The summer of 2024 will go down in history for Paris, and not just because the city is about to host the Olympic Games. A few days ago, Dries Van Noten’s last show took place, a unique moment in which the fashion industry and all fans of the Belgian brand were able to bid a final farewell to the founder’s creations seen on the runway. Van Noten will not leave his company forever, he clarified when announcing his retirement, he will remain president. At the end of the show, the designer received a long standing ovation from all present, an image that will remain etched in fashion history as the end of a flourishing career, marked by a passionate inclination for in-depth research in form, color, and artistic innovation. Besides Dries Van Noten’s SS25, we remember some of the best moments of the last Paris Fashion Week Men’s.
The first show of Awge, A$ap Rocky’s brand
When we asked A$ap Rocky to identify the emotions he felt after his first show at Paris Fashion Week with a song, the rapper sang the Gorillaz song, Clint Eastwood – «I’m feeling glad / I got sunshine in a bag». The show encapsulated all the stylistic elements that Rocky a pioneer of street style: the combination of office suits and sneakers, the use of Americana-style accessories on total black and oversized looks, the most direct references to the greats of ’90s hip hop, and a few ironic slogans that never hurt. Layering and baggy jeans served as a blank canvas for a collection rich in asymmetries, complexities, and low blows to the high powers in the United States.
Loewe’s art exhibition
It goes without saying that Jonathan Anderson never misses a beat. Over the years, we have learned to appreciate every stylistic facet of his, from the “childlike” irony of his eponymous brand to the more intellectual and refined one of Loewe. For the maison’s SS25, Anderson gathered on the runway some objects created by «some of the most unique artistic voices of the 20th century». From Peter Hujar‘s heel to Mackintosh‘s Half Moon Chair, from Paul Thek‘s ordinary bronze objects to Susan Sontag‘s writings and Carlo Scarpa‘s designs, each element presented during the show took part in a museum-worthy exhibition. Alongside them, literally fantastic garments walked the runway, tied to the world of ritual and spiritual both in silhouette, voluminous and puffed to cover the shoulders like a cape and draped over the legs like a fakir’s pants, and in styling, with long golden feathers resting on the face.
Rick Owens’ white army
After last year’s intimate show, which took place in Rick Owens‘ home, the designer wrote in the show notes «I felt bad […] so I asked all the fashion schools in Paris to send us students and faculty who would like to walk in this white satin army of love.» To the tune of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, the army of creatives celebrated the power of unity in one big body with a covered face. «Expressing our individuality is great,» Owens added. «But sometimes expressing our trust in each other is also a good thing.»
Kid Super brings Cirque du Soleil to the runway
It is often said that fashion is a circus, partly because sometimes trends test unexplored aesthetic limits and are therefore shocking, and partly because it moves at such a fast pace that for those who work in it, it often feels like dealing with a bunch of extraordinary people capable of swallowing fire or jumping from tens of meters into a water basin. For Kid Super’s SS25, the designer and founder of the brand invited the magical Cirque du Soleil to show the fashion industry how a top-notch circus company behaves. It was a show rich in theatricality thanks to the performance of the company, composed of breathtaking acrobats, contortionists, and balance artists, with the contemporary aesthetic contribution of American street style tamer Kid Super. The collection was full of surprises, with each model tied to the ceiling like a puppet and looks that included impressionism games, prints that mirrored the plastic moves of the performers, and silhouettes reminiscent of several decades ago. Denim was not missing, but this time it was completely overshadowed by a show full of drama.
The ultras of Prototypes
Not even Ye and Bianca Censori in the front row could distract the audience from Prototypes’ SS25. The designer duo of Laura Beham and Callum Pidgeon, who are also the creators of the distinctive looks worn by the aforementioned rapper and his wife, were the first to walk the runway, striding confidently in football jerseys worn on their heads and sports pants. The inspiration for the show was the looks of ultras, the designers explained backstage, particularly the way they cover their faces to protect themselves from law enforcement and smoke bombs. References to ambulances were also present, with white veils marked by a red cross, subcultures, and 2000s brands that defined the aesthetic, such as Lonsdale.