Touches of brash
John Galliano, ringmaster of fashion’s freak and fantastic, showed his eagerly awaited first men’s collection Monday in Paris. The moments when he showed restraint -- as in romantic jackets nipped at the waist paired with white shirts that spilled out from the lapels -- were his best. But the collection as a whole veered too far into camp, like so many of his do. There were odd references to fox trapping; one model even had red marks around his neck, as if he had been caught in a trap. There were also enough gay cliches -- cutoff, nipple-grazing tank tops and jean shorts worn with woolly-mammoth fur boots, garter belts and cowboy hats -- to fill a thousand West Hollywood bars.
Hedi Slimane’s collection for Dior was quieter, with touches of rock ‘n’ roll romance. Models with wind-swept hair in their faces wore a new, easier silhouette -- low-slung jeans with wide grommet belts, dress shirts and elegantly tailored tux jackets with skinny, upturned lapels. Slimane also showed floor-sweeping kilts in gray worsted wool paired with hooded, fur-trimmed leather jackets and sneakers, for the kind of rugged look Ewan McGregor could pull off.
At Yves Saint Laurent, Tom Ford presented his last menswear show for the house; he did not renew his contract with parent company Gucci Group. Here, it was all about the dandy, with pinstriped suits, velvet vests and rich olive Donegal tweed or black houndstooth blazers punctuated with color -- a pink flower on the lapel or an ice blue pocket square, celadon driving gloves or a Tang orange cashmere turtleneck. And how about an evergreen satin bow tie with a tux instead of a black one? Who says dressing up can’t be fun?
With slicked-back hair, sleek suits and spit-shined shoes, Louis Vuitton’s men looked as if they were ready to close the deal. The pants weren’t overly tight, nor were the jackets, and the ties were a peculiar kind of half-bow tie -- a winning combination, and quite conservative for designer Marc Jacobs. He topped it all off with a jacket and trench in a Chanel-like black quilted leather. It was all very go-go 1980s. Perhaps the economy is picking up after all.
