We are back with the journalist and critic Philippe Pourhashemi to review the Fall / Winter 2025 men’s season. We discuss the Setchu runway debut at Pitti Uomo in Florence, and touch upon the meaning of and the need to put on a fashion show, Peter Copping’s debut at Lanvin, the new direction at Dries…
We would like to present to you the Fall/Winter 2025 couture show by Yuima Nakazato
Photography courtesy of the brand.
When future historians will examine the list of crimes against humanity of our time, the work of Dolce & Gabbana will feature prominently, or, as they say in fashion, boldly. The current exhibition of the dismal duo’s oeuvre at Grand Palais in Paris drives this point home with such ferocious force as to make one’s eyes bleed from all the ludicrous pomposity on display. Mistitled Du Coeur a la Main, it should have been called The Kingdom of Kitsch, because that’s what Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have built, both at their brand and with this show at one of the world’s most venerable museums, whose stones are undoubtedly groaning with shame at having been burdened with so much bad taste.
Last year I promised to lean into supporting smaller brands, and I have valiantly tried to visit as many showrooms as possible, so much so that I have not seen much of Paris this time. Each season I receive an avalanche of invitations, but I am just one person, so I am taking an opportunity to offer my apologies to those I was not able to visit. In general, many of the brands I’ve seen have stuck to their guns. This is fine, but it also does not provide much food for thought. Quite a few are struggling, but I hope that now that the so-called luxury is in tailspin, it’s their time to come in and offer a superior product at a better price. There is certainly a contingent of men and women ready for it. And I see it as my job to connect these brands with a new audience. So, here it is.
This January Paris greeted us with rain and more rain. In the seven days I saw sun only once – proof that god hates fashion. The weather put a damper on a season that was already decidedly mid. If fashion is supposed to reflect our culture, what it tells us is that our culture is mired in mediocrity. Note that I did not say that it was an awful season, nor am I particularly disappointed, which means that I got exactly what I expected – mids. Pretty much all the editors I’ve spoken with this season did not expect much either. We’ve capitulated to fashion in the say way the American left has capitulated to Trump. We shrug our shoulders because we know what to expect. We troop from one show to another without much joy and without much anticipation. We are tired; what was once fun is starting to look an awful lot like work.
We would like to present to you Ziggy Chen’s Fall/Winter 2025 collection.
Photography by Matthew Reeves.
Images may not be copied without expressed permission.
We would like to present to you TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloist’s Fall / Winter 2025 collection.
Photos courtesy of TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloist.
We would like to present to you Rick Owens’ Fall/Winter 2025 Men’s collection
Photography by Matthew Reeves.
Images may not be copied without expressed permission.
We would like to present to you Hermès’ Fall/Winter 2025 Men’s collection.
Photography by Matthew Reeves.
Images may not be copied without expressed permission.
We would like to present to you Jan-Jan Van Essche’s Fall/Winter 2025 collection titled, “Reverence.”
Photography courtesy of the brand.