Suit specialist shows his vibrant colours
THE future’s bright: Paul Smith provided a welcome blast of exuberance at his spring-summer 2018 show in Paris by focusing on zinging shades and playful touches.
Suits and outerwear came in a rainbow array of colours (the day after Paris hosted Gay Pride), from coral to citrine and every hue in between, while retro camp collar shirt and bombers were emblazoned with tropical prints and scenes of moonlight dappled beaches.
Alongside the high octane pieces, the designer also returned to his staple – the suit – in a series of lean, narrow blazers and jackets.
Kris Van Assche, creative director of Dior Homme, also has his eyes on your double-breasted two-piece.
Van Assche is refining and articulating what a suit means for a new generation. The bar jacket – that hero piece from Dior circa 1947 that took the form of a Prince of Wales or houndstooth jacket adapted into a feminine silhouette – was reanimated by Van Assche in a series of deconstructed suits with fluid shapes; flaring at the hips in a gentle curve and razor tight on the torso.
The effect was bold and modern; a suit for the millenials for whom a trusty pinstripe is a tired concept.