SAO PAULO–Ellus set the stage for a standout show with an amazing reside string quartet (mixed with electronic beat) and a distinctive stage backdrop, which looked like a wall taken correct out of your living room. And happily, the clothes did not disappoint, effortlessly matching the set’s glamour and sophistication.

The face of the brand Aline Weber (who is Brazilian, duh) opened the show with an all black ensemble that was something but boring, combining leather, sequins and wool in an artful blend of textures–certainly a promise of what was to come.

More all-black looks came down the runway, 1 following an additional, but despite the monotonous palette, every look felt unique and purposeful thanks to a wholesome variation in textures: There was fur lining, long sequins, filmy silk, sturdy wool, leather, leather and yes, a lot more leather. The collection undoubtedly took some style notes from S&ampM mistresses, with buckled and corestted belts, short leather dresses–even a leather bra and skirt combo. A single of our favorite looks was a worn-looking leather skirt and leading with lace detailing up the sides, which was extremely Alaia.

Just when we thought the show was going to be fully black, the runway exploded into color, with a bevy of monochromatic red looks, which gave way to warmer golds, camels and prints. With much more colors to perform with, the contrasting textures had been even far more exceptional. The leather was nevertheless there but now, mixed with laces, colorful faux fur, and metallics, the effect was far more playful.

Pictures: Zé Takahashi / Ag. Fotosite

Lengthy Nguyen is the co-founder and style director of Flaunt.

PARIS–“The fabrics are specially produced in mills in Italy where there is nevertheless an appreciation for craftsmanship,” mentioned Lucas Ossendrijver at Lanvin’s temporary showroom on the Seine as we stood just before a navy wool jacket reinforced with neoprene at the shoulders.

Tailoring has always been the base of Lanvin’s menswear since the initial collection in 2005 but in this season’s spectacular collection Ossendrijver fused tailoring with technological innovations and sportswear elements to make the clothes proper for the moment.

With classical music blaring over the soundtrack interrupted at instances by loud beats of drums, Lanvin’s fall men’s collection combined tremendous analysis in fabrics with precise cuts. An ice blue wool single-breasted suit with patches of inserted neoprene emphasized the sharp lines of the cutting pattern. On close inspection at the showroom, metal staples were visible along the surface of a coat. Methods in the service of fashion–there is absolutely nothing far more convincing at this moment in any men’s fashion collection.

Red, mustard, dark teal green, and ice blue were injected into a black and charcoal palette. Stand out pieces included the charcoal coat with hidden buttons and the wool, laminated leather navy and black trench coat. I wasn’t positive how the three striped looks fit into the collection.

While a lot of function and study went into the clothes, the collection seemed nonchalant rather than forced–you couldn’t see the effort.

Photographs: Imaxtree

Long Nguyen is the co-founder/style director of Flaunt.

PARIS–Underneath a rain soaked plastic tent on the grounds of the historical Hôtel des Invalides (Napoleon’s tomb), Riccardo Tisci presented his seventh menswear collection for Givenchy. He left behind the wild prints of the past two seasons–like spring’s ubiquitous bird of paradise–to showcase his signatures silhouettes: sharp slim fitted single-breasted suits and the sportswear elements, like the baseball jacket and the sweatshirt that is now grow to be a signature.

Tisci’s childhood obsession with Americana shone by way of in stars and stripes that adorned loose fit XXL workout sweatshirts and on striped sweaters. Surely these cotton shirts and sweatshirts with embroidered metal stars will be bestsellers at retail come next fall. And no Givenchy men’s collection is with no the pleated skort he showed at his first menswear show. This time it came striped in black and red, in black gabardine, or in denim.

Designers need to reinforce their signature looks and do so with a firm and uncompromising grip. Here Mr. Tisci did not disappoint in providing his clients with a range of selections to mix into their wardrobes: the double breasted knee length coat in heavy wool the red and black striped polos, and the tan leather sweatshirt with embroidered navy stars around the neck.

