This season’s Paris Fashion Week Men’s packs plenty to be excited about, from American maven Willy Chavarria’s first on-schedule show to Peter Copping’s debut as artistic director of Lanvin and Jacquemus’s return to the calendar, plus the Saint Laurent Men’s show, to be held during couture.
The schedule, which runs from 21 to 26 January, features 37 shows and 30 presentations, down from 2024’s 41 shows and 32 presentations. Heavyweights Louis Vuitton, Dior Men’s, Rick Owens, Hermès and Kenzo will appear, while Loewe is skipping the week to stage a co-ed show in March instead.
Expect fashion gossip to fly fast and furiously, as the industry rumour mill continues to churn. The latest round kicked up by the exit of Proenza Schouler designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez from the label they founded, effective 31 January. The duo are rumoured to succeed Jonathan Anderson at Loewe. In any case, Hed Mayner, who won LVMH’s Karl Lagerfeld Prize in 2019 and runs his business out of Tel Aviv, will take the Loewe slot on 25 January at 12pm.
The global mood
The shows commence the day after the inauguration. “We have a tough road ahead of us in 2025. There’s no denying,” Chavarria, whose Paris debut is on 24 January, said during an Instagram Live. “But I also think it’s important for artists, musicians and all of us in whatever work we do to work together in ways that bring light to the world and awareness.”
“We are in a time where there are a lot of political and environmental challenges, so it’s refreshing to have someone like Willy who is not afraid to speak about his beliefs,” says Julie Gilhart, the former long-time fashion director of Barneys who now owns her consultancy Gilhart Co.
Paris Men’s also takes place in the aftermath of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires. A number of LA-based labels are going ahead with their Paris events despite the challenges. Fear of God will host an event on 22 January to present a collaboration, while Amiri will stage its Paris show on 23 January. Doni Nahmias, founder of his namesake Californian fashion label, will come to the French capital for market week to present his collection in a showroom near Place Vendôme from 24 to 30 January.
“The most challenging part was a lot of difficulties working with vendors and staff because of all the evacuations and the air quality. There was a lot of sadness and stress and emotions during the time leading up to market this time. It was harder to get samples completed and we had to shut down our flagship store for a while,” Nahmias says. For the time being, most Hollywood celebrities who are expected at the Paris Men’s shows haven’t changed their plans, according to sources.
There’s also the backdrop of the luxury downturn. “Menswear is usually more resilient and less volatile than womenswear,” says Mario Ortelli, managing director of consultancy Ortelli and Co.
Richard Johnson, chief commercial and sustainability officer at Mytheresa, agrees. “Men tend to be motivated by necessity in equal measure to inspiration, so during uncertain times they continue to invest in their wardrobes and value their personal presentation to the world. It’s less boom and bust, less influenced by the whims of fashion,” he says.
Gilhart adds: “There is a hesitancy on the market. Every expense has to be accountable, but if you create the right thing at the right time, a buyer will take a risk.” Gilhart is particularly looking forward to the shows of Chavarria and Copping, “who will bring their great deal of experience to Paris”. She is also excited for the 3.Paradis show, a label founded by Emeric Tchatchoua in 2013 and a newcomer to the calendar, Hed Mayner, KidSuper and India’s Kartik Research.
Co-ed cameos
It may be men’s week, but there will be a number of co-ed shows, too. Of them, there is Chavarria’s show — his collections are genderless — and Copping’s debut for Lanvin. Lanvin will be held on the last day of Paris Men’s Week and on the eve of couture at 8pm. It will mark the first time the seasoned British designer, who was previously creative director at Nina Ricci and Oscar de la Renta, throws his hat in the ring of menswear.
Another co-ed show will be Jacquemus, who has presented off-schedule since 2020 and returns to Paris Fashion Week this season following the see-now, buy-now model, also on 26 January. The collection is titled ‘La Croisière’ (The Cruise) — a tongue-in-cheek choice, given it will be held on a winter’s day in a Parisian apartment. The apartment located in the 16th arrondissement belonged to the French architect Auguste Perret. “I’m used to very big shows with big locations, but I’m obsessed with this flat,” the designer told Vogue Runway. The show will be filmed exclusively on iPhones. The phones will be strategically placed around the apartment, “that will allow viewers at home to experience the clothes — and the work of Perret — up close and personal”, Vogue Runway reported.
Returns, departures and more to watch
Saint Laurent creative director Anthony Vaccarello will show his men’s collection during couture week, on 28 January. The house – whose new CEO, Cédric Charbit, started 2 January – has been showing its menswear on and off the Paris Men’s calendar, usually in January in Paris and in June abroad.
Other brands returning to the schedule for AW25 include Paul Smith, after a season at Italian menswear fair Pitti Uomo in June, along with Officine Générale and Egonlab, both of which skipped the pre-Olympics edition.
SS Daley, whose founder and creative director Steven Stokey-Daley won the LVMH Prize in 2022 and was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design last year, was initially on the Paris Men’s schedule, however the show is no longer taking place “due to unforeseen circumstances”.
Jeanne Friot will stage a show on 23 January at 10am. Her collection is inspired by Joan of Arc — think silver embellishments, rider prints and leather — building on the residual momentum of the Olympics. Friot was the designer behind the Joan of Arc costume worn by the character riding horseback down the Seine at the Paris 2024 opening ceremony. “It’s our fifth season, and the Olympics gave a big boost to the brand,” she says, noting that sales increased 50 per cent year-on-year in the second half of 2024 following the Olympics, allowing her to hire three additional employees. Speaking of the Seine, Friot’s show will be held at Le Bridge, situated beneath the Alexandre III bridge where Maison Margiela staged its seminal show last January.
Also on 23 January, Dries Van Noten will host a presentation of its men’s collection designed by the studio and styled by new creative director Julian Klausner, ahead of his March debut.
On 25 January at 7pm, Charles Jeffrey Loverboy by Scottish fashion designer Charles Jeffrey will host a presentation of original dance-theatre and live music work by Bullyache at Dover Street Market Paris. Patou will show off-schedule on 26 January at 6pm.
There will be a number of events. Zara, known for its high-profile fashion week parties, will be back, presenting a new line with British fashion designer Samuel Ross debuting on 6 February. Other events include the opening of a Stone Island boutique on Rue Saint-Honoré, and the preview of a sale dedicated to Martin Margiela pieces from 1988 to 1994, taking place in Paris on 27 January.
Another highlight of Paris Men’s Week will be the opening of the ‘Louvre Couture’ exhibition. Curator Olivier Gabet has created a dialogue between contemporary fashion designs and decorative arts, a first for the world’s largest museum. It involves around 70 silhouettes and 30 accessories including from Anderson, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Matthieu Blazy. To mark the occasion, the museum will host a fundraising gala dinner on 4 March (day two of Paris Fashion Week) to support the museum’s activities; dubbed ‘Le Grand Dîner’, it is being coined by some as Paris’s answer to the Met Gala. The exhibition opens on 24 January and runs until 21 July.
As for what to expect from the clothes themselves, Mytheresa’s Johnson sums it up: “The direction remains sophisticated, understated and with a keen eye on longevity.”
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