PARIS (AFP) - John Galliano and Jean-Paul Gaultier, two of fashion's top talents, offered radically different takes on next summer for the style-conscious man: a choice between the pirate look and timeless chic.
AFP Photo
As men's fashion week reached its midpoint in the French capital on Sunday, Yohji Yamamoto, Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton and Belgium's Dries van Noten unveiled sweet, softer collections with a hint of British eccentricity.
Galliano, the British bad boy who will unveil his haute couture collection for Christian Dior next week, obviously adored Johnny Depp in "Pirates of the Caribbean", bringing the actor's sexy, bedraggled look to the Paris catwalk.
Transforming the Theatre des Bouffes du Nord into the deck of a pirate ship, Galliano sent out an array of costumes fit for the sea-faring set: full-leg trousers cinched with wide sashes under cropped military-type jackets.
The costumes will be greatly modified before hitting the store racks, but who cares? Galliano loves putting on a great show, and he delivered with his second menswear collection.
A leather perfecto was hidden by a giant embroidered silk scarf. A laser-cut trench which looked torn summed up a spring-summer 2005 collection awash in attitude and good fun.
While Galliano embraced the theatrical, Gaultier said he had created a collection of "realistic clothes that fit with today's living" -- an urban, sporty look using impeccable fabrics, and mixing modern and vintage ideas.
Gaultier staged his first catwalk show in his new headquarters, turning the theater into a wedding hall complete with benches for guests and a red carpet aisle for pairs of models, an allusion to France's first gay marriage in June.
"Even the perfectly normal white parka, when worn by the hood, can be turned into a veil!" Gaultier said of one of his pieces, a glass of champagne in his hand to toast his new 5,000 square meters (53,800 square feet) of floor space.
For Yamamoto, Jacobs and van Noten, next summer will be all "luxe, calme et volupte" in soft, wrinkled linen, with refined stripes jockeying for position with amusing tartans, or low-rise jeans giving way to full 40s-style trousers.
If you're 20, 30 or 50, there was something on the Paris catwalk for you.
In tribute to late French singer Serge Gainsbourg, Yamamoto -- ever the risk taker -- presented an unconventional collection, with denim lapels trailing to the knee and shirt fronts detaching from the sleeves.
The Japanese designer sometimes flipped fabrics inside-out, but also created the same effect with trompe-l'oeil topstitching, tricking the eye into believing that pockets were on the wrong side.
Belgium's van Noten used tartans as his calling card of the season, waking up basic white, black and navy blue in a collection honoring two generations of British royals, from Prince Charles to Prince William.
He used Scottish plaids for kilts, bermuda shorts, suits and shirts in a rainbow of colors, from shades of gray to red and emerald green. He layered stripes, prints and checks for a romantic but funky look. Rugby shirts worn over kilts conjured up images of Scotland, as did slim-cut suits.
At Louis Vuitton, Jacobs likes perfect silhouettes and a totally controlled, luxurious look. The Vuitton man will wear bermudas next summer, but in light-weight wool under a silk and cashmere jacket, and all in pale hues.
Plush teddy bears or miniature pin version did not take away from the quintessentially chic look -- perfect for summers at beach resorts on America's east coast or the Mediterranean.
For evening, Jacobs infused the Vuitton collection with a dandy spirit, offering silk polka-dot shirts and monogrammed trousers. Velvet smoking jackets and long silk scarves added to the polished look.
Austria's Helmut Lang, British designer Paul Smith and Veronique Nichanian for Hermes were due to present their collections on Sunday, with Givenchy and Dior closing out the week on Monday.
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aw~~~~great................WONDERFUL SHOW
