As autumn commences, some of the best menswear designers are playing with denim formalwear, wearable art and prints galore.
In the wake of brat summer, a new colder season begins, and with pumpkin spice lattes and cardigans also come the latest menswear collections. A return to shock value and risk-taking has been a throughline with many menswear collections, whether see-through clothes at JW Anderson or painted headwear at Givenchy.
Among the emerging trends was a return to elegance in men’s formalwear, as shown by Dior and Paul Smith. At Zegna and Rick Owens, styling took the stage with an emphasis on jewelry and accessorizing. The presentations of Issey Miyake and Louis Vuitton by Pharell Williams embraced vivid hues in primary colors and beyond. The Spanish embraced everything artistic this year, with Jonathan Anderson introducing new wearable art for both LOEWE and JW.
London-based brand S.S. Daley also had many standout moments this season, playing with unconventional knitwear, bling, and everything in between. Steven Stokey-Daley brought an important message of gender nonconformity back to the industry with his newest collection. A knit dress here and a tasseled crop top there felt correct and innovative in the menswear space.
The Fall/Winter 2024-25 season has been one to remember, with several brands taking big swings and making bold choices. From denim formal wear to innovative prints and textiles, menswear has never been so enjoyable.
A RETURN TO FORMALWEAR
Like every season, stylists and creative directors bring new reinterpretations of formal wear to the stage for the Fall/Winter season. We find a wardrobe of timeless garments by Zegna, proposed by Alessandro Sartori, and a formal yet modern selection from Prada, designed by Miuccia Prada. Dries Van Noten and Paul Smith also carry forward a new idea of formality, with less pure and more contaminated versions.
Wearable Art
Collaborations can be the highlights of the fall/winter season, with new artists and celebrations of an artistic past. A great lover of art, Jonathan Anderson celebrates the works of Christiane Kubrick with his line at JW Anderson. At the same time, for Loewe, he collaborated with Richard Hawkins – a Texan artist who explored the male body. Among the designers who gave life to works of art, there is also Olivier Rousteing, who, with his male return to Balmain, created a tribute to the photographic works of the Ghanaian Prince Gyasi.
Vivid Hues
The saturation level of the men’s fashion shows for Fall/Winter 2024-25 has completely raised the bar with full, ultra-saturated, and vivid colors. After Valentino’s viral PPPink, Pierpaolo Piccioli presents the light blue Le Ciel, a shade of blue imagined to describe a new idea of masculinity. Issey Miyake Homme Plissé presents a vibrant color palette that perfectly tells the spirit and joie de vivre of the Japanese brand. Also experimenting with saturated shades are Pharrell at Louis Vuitton, Olivier Rousteing at Balmain, and S.S. Daley with his men’s show.
Formalwear Denim
When thinking of formalwear, denim is rarely an option, but the designers this Fall/Winter season are here to change that. At Loewe, structured denim shirts take on designs that are usually attributed to fluid, formal, and light fabrics. At Dries Van Noten, a double-breasted suit is remade in a light-wash denim vision. Finally, at Valentino, Pierpaolo interprets formal officewear in a denim-on denim twist.
Shock Value
Among men’s fashion trends, a less conventional approach also emerges. Designers are no longer trying to hit a trend but rather to shock and amaze, focusing on the memorable rather than the safe. Givenchy takes a foulard from the archives placed on the head with a trompe-l’œil of hair. JW Anderson’s models hit the runway with overlapping women’s stockings, while Rick Owens amazes with the new inflatable latex boots. There are those who seek the unexpected by creating real fashion moments, including the Dsquared2’s twins who, at the end of the show, walk out arm in arm, one in a nightwear version and the other in a drag version.
Playing With Plush
The men’s fashion shows for Fall/Winter 2024-25 also became more sensorial this season with soft touches. Plush material keeps it warmth, and this season, it is shown in coats of grey and brown. At Fendi, Pierpaolo features a dagger collar, and at Gucci, a similar model with bold black buttons. Rick Owens interprets the trend in a more creative, all-encompassing fur-trimmed coat and inflatable boots.
The Perfect Styling
Often, it’s not about what you wear but how you wear it, and this season, the stylists stole the show. One who focused mainly on styling was the Belgian Dries Van Noten, who challenged perceived notions of how to wear a garment, such as cape sweaters worn freely and wrapped around the male figure with side zips left open. At Prada, the styling embraced color blocking and the too-often-forgotten beanie. Rick Owens creates the perfect layering, reintroducing the glove, this time in green.
Bling is Back
It doesn’t matter if they are Swarovski crystals, beads, or metallic threads; the importance of this season was on shining no matter the cost. A total sequin look for Dsquared2 stopped the show, and sequined evening tuxedos by Dolce & Gabbana were a definite standout. Shirts covered in rhinestone applications made an appearance at Valentino, sleeveless tops with Swarovski by Gucci, and coats and shirts studded with light points by Balmain.
Prints Galore
Many designers and creative directors this season have used prints and patterns to spice up their designs. For the MSGM men’s collection, Massimo Giorgetti has started a collaboration with Google Pixel 8 for prints that represent speed. JW Anderson has placed reproductions of Christiane Kubrick’s paintings, while Dries Van Noten has elaborated glitchy decorative graphics on trousers, sweaters, and coats.
Inviting Elegance
An idea of unbridled elegance emerged on the runway this season, formally. Dolce & Gabbana’s chic show proposed tailored suits, while the twins Dean and Dan Caten of Dsquared2 shined with seventies-style suits encrusted with sequins. At Gucci, the creative director Sabato De Sarno proposed elegant menswear accessorized with scarves closed with the distinctive Horsebit clamp of the Italian brand.
