The Albany Gazette - 'Neo-Dandies' and Trump fears at Paris Men's Fashion Week

- 'Neo-Dandy' -

"There’s a desire to return to a form of elegance. Many brands have leaned into the figure of the 'neo-dandy'," Adrien Communier, fashion editor for GQ France, explained to AFP.

"There’s a push to recreate the type of man who wants to dress well," he added.

Suits dominated the runway: styled in "mix and match" ensembles with a loose fit at AMI, in velvet at Hermès, inspired by the 1970s at Amiri, and with Latin influences at Willy Chavarria.

The leader of the trend remains Kim Jones, who presented a sleek, graphic collection at Dior Homme which was possibly his last.

The suits were inspired by Christian Dior’s celebrated H-Line collection from fall-winter 1954-1955.

At Louis Vuitton, Pharrell Williams and Nigo combined their love of streetwear -- whose one-time dominance continues to wane -- with dandy aesthetics.

Their collection featured tailored and tweed suits paired with bombers, leather jackets and Teddy jackets.

- Political Statements -

Several independent designers spoke out about the inauguration of Donald Trump for his second term as president, which occurred the day before the start of Fashion Week.

Belgian designer Walter Van Beirendonck told AFP after his show that much of the fashion world was "afraid" to speak out about Trump because of fears about the impact on their sales.

Notably, none of the big corporate-owned designers said anything and LVMH boss Bernard Arnault was given a prominent seat at Trump's inauguration on Monday.

The European industry is anxious about the possible impact of a trade war between the United States and Europe under the tariff-loving Republican.

For his debut Paris collection, independent Californian designer Willy Chavarria featured a highly critical speech by the Bishop of Washington which upset the new president on Tuesday.

Mariann Edgar Budde urged Trump to have "mercy" and be aware of the "fear" he was creating among LGBT people and migrant communities.

- Comfort Above All -

Between oversized garments and plush fabrics — such as Yohji Yamamoto’s quilted jackets paired with matching trousers — there’s a clear desire for coziness.

"Despite the evolution of the suit, there’s still a strong emphasis on comfort," added Communier.

Layering remains prominent, as seen at Yamamoto, SuperKid, Hermes, Kolor, and Auralee, where knit dresses were layered over XXL-sleeved wool sweaters.

At 3.Paradis, French designer Emeric Tchatchoua took comfort to the extreme with puffer jackets styled like quilts and pillows.

But the future may be slimmer, with trousers appearing to be going slightly shorter and tighter, as seen at Dior.

"In my opinion, we’re heading back to something reminiscent of the 2010s," a decade largely defined by slim-fit trousers, Communier explained.

- Pops of Color -

As expected for winter collections, dark tones prevailed, including brown, khaki, taupe, beige, and cream.

There were pops of color, including a soft pink at Dior and bubblegum pink at Vuitton and Kenzo.

(A.Johnson--TAG)