I am not certain how the Minotaur-inspired crystal nose rings fit into the realm of Americana but searching from afar, they had been a shiny distraction to the fine luxury coats and suits.

There was one thing a lot more mechanical and considerably less sensual about this show than Mr. Tisci’s prior seasons. What’s various now, I assume, is possibly that there is less risk taking as Tisci gains a firm footing in menswear.

Photographs: Imaxtree

Extended Nguyen is the co-founder and style director of Flaunt.

PARIS–There’s something about the integrity of Mr. Yohji Yamamoto’s work that resists succumbing to seasonal trends. You have to respect designer who follows his personal vision despite the warp speed pace of fashion changing around him. It’s far more typically the case that the fashion planet at some point catches up with him–you can see his men’s pantsuits in several of the women’s collections shown here in the last two seasons.

In a little showroom on the Rue Saint Martin, Mr. Yamamoto, as usual, utilised a range of true individuals and fashion models–young and old, large and slim sizes –a reflection of the true people who purchase his clothes.

When the show ended, guests exiting one particular way and models another–some of the dressed-to-the-nines editors (blood red elbow gloves on one and a rabbit hat and blue Mongolian fur on an additional) seemed far more accomplished up then the models. And possibly that has usually been the point for the designer who pushes boundaries only with how he cuts the clothes, frequently employing the exact same fabrics season following season: The black gabardine that usually came in a deep navy or that crisp and heavy poplin cotton for shirts. This time, felt wool and boiled wool took center stage comprising a range of overcoats from a black blanket coat to a longer jacket with large circular lapels to a series of brown boiled wool patch pocket coats with pink piping. Colorful decorations on the numerous incarnations of the navy military coat–as a jacket, peacoat, or extended coat–added appeal to this staple in each and every man’s wardrobe. And still, some of the shapeless blanket coats reminded me of Mr. Yamamoto’s arrival into the Paris scene in the early 80’s with his formless, asymmetrical, and androgynous black clothes that sparked a style revolution then and silently again now.

When the designer appeared among the models standing in a tableau finale, I was reminded of the image of him from the brief documentary film about his life and work, This Is My Dream. Mr. Yamamoto was always smiling due to the fact he enjoys producing clothes–fashion is his life.

Photographs: Imaxtree

SAO PAULO–Remember ravers? Nicely, Brazilian label Osklen confident does. The brand employed the subculture as the main inspiration behind their fall 2012 collection. But prior to you commence picturing oversized Jnco pants, and pacifier necklaces, note that these are not the raving clothes we remember (and wish we could forget?): This time, they are all grown up, high fashion–and eco-conscious.

Certain, there was a lot of neon, camo and brightly colored furry factors (from purses, to hats, to sweaters), but there was also expertly tailored outerwear, filmy blouses and a digitized floral print that was decidedly 2012.

Of course, what else would you anticipate from designer Oskar Metsavaht, whose background is not in design or fashion–but snowboarding. Fun reality: The Osklen brand, now considered to be 1 of the most effective Brazilian labels, started out when Metsavaht, who was the first Brazilian to scale Mont Blanc and, as component of a group of snowboarding enthusiasts, also climbed the Aconcagua, the Americas’ highest mountain, saw a need for sportswear designed for colder temperatures. As you can see, the brand has come a lengthy way, in terms of fashion–but their athletic roots are unmistakable. And in this collection, the designer’s snowboarding background also seemed to shine. Is the raver reference producing a lot more sense now?

But what tends to make Osklen’s styles truly modern day is the brand’s dedication to using eco-friendly and sustainable supplies. Now that is a sub-culture we can get behind.

Photos: Zé Takahashi/Ag. Fotosite by way of FFW

Extended Nguyen is the co-founder and style director of Flaunt.

PARIS–Three painters were still busy working on a massive mural inside a second floor hall at the Grand Palais when Dries van Noten’s fall men’s collection took to the runway. The artists had been commissioned to recreate the colorful perform of Dutch artists Gijs Frieling and Job Wouters, and had, in fact, been operating for the past 24 hours (their oeuvre can be seen in a time elapsed video can be noticed at driesvannoten.com). The painters ignored the models walking behind them and continued working on their canvas wall.

