Bode

Emily Bode has been making headlines in the US as GQ’s best new designer in 2019 and as finalist in the LVMH prize. So going to her second show, we were immensely curious what the hype is all about. And Bode delivered with a strong collection that laid out her universe of wholesome and earthy fashion, which is anchored in re-use, sustainability and the preservation of the history of craft. It’s rare to see an elegant and belted black coat adorned with cows or a sweatshirt entirely covered with flea market found patches. Most of her coats and suits, all cut roomy for comfort were made of blankets found at horse shows. What’s good for a prize winning horse can only be good for stylish men is more or less the mantra of this interesting designer who started her business in 2016.

Sacai

Opening her men’s show with women is not a surprise coming from Sacai designer Chitose Abe. But while most brands – in fact often very confusing  – now use the men’s shows to throw in a few pre-collection women’s pieces, Sacai’s women were clad in her men’s wear. She noted that the opening look of a suit jacket melded with pea coat layers and hanging strands of fabric to mimic trouser legs was made from one piece. Abe zeroed in on the classic dress suit and churned out her typical hybrid concoctions with the bomber jacket as foundation. It felt more classic and tailored this time. Wildly successful with her sweatshirts, which have featured the Paradise Garage or New York Times logo in the past, she printed Albert Einstein faces and quotes here.

Wooyoungmi

South Korean fashion is trending in Europe and directional stores like our friend Andreas Murkudis in Berlin have been helping to introduce the wearable K fashion esthetic. Grounded in fun sportswear, brands like Low Classic and Pushbutton gain traction at cash registers. One of the original designers from Seoul is Madame Woo with her label Wooyoungmi. Her latest show at the Palais de Tokyo introduced women’s wear. It’s a sober look with a heavy focus on tailoring where double-breasted suits are all slightly oversize in off colors like mauve and worn with black platform sneakers, which looked fresh. Stand out pieces included multi pleated pants worn with photo print sweaters and a section of black leather coats and jackets at the end.

Hermès

While all industry papers and fashion critics have been heralding the return of a more tailored and elegant look, one never had to look much further than an Hermès men’s show where Véronique Nichanian has been at the helm since 1988. In our current climate of ever changing designers, no small feat which speaks for her talent and vision. Her big idea for this collection was to give her suits a double contrasted front often mixing in leather or even adding another jacket layer. It was just the perfect addition to her design canon, which is about timeless style.

Craig Green

Craig Green has been the most talked about men’s designer from London for a few years now. But AD has never visited one of his shows before so it was great that he decided to come to Paris. Let’s say this – he can easily be put on the same level as Rick Owens in terms of creativity, ideas, boldness and making entirely new clothes. There is a mesmerizing outdoor feel to his clothes where young men explore the wilderness and are dressed to be protected and advance. Deconstructing and rearranging colorful puffer jackets for his finale gave us the fashion moment of the season. Here is a designer whose imagination creates a whole new type of wardrobe.