Men’s fashion week starts in Paris on Tuesday, and everything is back to how it used to be. The last restrictions from the pandemic have been lifted, and Hedi Slimane of Celine, who had called official fashion shows „obsolete,” has made a surprise return.
Even when there were previous outbreaks, the fashion crowd didn’t like having their makeup ruined by a mask or their partying limited by social distance.
But now that the last restrictions on international travel have been lifted, big names like US designer Tom Browne, who is known for his creative shows, and Givenchy’s Matthew Williams will be back this week.
Celine is one of the most important brands in the LVMH group. The last time Celine showed as part of the official fashion calendar was in February 2020, before Slimane made a big deal about how the old schedule was „outdated” and „archaic.”
„These days, creating a sense of event and rarity seems more essential than an obligatory exercise at a set time,” he told Le Monde at the time. Since then, he has been releasing collections for men and women at his own pace, often with films shot in luxurious settings around France.
When AFP asked the house why it had changed its mind, it did not answer.
Before the pandemic, many people felt that the speed of the fashion calendar had gotten out of hand, that it was both physically exhausting and bad for the environment.
But after two years of the pandemic, many people were ready to get back to the fun atmosphere of fashion weeks.
Pascal Morand, the head of France’s Federation for Haute Couture and Fashion, said, „We are very happy that Celine is back.” „We don’t have anything else to say except to be happy.”
In the ongoing debate about gendered shows, Paris is kind of in the middle between London, which has gotten rid of the difference between men’s and women’s shows, and Milan, which has kept the difference because it doesn’t want to hurt brands that have traditionally been geared toward men.
Morand said, „Paris will be a little bit of both.”
„Streetwear and sportswear have started a long-term trend of clothes that don’t have to be worn by a certain gender.
“But the male-female divide still makes a lot of sense,” he said, especially since men’s fashion right now is full of „innovation and creativity” that deserves its own show.
Ami-Alexandre Mattiussi, who has been getting a lot of attention, is one example. On Thursday, he will put on a show with clothes for both men and women.
The studio started as a cool brand for men in Paris, but it also dressed Rossy de Palma and Sophie Marceau for the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival.
Marine Serre, who is showing for the first time in the men’s week after making a name for herself in womenswear with eco-friendly, upcycled clothes and innovative shows, is another highlight of this week.
Louis Vuitton hasn’t named a replacement for Virgil Abloh, who died of cancer at age 41 in November, but they will show a collection made by his staff this week.