Men put their suits back on at Walter Van Beirendonck, LGN, Kenzo

The suit will undoubtedly be the star garment of next summer. Creatively remodeled and reinterpreted in all kinds of styles, the suits are a staple of every show. They were especially notable on Wednesday, the second day of Paris Fashion Week's Spring/Summer 2025 men's shows, featuring the sensual elegance of LGN Louis Gabriel Nouchi, the vibrant exuberance of Walter Van Beirendonck and the relaxed elegance of Kenzo.

“We better laugh,” seems to be the message that Walter Van Beirendonck sends with his new collection, fun, striking and warm. Van Beirendonck, an ethical designer who advocates nonviolence and is not afraid to speak out, has observed that in today's world “everything seems to be too dramatic.” In the face of extremism and conflicts shaking our planet, he invited his audience to step forward, believing “that anything we do can make a difference.” In his introductory note he said that “this way of thinking has led me to the idea of ​​the clown. A familiar figure that is both happy and sad, who tries to reconcile the contradictory aspects of a circus.”

The clowns in Van Beirendonck's Spring/Summer 2025 collection opted to wear spiked rubber shoes, long checked pants and jackets decorated with giant fluorescent polka dots. They carried funny little bags and also wore small pointed headdresses, sometimes attached to the tip of their nose or, in a version with donkey ears, on the top of their heads. The gang of clowns, dressed in extravagant and flashy costumes filled with a cheerful hodgepodge of checks, ruffles and various projections, strolled along the flower-lined lawn of the garden of the Faculty of Pharmacy, under the stern gaze of Léon Guignard, professor at the university. between 1887 and 1927, and whose bust, half hidden by vegetation, is located near the botanical laboratory.

The angry cawing of the garden crows was drowned out by a vibrant fairground refrain, as Van Beirendonck's crew moved forward with sad smiles, despite being decked out in vibrant, tender colours, infused with a breath of freshness and even directness. Madras and gingham fabrics in blue and candy pink clashed with swathes of bright orange and green. The theme of the collection's prints was stuffed animals: bunnies and teddy bears with Kalashnikovs for arms.

Everything was voluminous but also light, almost vaporous, for example the shirt and pants covered in light blue threads, like fine, shaggy hair. A lightness that was accentuated with a series of transparent garments made of transparent tulle, nylon and other high-tech fabrics, with which the Belgian designer made polka dot shirts, shorts and pants, as well as a series of surprising leather garments. -Completely transparent colored sweaters. To give a more airy feel to looks, jackets and shirts have cuts in the armpits, allowing the arms to come out of the sleeves.

The last part of the collection consisted of a succession of puzzle-style looks featuring oversized faux suede jackets, coats and pants, in a more traditional palette of white, grey, navy, black and beige. Finally, Van Beirendonck presented several jeans, a small top and an oversized dungarees, all of which were seamless. The garments, glued and welded with red tape, have been developed jointly with the Dutch denim brand G-Star Raw. A collaboration that generated an experimental capsule collection launched on Thursday, June 20.

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The atmosphere was sultry and sensual at LGN Louis Gabriel Nouchi, his new collection inspired by the novel by Patrick Süskind perfume: the story of a murderer. Capturing the essence of smells and fragrances, as described in many passages of the novel, and transferring them to clothing is not an easy task. Nouchi has chosen to capture these olfactory sensations, often very evocative, through fabrics, for example a linen jacquard that recalls the texture of human hair.

“I have worked on the essential elements of men's fashion thinking about primary instincts such as desire, bestiality and violence. These instincts live within us and I have expressed them, for example, through long vertical slits, like those in Fontana's works,” said Nouchi, winner of the ANDAM Prize exactly one year ago, speaking to FashionNetwork.com.

Black was the dominant color of the show, represented in some 30 looks in total that included impeccably tailored suits and pleated trousers combined, alternately, with a sleeveless T-shirt, a transparent shirt languidly unbuttoned to the navel or a polo shirt with a plunging neckline. . A sleek four-pocket parka was worn over a pair of biker shorts, while silk pajamas featured a pinstripe motif. Some maroon and white looks emerged elsewhere in the collection.

Leather was the signature material, used for most of the looks: generously cut shorts and pants in shiny leather, jackets in distressed leather, and long blouses, skirts, and tunics made from assembled leather strips. “We've done a lot of work with leather, especially ultra-saturated versions, with ECCO.kollektive, formerly At.kollektive,” Nouchi said. The brand presented another collaboration, with Puma, for which LGN has redesigned the iconic Mostro model. Also in the pipeline for Nouchi is a partnership with the Almine Rech gallery and the artist Sasha Ferré.

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Kenzo also put the accent on the suits, but with a more casual, sporty air and with a marked streetwear attitude. Japanese designer Nigo presented his sixth show for the LVMH brand in the heart of the Palais-Royal gardens, where models surrounded the gardens' central fountain, whose floor was covered in golden sand.

Nigo has delved into the Kenzo Takada archives, as evidenced by two trench coats with a long strip of dark fabric hanging down the front, inscribed “Kenzo Paris 1970.” The collection fused the Japanese heritage of Kenzo's founder and current creative director with the brand's Parisian spirit, evident in a yellow mesh sweater and black jacket, both featuring a design of the Eiffel Tower among cherry blossoms. The drawings are by graphic designer Verdy.

For next summer, Nigo celebrates nature with a series of looks in green and with printed jungle motifs, reflected in several suits. But Kenzo suits are worn with a streetwear feel, over openwork mesh sweaters decorated with patches made of pearls and all kinds of metal pieces, or over hooded sweatshirts made of the same mesh material, with the face half hidden by the hood. .