Three creators caught the eye this weekend in Paris for bold aesthetic statements and insights into where men, and menswear, is heading: Willy Chavarria, Kolor, and Riefe.
Willy Chavarria: Return to Huron
Willy Chavarria returned to his roots, referencing Huron, his hometown in California, in a show that was a counterblast to neo-fascistic intolerance in today’s America.
Dramatically, the show inside the Salle Pleyel concert hall, opened with 35 cast members appearing in the same elongated white T-shirt prison garb worn by individuals brutally abducted and expelled to El Salvador by the Trump administration. Willy’s performance was supported by the American Civil Liberties Union, which is why each T-shirt read: “The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union – beyond one person, party, or side.”
A scene that mirrored the infamous video of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem vulgarly bragging about evicting hundreds of Venezuelans from the United States to a brutal jail without any due process. One of the most sordid pages in recent American history.
“I’m not interested in luxury as a symbol of privilege. I’m interested in luxury as a symbol of truth in one’s own character. Exquisite tailoring and craftsmanship worn to elevate one’s personal intent – that’s power. That’s fashion,” said Chavarria, after a show reflecting on the dehumanization of how immigrants are being treated in the United States.
On the runway, Willy responded with refined tailoring and classy fabrics, milled in Italy exclusively cut into voluminous shapes.
For women trench-coat dresses and mannish pants suits, pencil skirts and screen goddess columns. All made in kicky colors – papaya, Bourdin blue, searing red, shocking turquoise, canary yellow. For guys, a Chilango men’s silhouette, a hyper forgiving cut and extended silhouette for lots of drama.
Before the show turned into a display of the third expression of his Adidas Originals x Willy Chavarria collaboration. Seen in lots of graphic logo tops, diaphanous cargo pants, and triple stripe techy gilets and jerkins. Along with a new Originals x Willy Chavarria new running model with the Megaride AG and Megaride AG XL.
An admirable political statement at a moment when masked men are directed to arrest and deport anyone who might stand in the way of the Trumpian neo-fascistic government.
So, even if not, perhaps, Chavarria’s greatest fashion show to date, given its familiar treading over familiar ground, a powerful, and very correct, political statement.
Kolor kicks ass
This weekend marked the debut show of new creative director, Taro Horiuchi, for the coolly offbeat house of Kolor, and it was definitely a kick-ass first showing.
Founder Junichi Abe quit Kolor last season, in a final show inside the bunker like Communist headquarters in north Paris. Horiuchi chose a sunny garden in the storied fifth arrondissement, which also happened to be the center for deaf children.
The designer’s focus was on blending active sports and trail style into something cool, and by and large, he succeeded very well. Pairing plantation dandy cotton blazers with tech-y running mesh tops; or placing lightweight mountaineers gilets under floaty trenches.
For women, combining a frilly ace blouse with a hiker’s waistcoat, or morphing a nylon parka into a sexy sheath. All very impactful visually.
In a co-ed show, guys and gals wore interchangeable garments, except for evening, when Horiuchi added acres of tulle to technical gabardine cocktails.
A statement show aided by some very savvy styling by Camille Bidault Waddington. Staged before a very cool gang of French fashionistas and funky fashionistas and backed up by an ace soundtrack including cuts like “Toxic Waste” by Diggy.
Born in Tokyo, Horiuchi is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, who has won the International Talent Support Diesel Award. Prior to today, Taro has led his own eponymous, while also contributing to Muji Labo.
“Time travel, chic humor, the hours, the waves,” was Horiuchi sibylline comment on his designs.
Abe founded Kolor in 2004, after studying at Bunka fashion school and working for Comme des Garcons and Junya Watanabe. Today, he found a worthy successor. To sum up, this show felt like a triumph. Taro Horiuchi has arrived.
Riefe: Rockin’ jewelry from Tokyo on Isle St Louis
A little rock’n’roll, a soupçon of attitude and the off-beat design of Japan, and you have Riefe, a cool collection of jewelry by Rie Harui.
Willowy and wily, Harui unveiled her latest collection in a cute showroom on Ile St Louis overlooking the Seine. Presented in tiny silver pans of water, where each jewel was positioned on concrete blocks.
In a busy week, Harui also designed jewelry for the next menswear show of Yohji Yamamoto, which took place Thursday in the Japanese master’s French HQ in the Marais.
Harui has been working with Yohji since 2021, attracted to her blend of fine Japanese artisanship and kicky design. She creates bracelets in rectangular links in silver or white gold, and adds glimmering gemstones and makes pride of place go to modernist pearl necklaces.
To be clear, menswear’s best new jeweler in many seasons.
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