Dior Homme SS20
Backstage, shows, people, parties. Watch, listen, read.
Words: Brooke McCord
Photography: Tom Chapman
Sunday 23rd June
CELINE SS20
And so it begins…
Location: Paris’s Dôme des Invalides, for the third time.
Hedi Slimane has teased a collaboration with David Kramer on Instagram. Stay tuned…
PAUL SMITH SS20
Paul Smith continues to reign as the master of tailoring – SS20’s stand-out suits came in a Battenberg cake-palette of yellow and pink (and in leather, too).
KENZO SS20
Today marked Carol Lim and and Humberto Leon’s final Kenzo collection after eight years at the helm of the house. There was only one way to go, and that’s with a bang. The show took place in Paris’s AccorHotels Arena in front of an audience of 6000 people (including over 4000 members of the public whom Lim and Leon has invited to apply for tickets to the show earlier this month).
WHAT DID IT LOOK LIKE?
WHAT DID IT SOUND LIKE?
Solange!! The singer made a surprise appearance, performing I’m A Witness live with her band who she conducted on the runway during the womenswear section of the show.
OF NOTE:
Two dance troupes proceeded down each end of the runway in slow-mo (to the dramatic sound of gongs and fanfares) wearing supersize zori platforms that allowed for ethereal movement.
WHAT WERE PEOPLE SAYING ABOUT IT?
Selah Marley (who attended the show) weighs in:
WE ASKED HER A FEW MORE QUESTIONS TOO…
LANVIN SS20
Location: the swimming pool at Espace Sportif Pailleron. What better location to show in in 28°C heat?
Saturday 22nd June
HERMES SS20
Feather-weight layers, delicate knits, suede outerwear and candy coloured pants – Véronique Nichanian’s SS20 Hermès collection is designed for a man who likes to travel.
SIES MARJAN SS20
Sander Lak’s debut menswear collection (shown at Opera Bastille looking out onto the Parisian skyline) is a lesson in low-key luxury. Think minimalist silhouettes and nude tones met by max-volume colours and a recurring zebra print.
SATURDAY MOOD:
Friday 21st June
BALENCIAGA PARTY
Dancing shoes at the ready. Tap to reveal the location.
Lycée Molière: a school in Paris’ 16th Arrondissement
CASABLANCA SS20
Charaf Tajer backstage
DIOR HOMME SS20
Kim Jones’ futuristic SS20 Dior Homme collection pays homage to Christian Dior’s love of architecture via dramatic silhouettes, contrasting fabric combinations, fresh textures and the pièce de résistance: a sculptural all-metal take on the iconic saddle bag. Wearing chunky rubber-sole boots, Jones’ models stomped down the Pepto Bismal-pink sand runway, past 10ft tall crumbling white stone letters spelling out DIOR (concepted and created by American artist Daniel Arsham). Their desert essentials? Heavy-duty aluminium backpacks (that mark Dior’s first ever collaboration with Rimowa) and a Dior X Rimowa cool box with slots for a champagne bottle and two flutes.
Dior Homme SS20
Soundtracked by Honey Dijon feat. Malcom McLaren & The Bootzilla Orchestra’s Waltz Darling.
What time is it? It’s Dior O’clock!
The entrance to the Dior show space, an installation by American artist Daniel Arsham
JIL SANDER SS20
Masterful minimalism to the sound of The Smiths’ This Charming Man and Morrissey’s Hold On To Your Friends.
Thursday 20th June
VETEMENTS SS20
Do you want fries with that? Demna Gvasalia is no stranger to subverting the norms of fashion, his SS20 show location included. This season he took us to the last place you’d expect (pre 3am) during Paris fashion week: the world’s favourite fast food joint, McDonald’s. Proportions were supersized, characters were present, uniforms were riffed on and signature Vetements-isms came into play as guests sipped coke from Vetements x McDonalds paper cups. We were disappointed about the lack of fries.
Dev Hynes, Octavian and Hector Bellerin all walked in today’s Louis Vuitton show set in a postcard-perfect Parisian square.
Dev Hynes and Octavian backstage at Louis Vuitton
RICK OWENS SS20
Presented on a runway that circled a sculpture by British artist Thomas Houseago (to the sound of a ceremonial drum beat), Rick Owen’s SS20 collection drew on his Mexican heritage, something he felt compelled to explore in response to Trump Wall.
Wednesday 19th June
RAF SIMONS SS20
Taking place in a vast industrial sports hall (carpeted in pink) on the outskirts of Paris, Raf’s SS20 collection was a response to “corporate, consumer, fascist” America (according to the voice over at the start). Think ‘Stoned America’ and ‘Support Labs’ slogans, lab coats, and a ‘My Own Private Antwerp’ jacket, soundtracked by Mica Levi’s Under the Skin.
Crafty knits and vibrant vacation prints at Valentino SS20.
ACNE STUDIOS SS20
An art school aesthetic shaped by unexpected pairings and experimental styling.
Octavian at Acne SS20
Y PROJECT SS20
Dramatic collars, outsize tailoring, painted trousers, flesh-revealing catsuits, Y‑shaped earrings and square-hem flares.
JW ANDERSON SS20
Deconstructed trench coats and tailored jackets, knitted headwater and unconventional knitwear silhouettes.
Virgil Abloh’s latest collection is an ode to his love of art.
Gigi Hadid backstage at Off-White.
CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN SS20
-4 hours to go until Off-White’s SS20 show.
Tuesday June 18th
The only car to be seen riding in. And so Paris begins.
