Paris Fashion Week: Officine Generale loosens classics; Dior’s models rise up; Givenchy shows dressy tailoring; Pharrell Williams stages LV debut

PARIS — French fashion label Officine Generale showed a breezy lineup of relaxed tailoring on the runway on Friday as part of Paris Fashion Week.

“The goal was to really manage to work on looser, more supple shapes for suit jackets,” the label’s founder and designer, Pierre Maheo, said.

The collection, which included looks for men and women, featured slouchy trousers and dressy jackets, lightweight overcoats and cotton trousers with elastic waists.

Models marched across a cobblestone catwalk in a courtyard of the Hotel de la Monnaie on the Left Bank in Paris wearing white cotton sneakers or simple ballerina slippers that toned down dressier looks.

One of several contemporary French labels seizing on the wave of post-pandemic demand for fashion in the United States to set up their own retail operations there, the brand plans to open a store on New York City’s Madison Avenue this fall.

Paris Fashion week’s menswear shows, which wind up on June 25, feature dozens of labels ranging from some of the biggest fashion names like LVMH-owned Louis Vuitton and Dior, as well as Hermes, to smaller, emerging brands.

DIORDior men’s artistic director Kim Jones took to a sparse, futuristic setting at the Ecole Militaire in central Paris, kicking off his summer show with an army of models that rose up from a metallic catwalk.

A whining blast of scratchy electronic sounds set the runway presentation in motion, and the catwalk lit up as floor panels rolled back. Models emerged slowly, filling the room in rows.

One by one, they moved off the squares and paraded around the room to a somber beat, in textured suits with an androgynous bent, embellished with pearls and sequins.

The color palette was pared down, mostly greys, ivory, and pastels, while accessories came in bright, neon pink or yellow — jaunty, knit caps with pompoms, small clutch handbags, and chunky loafers.

GIVENCHYGivenchy creative director Matthew M. Williams took to the catwalk on Thursday with an elegant spring and summer lineup for men, paring down the layers and zeroing in on suits.

Models strode through a column-lined hallway of the Musee de l’Armee in central Paris, overlooking the monument’s gilded dome. They paraded suitcoats that ranged from long and slightly boxy, to short and pinched at the waist, paired with low-crotched trousers.

There were satin lapels for the dressier looks, while an olive green jacket had a slight military flair.

Accessories, a key focus of the LVMH-owned label’s designer, were also chic and included bags that were strapped around the waist, carried in back.

LOUIS VUITTONFor his debut collection at Louis Vuitton, Pharrell Williams drew his global audience to the Pont Neuf bridge in Paris, kicking off his tenure as creative director of menswear with a celebrity-packed outdoor show.

In a show that further anchored the LVMH-owned label in popular culture, models strode across the gold-painted runway to live music. They paraded pearl-embellished tracksuits, furry outerwear, and sparkling jackets with the label’s signature checkmark pattern, in all colors and sizes, including shades of camouflage.

Crowds gathered along the Seine River, craning for a glimpse of the looks, which continued LV’s approach of mixing street style with luxury.

“I’m the second Black man to ever experience this on the planet, the biggest fashion house in the world,” Mr. Williams said in an interview before the show, referring to his job since February.

Best known as the singer and writer of pop hits “Happy” and “Blurred Lines,” the 50-year-old Williams ended months of speculation by filling the shoes of his friend Virgil Abloh, who held the job from March 2018 until his death in November 2021. Mr. Abloh had been the industry’s highest-profile Black designer, credited with forging a place for street style and loose skateboard looks in high-end fashion.

“My brother Virgil was the first. He made so many strides for the house and did so many things. He brought skate culture into this world — while being an American Black man. It’s unreal the fact that I get to do this as well,” said Mr. Williams.

LVMH Chairman and Chief Executive Bernard Arnault and his family, whom Mr. Williams has known for years, have been “extremely supportive” in his new role, Mr. Williams said.

Mr. Williams was first introduced to the Arnault clan in a collaboration to design sunglasses with Louis Vuitton designer Marc Jacobs in 2004.

Mr. Arnault and his children, all of whom hold important positions in LVMH, were seated in the front row, as well as Beyonce, Jay-Z and Kim Kardashian.

“The idea was to instill the idea that Louis Vuitton is also the master of tailoring of a dandy man who wants to be somewhat more elegant,” Vuitton CEO Pietro Beccari said of his brief to Mr. Williams.

“That was not difficult because that’s him. … What you see on the catwalk is Pharrell, multiplied by 70 looks.”

“The significance in terms of symbolism is great,” said HSBC analyst Erwan Rambourg, noting that while many labels talk about diversity and inclusion, Mr. Williams’ appointment was “taking a stance.”

Robert Schramm-Fuchs, portfolio manager at Janus Henderson, an LVMH shareholder, said the group’s push into the cultural realm could help broaden the luxury brand’s appeal.

Given the large size of LVMH, the sheer number of new customers it must attract to move the needle is much higher than for smaller brands, Schramm-Fuchs said.

“If you bring in lifestyle and things like that, you have to be careful to keep it inclusive and not alienate existing customer groups,” he added. “That’s the challenge, and for now they are managing it very well.” — Reuters