Paris Fashion Week: From Kenzo to Wales Bonner and LGN, men's fashion goes from laughter to tears

Paris - Just two days in and Paris Fashion Week Men’s saw the audience swing from laughter to tears on Wednesday, from the neon brights of Kenzo, to the clowns of Walter Van Beirendonck, the poise of Wales Bonner and the sensual slickness of Louis Gabriel Nouchi.

Kenzo: Tokyo ease meets Parisian gold

On Wednesday evening, Kenzo, under the LVMH banner, explored what happens when Parisian gold meets Tokyo streetwear in the gardens of the Palais-Royal in Paris.

The men appeared in workwear inspired by the uniforms of Japanese construction workers, with baggy denim iterations carrying bursts of colours from yellow to orange and green, in all their shades.

The women were less comfortable, in beach crochet evening dresses and bandeau tops like a Furokishi wrapping [traditional Japanese wrapping cloths].

A full-face zipped mesh balaclava and bomber, already a key piece for next season, marked the show by Japanese designer Nigo.

Wales Bonner: An Anglo-Caribbean downpour

British fashion genius Wales Bonner, born to a British mother and Jamaican father, and who at 31 has swept up fashion’s biggest awards since graduating from London’s Central Saint Martins in 2014, continued her phenomenal run.

Her intellectual and identity-driven approach was this season infused with a gentle summer shower, resulting in a collection inspired by “the vibrations of a seaside town.”

A palette of deep reds and water-like tones made up this diverse line, which merged Caribbean crochet and prints with perfectly mastered tailoring, notably in jackets worn, for example, over scarlet unisex swim briefs.

LGN: Back in grace

The rising star of French menswear, who had missed a step with his last collection, presented in the courtyard of the Monnaie de Paris a highly impactful collection all about desirability and sensuality.

The men’s silhouettes were highly textured and provocative, with fishnet cycling shorts and thick, shiny leather suit jackets, genderless dresses and skirts and suits that looked like daytime pyjamas.

The shirt, meanwhile, was now only worn tucked into trousers and slightly puffed out, with an ingenious elastic waistband creating the effect of being held by a belt.

Belgian delirium at Walter von Beirendonck

Belgian designer Walter von Beirendonck, an idol for a whole generation of the global LGBTQ+ “bear” scene, once again pushed the boundaries of the absurd with a collection dedicated to the figure of the clown.

The oversized neon suits, with a smiley face on the buttocks and a little cardboard party hat on the head, paired with giant polka-dot shoes, played on regression.

On closer inspection, however, these were sad clowns that the designer sent down the runway, as seen in teddy bears riddled with bullet holes and smiles crudely drawn on with lipstick.

Jeanne Friot, love 'harder'

At the show by French designer Jeanne Friot, who invented the concept of “gender f**k” - going beyond gendered or degendered fashion -, the collection, partly sponsored by Tinder, celebrated self-assured love on the roof of her school in Paris.

Under a threatening sky, the designer, very committed to left-wing politics, wore a T-shirt with a message against “racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia.”

The collection, dedicated to the “idols” who help us hold our heads high and be ourselves, featured trompe-l'oeil, fishnet and visual games, as seen in a dress made of a dozen belts or a giant boot that became the centrepiece of one look, reaching mid-thigh. (AFP)

This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.FR. Translation and edit by: Rachel Douglass.