Paris Menswear: Day 1

Dries Van Noten

 Catherine Baba said it best when she described Van Noten as "the Belgium Saint Laurent", and much like Saint Laurent, Dries has his share of not so hot collections. This was one of them. There were some exercises in deconstructionism that were not executed in the best manner; exposed shoulder pads being one of them. Of course, what he lacked in conceptual ideas, he made up for in some wonderful prints and colors. My favorite moments were the vertical stripes, done in colors that brought me back to my trip to the Vatican City. Think of the Swiss Guard uniforms. The sweatsuit trend came back with a trouser pant and matching vest. Perhaps that is a diy project in the making? I love the juxtaposition of something as casual as a sweat suit and the formal dress shirt.

Jean Paul Gaultier

I don't know if I'm feeling this whole blood on the runway thing going on. Dsquared2 did the hockey theme, now Gaultier brings fashion into the boxing ring. The theme seemed to reinforce Gaultier's title of Paris's l'enfant terrible, who made his appearance on the runway also covered in blood.

Louis Vuitton

Paul Helbers at Louis Vuitton is like a match made in heaven. This season was masculine and utilitarian, perfect for that urban city guy looking to add a rugged edge to his wardrobe. I'll take some please! The show itself had double the looks of most collections, so I felt inclined to double my images, plus there were too many good looks to choose from. The burnt orange made its appearance in small doses throughout the collection adding just the right pop of color. While the clothing was impeccable I think the bags really stole the show. Every base was covered; backpacks, totes, duffles, and weekenders. They were made out of beautiful Epi and Nomade leather as well as canvas. I wouldn't mind getting my hands on a few of those, but considering the prices Vuitton puts on their products, that is far out of reach.

Viktor & Rolf

More sweats on the runway! This time the dress pants featured sweat cuffs, like a dress pant with a twist. It was typical V&R with their artistic sense of humor injected into the clothing, my favorite of which was the dress shirt and tie that seemed to be dipped into bleach (upper right).