Arguably the biggest news to come out of the Paris Spring 2012 men’s shows is that the bold lip beauty trend has migrated from women to men, at least on the runway. That aside, what will men be wearing come the Spring 2012 season? Here’s a look at some of the most memorable collections.
John Galliano: No longer designed by John Galliano who, according to Bernard Arnault will never work for LVMH again, the disgraced designer’s former second in command has taken over design duties. Bill Gaytten stayed very true to the over-the-top, theatric-latent nature of the brand and even closed out the show with a slew of Galliano doppelgangers (long pin straight hair, headband, and all).
Jean Paul Gaultier: Andrej Pejic once again walked the Gaultier show in killer black animal skin pants, a matching jacket, and a striped shirt, while the usual line-up of bold prints and cuts made their way down the runway. This season however, in between hard-to-pull-off head-to-toe Hawaiian print looks, there were more wearable separates including v-neck sweaters and fitted blazers.
Givenchy: Perhaps Riccardo Tisci was having a Paul Gauguin Tahitian moment when he conceived his Spring 2012 collection. While there were a few monochromatic looks (including white skirts), the collection was dominated by a bold exotic floral pattern that made its way onto everything from jerseys to suits. Embroidery and sequins rounded-out this collection that may be, to say the least, challenging for the average man to pull off (perhaps Armani was on to something with his biting words?).
Louis Vuitton: Kim Jones‘ first collection as the creative director of menswear at Louis Vuitton (he replaced Paul Helbers), was a resounding success. A balanced mix of prep, buttoned-up classics, and sportswear chic, the collection offered a little something for a variety of styles and some incredibly covetable man bags in the process. And, for the true big spender who appreciates small luxury touches, ties made with 24-karat gold thread will also be available come Spring 2012.
Hermes: It’s hard to compete with the effortless ease of the looks created by Veronique Nichanian for Hermes this season. Few could make casual, sportswear-inspired separates looks so dashingly refined without sacrificing comfort — even the pajama-inspired looks that echoed a womenswear 2012 Resort trend were impeccably luxurious.
Images: WWD.
