http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050129/lf_afp/afplifestylefashionmenshow_050129153744
Big and small names in men's fashion opt for showroom presentations
Sat Jan 29,10:37 AM ET
PARIS (AFP) - Jean-Paul Gaultier and Karl Lagerfeld abandoned the catwalk to unveil their winter menswear lines in the intimacy of their showrooms, a common option for up-and-coming brands with limited budgets.
A small showroom presentation allows buyers to place orders in a calm setting and allows editors to see the clothing up close, either on hangers or on in-house models who sport the signature looks for the season.
And, perhaps not least importantly, such a display costs a fashion house much less than a flashy catwalk show.
Gaultier, who unveiled his spring-summer 2005 haute couture collection on the catwalk in his Paris headquarters just three days ago, reconfigured the space to make his autumn-winter 2005-06 collection the sole star of the show.
He offered a sharp silhouette with suits cut close to the body and finished with tailor stitching. For the man tired of wearing plain white shirts, he offered cropped trench coat and perfecto motorcycle jacket versions.
The French designer drew inspiration from the works of cubist painter Robert Delaunay for his ultra-thin knitwear. He will put both men and women on the catwalk in March, a move that the house says will give the brand more cohesion.
Although he stages two catwalk shows a year for his women's line, Lagerfeld has yet to put his menswear on the runway. Instead, the German designer put on a mini-show of 20 ensembles at his corporate headquarters.
Slim-cut suits, crisp white shirts with pointed cuffs, skinny pastel ties and chunky belts with silver "KARL" buckles -- the collection was pure Lagerfeld. Royal blue pinstripes gave a black suit a bit of pizzazz.
A spokeswoman said the label had seen an increased interest in the collection this season, especially from the US press, following the December sale of Lagerfeld's clothing lines to US fashion giant Tommy Hilfiger.
Cacharel launched its new menswear line 'Cacharel Le' -- designed by Belgian duo Thierry Rondenet and Herve Yvrenogeau, who also work under the label Own -- at the company's headquarters near the boulevard Haussmann.
The designers described the collection as a wardrobe for the "elegant and urban man" -- tailored suits in neutral colors and shirts in geometric and subtle landscape prints.
Beyond the international labels looking to save a few cents and bring the editors and buyers closer to the clothes, about 40 lesser-known labels looking to get noticed have joined forces at the stylish display space Rendez-Vous.
The items on offer run the gamut from the funky print tee-shirts at Buddhist Punk and Moto 777 to the cult denim at Sweden's Acne Jeans to multi-function orange parkas at Final Home, an offshoot of Japan's Issey Miyake.
Pontus Bjorkman, sales director for Acne Jeans, explained that the two-floor Rendez-Vous atelier brought together "all good brands" and was simply "more sexy" than other fashion trade shows.
But above all, the setting afforded his company "a great success last season". The jeans for men and women are sold in ultra-chic shops from Paris to New York to Hong Kong. US film director Sofia Coppola (news) is a fan.
Buddhist Punk, founded by an Australian hair stylist living in Bali, incorporates Buddhist concepts like reincarnation into its goth rocker garb, and has collaborated with bands like the Rolling Stones, AC/DC and Prodigy.
After showing in New York last September, the label decided to make an appearance at Rendez-Vous during Paris men's fashion week to raise its profile, a company spokeswoman told AFP.
Men's fashion week returns to the catwalk later Saturday with shows from Japan's Yohji Yamamoto, US designer Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton and Belgium's Dries van Noten.
Big and small names in men's fashion opt for showroom presentations
Sat Jan 29,10:37 AM ET
PARIS (AFP) - Jean-Paul Gaultier and Karl Lagerfeld abandoned the catwalk to unveil their winter menswear lines in the intimacy of their showrooms, a common option for up-and-coming brands with limited budgets.
A small showroom presentation allows buyers to place orders in a calm setting and allows editors to see the clothing up close, either on hangers or on in-house models who sport the signature looks for the season.
And, perhaps not least importantly, such a display costs a fashion house much less than a flashy catwalk show.
Gaultier, who unveiled his spring-summer 2005 haute couture collection on the catwalk in his Paris headquarters just three days ago, reconfigured the space to make his autumn-winter 2005-06 collection the sole star of the show.
He offered a sharp silhouette with suits cut close to the body and finished with tailor stitching. For the man tired of wearing plain white shirts, he offered cropped trench coat and perfecto motorcycle jacket versions.
The French designer drew inspiration from the works of cubist painter Robert Delaunay for his ultra-thin knitwear. He will put both men and women on the catwalk in March, a move that the house says will give the brand more cohesion.
Although he stages two catwalk shows a year for his women's line, Lagerfeld has yet to put his menswear on the runway. Instead, the German designer put on a mini-show of 20 ensembles at his corporate headquarters.
Slim-cut suits, crisp white shirts with pointed cuffs, skinny pastel ties and chunky belts with silver "KARL" buckles -- the collection was pure Lagerfeld. Royal blue pinstripes gave a black suit a bit of pizzazz.
A spokeswoman said the label had seen an increased interest in the collection this season, especially from the US press, following the December sale of Lagerfeld's clothing lines to US fashion giant Tommy Hilfiger.
Cacharel launched its new menswear line 'Cacharel Le' -- designed by Belgian duo Thierry Rondenet and Herve Yvrenogeau, who also work under the label Own -- at the company's headquarters near the boulevard Haussmann.
The designers described the collection as a wardrobe for the "elegant and urban man" -- tailored suits in neutral colors and shirts in geometric and subtle landscape prints.
Beyond the international labels looking to save a few cents and bring the editors and buyers closer to the clothes, about 40 lesser-known labels looking to get noticed have joined forces at the stylish display space Rendez-Vous.
The items on offer run the gamut from the funky print tee-shirts at Buddhist Punk and Moto 777 to the cult denim at Sweden's Acne Jeans to multi-function orange parkas at Final Home, an offshoot of Japan's Issey Miyake.
Pontus Bjorkman, sales director for Acne Jeans, explained that the two-floor Rendez-Vous atelier brought together "all good brands" and was simply "more sexy" than other fashion trade shows.
But above all, the setting afforded his company "a great success last season". The jeans for men and women are sold in ultra-chic shops from Paris to New York to Hong Kong. US film director Sofia Coppola (news) is a fan.
Buddhist Punk, founded by an Australian hair stylist living in Bali, incorporates Buddhist concepts like reincarnation into its goth rocker garb, and has collaborated with bands like the Rolling Stones, AC/DC and Prodigy.
After showing in New York last September, the label decided to make an appearance at Rendez-Vous during Paris men's fashion week to raise its profile, a company spokeswoman told AFP.
Men's fashion week returns to the catwalk later Saturday with shows from Japan's Yohji Yamamoto, US designer Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton and Belgium's Dries van Noten.
