Cultural fusions mixing Eastern and Western dress hit Paris Fashion Weeks menswear shows on their last day
PARIS — Cultural fusions mixing Eastern and Western dress, as well as preppy and military styles hit Paris Fashion Weeks menswear shows on their final day.
Here are some highlights of spring 2025 collections on Sunday:
Sacai’s hybrid
Under the lofty ceiling of the historic La Poste du Louvre — Paris’ most emblematic Haussmannian post office that was recently renovated — Japanese it-brand Sacai held its latest collection. Designer Chitose Abe, renowned for her approach of “hybridization,” continued to merge disparate elements into singular, eye-catching pieces, making them look like one thing from the front and another from the back.
Twists were evident throughout the show. Pleats — as seen on white, red carpet tuxedo shirts — were creatively reimagined as billowing white floppy tubular skirts and white boho toggle tops. In darker colors, these off-kilter styles channeled a preppy look, complemented by sheeny leather loafers. Indeed, preppy and military details — Abe’s signatures — were on full display in the funky collection. White shirts, thick-rimmed spectacles, and pinstripes ticked the preppy box; while chunky round shoulders and thick layering ticked the military one.
The collection also highlighted Abe’s knack for blending the traditional with the modern. Denim, colorful patterns, and huggable knits provided a welcome touch of softness against the harder-lined silhouettes.
The art of the invitation
In an age dominated by email and heightened environmental awareness, the fashion industry’s antiquated system of invitations remains largely untouched.
Season after season, gasoline-guzzling couriers crisscross Paris, personally delivering elaborate, often handmade show invites. Top fashion houses compete for the most imaginative and wacky ideas, often hinting at the runway collection’s theme.
Pharrell Williams’ invitation for his UNESCO show was a Louis Vuitton embossed Apple AirTag, reminiscent of a royal mint memento. Loewe’s invite came as a giant colored leather square pocket, too large for any conventional letterbox. Dior Men’s opted for a leather pencil case, topped with a sketch of the collection’s referenced artist and ceramicist, Hylton Nel. In contrast, Vogue World embraced eco-friendliness with a simple QR code sent via email.
Wooyoungmi’s fusion of East and West
Madame Woo of Wooyoungmi is renowned for her fusion of Parisian — or European — elegance and Korean cultural heritage. The South Korean designer’s creations blend traditional elements from her homeland with a contemporary, open-minded view of culture. On Sunday, her show was a testament to this.
Leather Derby shoes were effortlessly paired with cropped Renaissance laced pants adorned with traditional decorative neck beading.
Other looks masterfully combined the rugged allure of the American Wild West with details like decorated belts and a perforated long coat, reminiscent of fashion-forward leather hide.
Madame Woo often transforms utilitarian basics into luxurious, tactile masterpieces, as seen in previous collections featuring lush blue velvet chore coats and fine brushed suede uniform jackets.
Cropped black leather biker pants and a Wooyoungmi logo-emblazoned baseball top on Sunday ensured that, despite the rich cultural references, eclecticism was the name of the game this spring.