Overview: This was Paris Men's Fashion Week AW17

London - Paris Men’s Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2017-2018 came to a smashing end following a week of sharp tailored collections, street-style and unexpected collaborations. FashionUnited has rounded up some of the show’s highlights and highpoints below.

Thom Browne

On the closing eve of Paris Men’s Fashion Week, New-York based fashion label Thom Browne presented a very conceptual driven collection. Playing on sartorial tradition, the collection was build around the death of the formal suit. All of the designer’s three piece suits featured theatrical proportions, oversized sleeves fitted with 3-D reliefs and buttons. “It’s really just an appreciation of making clothing, so taking all the pattern pieces that went into the classic pieces people know me for, and creating an installation out of the pattern pieces, and then showing them in all different ways,” said Browne after the show to WWD. “It’s a celebration of quality clothing and tailoring. I’m feeling like I want people to see clothing being made really well.”

Photo: Thom Browne FW17. Credit: Catwalkpictures.

Berluti

Together under the creative leadership of Haider Ackermann, luxury men’s wear brand Berluti has set a new course. Originally seen as a conservative, traditional footwear brand, with a small offering of made-to-measure apparel for men, Berluti, which has been a part of LVMH since 1993, presented its new look. Ackermann debut collection featured an array of colours and fabrics, which gave the collection an accessible feel as the creative director designed the range to be worn by both women and men alike. “Nowadays, we all borrow each other’s clothes. Using women brings some sensuality to the show,” said Ackermann to WWD after the show. However, it was the collection's outerwear range which stole the spotlight - which include quilted jackets in ruby red and emerald green as well topcoats in vivid cobalt blue and acid yellow.

Photos: Berluti FW17. Credit: Catwalkpictures.

Dior Homme

Creative director Kris van Assche paid homage to Dior’s tailoring skills but leveraged the collection for the new generation of men. The autumn/winter 2017 collection featured suits inspired by numerous subcultures and music styles, such as punk, hip-hop and rave. “The energy of youth as a means of facing the future,” wrote Van Assche in the show notes. Garments were adorned with contrasting stitching as well as loose threads. Hardware was also highly featured in the collection, as belt chains and key hangers adorned numerous outfits as well as oversized sunglasses.

Photos: Dior FW17. Credit: Catwalkpictures

Louis Vuitton x Supreme

After leaked photos were spotted all over social media, the rumours were confirmed during Louis Vuitton’s men’s show - the luxury brand had joined forced with cult skateboarding brand Supreme. Together the two worked a year on developing Louis Vuitton’s autumn/winter 2017 collection which resulted in a streetwear led range filled with the Supreme box logo and Louis Vuitton’s famous monogram print. "When I was at college, I used to work unpacking boxes of Supreme at a company in London that distributed it when it was just starting out, so it's something I've known all my life," said Kim Jones, Creative Director to WWD. "I just feel that the strength of its graphic versus the strength of the Louis Vuitton graphic, and that kind of pop-art feeling — it works together perfectly."

Photos: Louis Vuitton x Supreme. Credit: Catwalkpictures

Balenciaga

Demna Gvasalia, Creative Director at Balenciaga, injected his viewpoint on corporate America in the brand’s fall/winter 2017 collection. Similar to other designers at Paris Men’s Fashion Week he sought to breath new life into men’s formal wear and tailoring by making it streetwear appropriate. Suits were loose fitted and baggy, coats were boxy and trousers were paired with sneakers. Sweatshirts made an appearance as well, layered over tops as well as logos. Gvasalia featured the logo from Kering, the luxury conglomerate and parent company of Balenciaga, and the fashion house on sweatshirts and scarves.

Photo 1 & 2: Balenciaga Facebook

Photo 3: Balenciaga FW17. Credit: Catwalkpictures

Valentino

“It seemed to be the end until the next beginning” and “beauty is a birthright reclaim your heritage” - two short poems created by Jamie Reid, the British artist best known for his Sex Pistols album cover art for the brand’s new collection. Valentino took its classic men’s wear aesthetic and injected it with a British, punk twist. Blazers, overcoats, sweaters and shirts all carried slogans and tartan wool was heavily featured in the collections outerwear range. Valentino’s fall/winter 2017 collection was the first solo-collection created by creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli since the departure of his former partner Maria Grazia Chiuri, who left for Dior.

Photo: Valentino FW17. Credit: Catwalkpictures

Paul Smith

Autumn/Winter 2017 marked a significant moment for British designer Sir Paul Smith, as he presented his men’s and women’s wear collections together on a single catwalk for the first time. The merging of the two shows is said to be a natural step for the designer, as both collection has always shared a direct design association. The new collection features a range of tailored cloths, such as the Prince of Wales check and the Black Watch tartan, sourced from local British mills as the played with classic and conventional silhouettes. Print is also a key focus in the collection, ranging from a colourful feather motif to exclusive liberty styles.

Photos: Paul Smith FW17. Credit: Paul Smith

Homepage photo: Balenciaga.