Enfnts Terribles

Workwear at Junya Watanabe, curated chaos at Kiko Kostadinov, refined elegance at Dior, intersectionality at Willy Chavalrria

Speaking of workwear, Junya Watanabe built a collection around the Filson ‘cruiser,’ a field jacket with additional pockets that Filson originally launched in 1914. Watanabe presented such in a range of fabrics, from classic canvas, flannel plaid, waxed denim, and leather. Mismatching pocket fabrics and contrasting flannel panels added details to the jackets, while shoes, handbags, Filson caps, and ties completed the look.  If Watanabe’s designs felt simple at first glance, for Kiko Kostadinov, this season ‘marked the departure from clean, clinical minimalism of previous seasons.’ Construction-wise fabrics took spontaneous, yet well-curated turns, becoming sophisticated garment details. The collection features interesting trench coats, wool coats, leather jackets, and overshirts – all cut in a rather peculiar yet tasteful manner. As for shoes, models walked down the runway covered in autumn leaves wearing Kostadinov’s version of outdoor Asics tabi boots.

DIOR Men offered refined minimalist elegance in a classic autumn color palette of black, navy, and orange-brown, with a hint of sensual masculinity through flowing silhouettes, pastel pinks, and satin silk. While Dior’s man is utterly elegant, in Willy Chavarria’s collection, if there was a hint of elegance in Chicano Sunday Mass suits, Chanel-like tweeds, and velvet fabrics, it was dramatically subverted with a puffed-up, bandit kind of ultra-masculinity. Chavarria’s staple elements of American blue-collar workwear and ‘blockcore’ tracksuits featuring Adidas collaboration were accompanied by tailoring made of velvet and satin fabrics in red, mustard, green, blue, and wine purple. Bringing people together at the American church for his Paris debut, Chavarria sent a powerful message of inclusivity, acceptance, and pride.