Menswear has exited the manosphere
Less mogging, more hair beads.
Earlier this men’s fashion week I asked, “Are Men Okay?” The answer then was “maybe just on runways.” But after eight days of menswear shows in Paris, the answer has evolved to a resounding “Dudes rock!”
Despite starting off with a flop—Clavicular walking the runway at 424—the Spring 2027 menswear shows might be the most clothing-pilled fashion week in years. The infamous lookmaxxer’s runway cameo was met with not only disdain but reassuring apathy. Because the best shows this season had nothing to do with making memes or -maxxing of any kind. They were about clothes and how you live your life in them.
The main moods that jumped out across the 100-degree days were jubilant, elegant, romantic, and vibrant—a far cry from the streetwear-inflected cryptobro era of yore. Here, we saw menswear exit the manosphere that we hear about so often on our algorithms. There was eclecticism and sharp wackiness at Celine by Michael Rider, where models wore hair beads and shirts knotted up into hats. There was poetry and ethereality at Dries Van Noten by Julian Klausner, with sequin wraps, ballooning anoraks, and patterned scarves made into backless tops. At Rick Owens, comedy and pleasure in the form of climate-controlled Adidas blobs. At Lemaire, rainy sex appeal in stony shades. At Comme Des Garçons, the models jogged for joy during the finale.
DRIES VAN NOTEN
Julian Klausner wanted “something light and delicate” for his third menswear effort at Dries Van Noten. Drawing from an 1876 poem, The Faun’s Afternoon by Stephane Mallarmé, Klausner worked through a pastoral palette in light shorts, clouds-at-dusk printed trenches, and even a little cheetah print. The styling (shoutout Robbie Spencer) with single leather gloves and two-toned socks, only emphasized the spriteliness of these dudes, a bit Puck by way of Provence. After the show, I heard some guys say it was too romantic—god forbid a man have a little whimsy! I loved the embroidered green cargos with a navy anorak and the sea-print swim shorts with an open blouse. That’s sexy and sensual to me.
KIKO KOSTADINOV
Celebrating 10 years in the biz, Kiko Kostadinov did something so few designers today do: Continue an idea they had a season before. For Fall 2026, he stripped away all patterns and fastenings and made a minimalist almost entirely monochrome collection. For Spring 2027, the spirit evolved into stony violets and bright cerulean blues (cleverly coordinating with my hair, TYSM, Kiko). A couple hours after the show, I was taking advantage of his showroom’s AC, marveling at how elegant and mature the clothes are—sophisticated and sleek, windbreakers with hidden pockets, long trousers that end in a “flower” shape that splays out over the foot (some of which were painted blue on the runway). “To achieve something in fashion you have to propose a silhouette, otherwise you’re just making nice clothes,” he told reporters after the show. Bars.
RICK OWENS
It was SO HOT and SO FREAKY DEAKY at the Rick Owens show I felt something almost biblical had occurred. Gigantic wind suits, latex capes, low-rise jeans. He is the only man who should ask guests to sit in direct sunlight at 40-degrees Celsius because his clothing and his spirit demand that kind of primal, carnal, out-of-body experience. I wanna SWEAT I wanna SHIVER at the Rick Owens show.
COMME DES GARCONS
“If the war were to end” was the statement Rei Kawakubo had for her upbeat Comme des Garçons show this season. In flowing stripes, flowers, and punkish bright colors, the collection was a rebuttal of darkness and gloom in favor of welcoming and lively silhouettes. Tailcoats with draped hems were a highlight for me, as were the models skipping their way through the finale.
LEMAIRE
Maybe it was just the one model with a slicked back bob and crimson lipstick, but the Lemaire show felt sexier and loucher than usual to me. Men wore either cropped leather bombers or long trenchcoats in moss, slate, and muted rose as they ambled about in flip-flops or smart brogues. The soundtrack was just the natural jitter of Paris: birds chirping, rain falling, kids cheering. It was a world dripping with taste and a hint of sex. The Lemaire shopper does not use TikTok and they’re better for it.
WILLY CHAVARRIA
“How do we seek and appreciate joy and happiness in a time when everything is going to shit?” asked Willy Chavarria at a preview. His answer was clothing imbued with a sense of slay—big shoulders, loose shorts, cunty bags (his words). Chavarria can take it to the MAX, but here, he offered a chic restraint, choosing to make everyday clothes with a bit of pizzazz. At a preview he referred to one seafoam denim jacket as “Ralph Lauren… because one day I’m going to take over his brand.” I’d put his name in the ring!
Dior showed petulant little princes in loose blazers and neckties. I clicked through the gallery thinking, “I’d party with these guys.”
Celine was probably the wowee moment of the week, with 73 wholly unique propositions for men. Hair beads? Yes. Red leggings? Sure! Drainpipe jeans? Hell yeah. It reminded me of Phoebe Philo’s late stage Celine shows, done by someone so confident in their vision the only unifying thread is that vision itself.
Saint Laurent does a lot with a little, choosing to iterate on a narrow group of silhouettes. I love the anoraks tucked into trousers and the gold section that closed the show, but others can’t stop talking about the plastic shoes.
Jacquemus looked fresh and lovely on the seaside of Corsica. I crashed another critic’s preview of the collection and was happy to see easy shapes and summery colors. Simon Porte Jacquemus is best when he doesn’t overthink it, instead offering a blissful naivete.
My apologies to the below showrooms, shows, and presentations. I am just one woman without a car in 100-degree heat. Acne Studios, Givenchy, Hermes, Lanvin, and Soshiotsuki all offered well-edited versions of modern suiting and vaguely prep looks in lots of beautiful colorways like cornflower blue and sun yellow. I especially liked the acid green at Soshiotsuki and the rep stripe ties worn with chambray shirts at Acne.
Amidst all this individuality and uniqueness, I couldn’t help but wonder… is normie style back? I saw so many amazing jeans and tees, starting with Prada’s super-skinnies and flowing into Auralee’s smart washed denim with a flannel and Our Legacy’s baggies paired with a grungy sweater. The vibe continued at Kenzo, Wales Bonner, and Sacai, hitting a crescendo with Isabel Marant, which has perfected the All-American hot Cali prepster look. But the true master of looking HOT SEXY AND FREE in your JEANS AND TEE is ERL, who staged a presentation of exquisitely worn-in denim, checked shirts, and groovy floral suiting. Forget normcore, please. The best look for a regular dude trying to flex next spring is the CALI QUARTERBACK—sunbleached hair, big tan, loose shorts, and an ERL plaid. There’s no wonder why Pharrell took his LV show to the beach this season. It’s just the vibe.
It’s possible Maluma attended more fashion shows than I did. I saw him at Amiri and Yohji Yamamoto, shows directly before-and-after each other, in completely different outfits. Did he change in the car?
Someone told me that they are petitioning for Men’s Fashion Week to move to late-May and early-November because of climate change. Let’s DO IT. I personally cannot survive another 100-degree showroom.
In my next newsletter… The BEST DRESSED PEOPLE OF PFW. Reply if you have someone to nominate.
i love this & I agree, the men are menning
I love love LOVE your writing style