the air. We’re on the edge of a new century, and if fashion responds to this strongly, people will start buying again.”
Dries van Noten, a Norway transplant living in Paris, is becoming an international contender as well. His look for spring/summer 1992 is loose, long unconstructed jackets, shirts and trousers in natural linen. An emphasis on an almost pajama-like comfort and natural fibers give his designs strong ecological overtones. In Los Angeles, his label is sold at Fred Segal, Maxfield and Charles Gallay.
Another free spirit, Belgian Walter Van Beirendonck, a prodigiously talented designer who has made a reputation in Europe for his vivid knitwear and funky accessories, debuted his secondary line called Wild and Lethal Trash. It consisted of sexy color-blocked action wear and denim that was a big hit with buyers from British and Italian boutiques.
There were a few designers, including the Franco-American team Roelli-Testu, who were not afraid to toy with shapes, but most headed for the safe ground of playing with color instead of silhouettes.
Most offered a riot of color, with plum, topaz, moss and geranium-red as the stars. Patterns were important, with subtle stripes and houndstooth checks often used for suits and jackets.
Many continued to push shirt jackets in solid colors, a concept that has been gaining momentum for several seasons. Shorts suits had a made-for-Los Angeles look about them and appeared with some regularity.