The colorful mural, which also featured quotes from Oscar Wilde, set the tone for a collection that was meant to embody what the designer dubbed ‘psychedelic elegance.’ A white psychedelic-printed long coat worn with a white wool turtleneck and jeans opened the show, followed by various incarnations of these dense prints on jeans, shirts and jackets. Prints have usually been a Van Noten trademark–recall the cityscape prints in his spring women’s collection–and here the surrealist print jacquard added a flare to a black tie jacket.

Military references had been present in an array of peacoats, single-breasted jackets and frock coats tailored with a ’70s flare. The prints by no means overwhelmed and injected an element of street style into an otherwise very formal presentation. The blazers and coats–Van Noten classics–took center stage. The high waist three or six-button jackets in herringbone tweed or the black single-breasted hidden button suit had been the concentrate of the tailoring perform this season. Little metallic brooches served as pocket squares and the vivid orange leather dress shoes supplied a spark to somber cut jackets. Accessories were kept to an absolute minimum–only a black leather ‘cartable’ or school bag was shown–reinforcing that clothes are the thing, right here, and accessories are just…accessories.

Regardless of of the prevailing psychedelic-Oscar Wilde-inspiration, Mr. Van Noten never allowed it to intervene with his confirmed track record of making significant clothes for the fashion man. A pay a visit to to his men’s retailer on the Quai Malaquais would dispel any notion of a divorce in between the runway show and the business of selling clothes. There along the rack mounted on the painted walls, what’s on the runway is represented in numerous colors as nicely as fabric alternative. For the Belgian designer, fashion is business first.

Photos: Imaxtree

“I rather like to see somebody I do not know wearing my bag in the street and I have no thought how they got it,” Olympia Le-Tan said at the press conference before the presentation of the new collection of bags she’d developed as the unique guest of Pitti W, the smaller women’s counterpart to Florence’s famed menswear trade show, Pitti Uomo. “Of course, it’s good when Natalie Portman is wearing one at a premiere, too,” she added.

Le-Tan, who began her style profession beneath Gilles Dufour at Chanel at just 19, has earned the adoration of fashion insiders like Sofia Coppola and Olivier Zahm for each her hand-crafted book clutches and her DJ capabilities at Paris hot spot Le Baron. As the very first accessories designer invited to present at Pitti W, Le-Tan churned out an appropriately Italian-themed collection comprised of 36 bags inspired by Italian cinema and literature. “I studied Italian literature and chose [to make bags] according to the books and motion pictures I like,” Le-Tan said, switching fluidly among Italian, English and French, answering every single reporter in his or her native tongue. Final season Le-Tan introduced a milk carton and cook book clutches, and for her Pitti collection, she introduced a round film canister shape, each and every embroidered with a classic Italian film like La Dolce Vita, Senso, and Riso Amaro.

Le-Tan presented her collection at the charming tea-candle-lit Museo Bellini, exactly where guests took in her bags which were nestled in and about the faded artwork and sculpture. “It reminded me of homes in Viconti,” Le-Tan mentioned of the venue. Colorful macarons and champagne flutes were passed out. But there was more than bags and renaissance art to gawk at. As homage to the Italian cinema that inspired her operate, Le-Tan had photographer Max Farago snap herself and some of her renowned close friends (which includes Tilda Swinton, Hamish Bowles and Olivier Zahm) as characters in those iconic films. Olivier Zahm is naked as the day he was born, recreating a scene from Salò. Le-Tan oozes sex appeal as Silvana Mangano in Riso Amaro.

Up next? Apparel. “Next season [for fall winter 2012/2013] I will do a couple of items of clothing,” Le-Tan said. “But undoubtedly not a runway show.” We can’t wait to see what she has in store.

Click by way of to see photographs of the collection and the presentation.

Pictures: Courtesy Pitti Immagine and my iPhone with Instagram