Explaining FW 2024/25 menswear fashion shows

Explaining FW 2024/25 menswear fashion shows

Men’s shows of the Fashion Weeks tend to draw a lot of attention – while some applaud in awe, some resist and criticize. Designers love to show us scandalous and show-stopping pieces because they make their brands go viral and boost sales. However, all the hype is usually a side effect. Because, first of all, designers strive to make art.

In today’s digest, we’ll explore the latest fashion shows and try to find some meaning behind them. Keep scrolling!

If you watched Stanley Kubrick’s movies, you shouldn’t struggle trying to figure out what the last JW Anderson show was about. The collection referenced some of the iconic works of the director – “Eyes Wide Shut” for example. Color red all over the place and the tense atmosphere gave everybody a hint. The designer used the director’s wife Christiane Kubrick’s paintings for prints. Have you noticed the portrait of Kubrick’s favorite cat Polly among the prints? You could also see it in the legendary movie starring Nicole Cruise and Nicole Kidman.

Zegna’s show was one of the most spectacular shows. And it had a deep meaning referring to the brand’s values. The runway had a background featuring an enormous pile of cashmere, and cashmere flakes were falling down on it. The mountain aimed to represent Oasi Zegna, a natural territory in the Italian Alps. The brand actively supports initiatives attempting to save the environment of the territory.

The collection itself was dedicated to cashmere. This year, the brand is going to certify the material as 100% traceable. This means the production of the material will be fully transparent.

Prada dedicated the show to the duality of nature and humans. It started with classic officecore looks that were later replaced with colorful ones. The collection intended to show how the modern human is trapped inside the box and dreams of escaping.

The set design deserves a special mention. Guests watched the show while sitting on the office chairs located on the transparent floor. Underneath the glass floor, there was a splendor of green grass and streams of water.

The last three fashion shows of Rick Owens took place in the designer's home – for the press, buyers, and friends of the brand. Seems like everybody’s going to remember the inflatable shoes presented in the collection. These were created in collaboration with London-based designer Straytukay who experiments with shapes and constructions. Some items were created using upcycled rubber.

The Dior show told a story about ballet and Rudolph Nureyev. We saw many references to the dancer’s wardrobe: elaborate fabrics, headpieces, Eastern motifs, and elements of spectacular ballet costumes. The show was accompanied by the “Dance of the Knights” theme Sergei Prokofiev wrote for the “Romeo and Juliet” ballet.

In fact, Christian Dior himself had ties with ballet. He owned the “Debussy” evening gown originally created for Margot Fonteyn, Royal Ballet’s prima ballerina.

Loewe’s collection featured a collaboration with American artist Richard Hawkings. Artist’s paintings were transferred into prints and used to decorate the show’s venue with collages and video art.

Balmain dedicated the collection to the multi-faceted nature of fashion. We were mesmerized by the facial features and lips embellished with rhinestones and mirror-like gold helmets covering the models’ faces. The show ended with Naomi Campbell who wore a stunning belt that looked like hands holding a flower bouquet. The other memorable item from the collection is the “Grillz” boots. The metallic decoration on the heel looked a lot like the grills Kanye West recently installed on his teeth.

Fashion becomes easier to understand if we try to step into designers’ shoes and look at the collections from their perspective. Designers usually share a lot about their ideas and thought process, so the path to seeing and understanding the meaning is open to all of us. The other thing is introducing these meanings in the shape of clothes to our lives – it’s only for you to decide if you’d do it or not. Either way, wearable and trendy men’s patterns by Vikisews are always at your service. ;)

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