Footballers, felines and Pharrell: Our highlights from Men’s PFW24
Paris Fashion Week Men’s Fall/Winter 2024 is officially over, and what a season it was. Pharrell brought the rodeo to Paris with his latest Louis Vuitton collection, KidSuper provided the feel-good factor after we all witnessed his idol Ronaldinho walk for his show, and a particular dad shoe loafer hybrid set the internet ablaze. It was a belter of a week. And if you can’t wait for the next one (don’t worry, you’ve not got long to wait, Copenhagen kicks off the women’s season at the end of the month), sink your teeth into some of the biggest moments below.
Rick Owens welcomed us into his home
Fashion’s lord of darkness invited 100 guests into his Parisian home this season. If you didn’t see any coverage of the show, just close your eyes, and whatever you imagine it to look like, it’s precisely that. Think bare concrete floors decorated with off-beat furniture designed by the designer himself – a “concrete palace”, as Owens often calls it. Presented as three intimate shows, Rick Owens showcased his new “PORTERVILLE” collection, paying tribute to his Californian hometown. And typical of any Owens show, it got weird. Gigantic inflatable boots, created in collaboration with Straytukay, were joined by full leather ensembles as mostly masked models nonchalantly meandered from room to room. And Owens inviting guests into his home to show such a wonderfully unhinged collection most certainly took things to the next level.
Ronaldinho walked for KidSuper
No fashion week is complete without an unlikely celebrity cameo, and this season’s came in the form of Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho, as well as an equally impressive showing from Wim Wenders. Yep, the legendary footballer walked for KidSuper’s FW24 presentation, appearing in an oversized fur coat paired with bleached denim and a shirt of himself. It’s a full circle moment for KidSuper’s Colm Dillane, who is a mega Ronaldinho fan and In addition to the retired player inspiring past KidSuper pieces, he stepped out in a full KidSuper fit in 2023. They say don’t meet your heroes, but it seems KidSuper would disagree.
Pharrell Went Western at Louis Vuitton
On Tuesday, Pharrell did it again, presenting his second main-season collection for Louis Vuitton during Men’s Paris Fashion Week in what can only described as a cowboy’s wet dream. Cowboy boots and hats, large rounded belt buckles, and leather jackets were adorned with LV branding, as if Pharrell looked at his moodboard, saw Arthur Morgan – the stoic cowboy protagonist in Red Dead Redemption 2 – and asked “how can we make this guy fresh?” Reimagined bolero, cow-printed bags and embellished denim chaps added to the cowboy essence of the collection. While the collection was set in stone in its visual inspiration and executed to a T, other pieces, such as monogram tracksuits and pixelated garments and accessories, tied the new collection back to the previous one.
Wales Bonner Brought Us Back to School
Off the back of a stellar selection of adidas collaborations, Wales Bonner’s FW24 offered a shift towards preppy college style, seemingly fusing elements of the classic American subculture with hits of London’s youthful edge. Soft tailoring, cosy knitwear and adult school uniforms dominated the collection, punctuated by signature Varsity jackets and crewnecks. But the big talking point? Wales Bonner swapped out the Sambas for a fresh new pair of croc-embossed Superstars – and we can already picture them taking over Soho this fall. Elsewhere, the collection marked another Timberland collab, the second out of three this fashion week season.
Junya Watanabe gave smart casual a new meaning
The New Balance 1906R already looks good in its techy build. But who knew the sneaker would look even better as a loafer? Junya Watanabe did. On January 19, Junya Watanabe MAN debuted its Fall/Winter 2024 collection at Paris Fashion Week, where the label showed off its collaboration skills through partnerships with Levi’s, Palace, and New Balance. The hybrid sneaker/shoe saw the classic slip-on style atop a cushioned New Balance sole, showcasing the classic sportswear-meets-menswear crossover seen throughout Watanabe’s collection. Overall, it makes for a clean take on the Y2K dad shoe gone loafer but still gives off that “gym at 12, meeting at 2” aesthetic.
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Feline frenzy
No, elegant and suave Parisian street cats didn’t storm the runways at PFW (as iconic as that would have been), but they did take over in spirit. Firstly, a new-look Givenchy landed in Paris with an array of cat-inspired clothing. Following the departure of Matthew Williams, the collection was designed entirely by the house’s internal studio design team. Which, in this case, meant cats. And a lot of them, too. Pussycat jackets and vests, with almost camouflaged eyes and whiskers were joined by shin-length furry coats that were reminiscent of actual kittens. Then, Acne Studios presented a psychedelic rave and club culture-inspired collection, and it included a long-sleeved tee that adorned the face of a giant AI-generated kitten. Oh, and even in Milan, JW Anderson featured a painting of Stanley Kubrick’s favourite cat, Polly, thrown across knitwear, dresses, and a selection of bags.
GmbH founders call for a ceasefire
Closing the season was GmbH, a rising Berlin-based label founded by designers Serhat Işık and Benjamin Huseby, whom are of Turkish and Pakistani heritage respectively, and were born in Germany and Norway. Presenting a strong but solemn collection, FW24 featured nods to current political landscapes, starting with a speech from the founders themselves, which detailed their backgrounds and immigrant experience. Paired with a soundtrack of poignant Arabic music, the collection featured darkened United Nations logos and Palestinian keffiyeh scarves.
