Style director Adrian Clark gives his verdict on the first day of the Paris collections
Citing an aquatic inspiration for its spring 2013 collection, menswear designer Romain Kremer and creative director Nicola Formichetti embraced Mugler subterranean (pictured far left), and for once the outcome was not lost at sea. This was the first time since the label’s re-launch that its eponymous founder’s DNA was respected and while it was given a new spin by the team, it appreciated Thierry’s legacy for futuristic, pared down and modernist tailoring.
Over at Hardy Amies, creative director Claire Malcolm paid tribute to the label’s founder by using a quote from Sir Hardy himself to open her collection notes: “In men’s fashion there are no old men, only the young and the dead”. Alongside Sir Hardy’s style, Malcolm also cites photographer Cecil Beaton and wartime Britain as an influence on the collection. This was reflected in the motif of the double-breasted white suiting at the beginning of the show (pictured centre left). The very English forward pleated trousers very much characterised those of the twenties and thirties and luxe eveningwear nodded towards the late 1960s and early 1970s, which made for one of her most accomplished and relaxed collections to date.
Raf Simons literally brought the house down as the show's booming Belgian tech-house was so loud it shook the rafters of the building in which it was hosted, leaving cement dust scattered all over his audience’s open notebooks. Conversely, this was one of Raf’s most poetic collections for many seasons. Slimline suits were cut from delicate silks in stormy greys or jewel accents of sapphire and emerald green and worn with running shoes. Short suits were also key to the collection, some featuring a split at to show more leg at one side (pictured centre right).
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Grooming tip:
The romantic Cecil Beaton-esque look created for the Hardy Amies show was one that can be easily achieved with a softly-does-it approach to grooming (pictured far right). To capture the soft but hi-shine sweep of hair across the brow, avoid using a heavy styling product, instead towel hair dry and define the side-parting then blow-dry and set using a lightweight hairspray that leaves a lustrous veil. We recommend L’Oreal Paris Studio Line’s Silk & Gloss Fixing Hair Spray; £3.56 for 250ml, enriched with silk micro fibres. It will leave the required glossy finish with a silky touch. Such a soft hairstyle leaves no room for gruff facial hair, so to compliment it skin should be very closely shaven, as it would have been in the thirties. Ideal for this is L’Oreal Paris Men Expert’s Anti Irritation Shave Gel; £4.07 for 200ml. This helps protect the skin when shaving and avoids the skin from feeling dried out.
