PARIS MENS FALL / WINTER 2025 SHOWROOM REPORT

 

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.

SONG FOR THE MUTE

It’s always nice to see a brand that started in the forum days of StyleZeitgeist becoming a resounding success noticed by the industry, as evidenced from its whimsical collaborations with Adidas Originals (another big collab is in the works, but I cannot say what it is). Though STFM has moved away from its SZ roots, it continues to put out thoughtful collections. This one, called Sunflower, had STFM’s usual mix of lightness and substance. One of the ideas was to recreate a feeling of that rare vintage fine that one holds on to dearly, and I thought it worked well.

A.PRESSE

This new kid on the block in the long venerable line of Japanese menswear brands that fuse American workwear and Japanese craft has quickly made waves, and the level of obsession on the part of the menswear geeks when A.PRESSE is mentioned borders on mania. There is a reason for such a fervent reaction – in terms of quality of construction and finish it is IM.PRESSIVE. I love seeing such attention to quality channeled by a product brand rather than traditional luxury brand. All of A.PRESSE’s fabrics come from Japan, except the sumptuous Spanish leathers. A particular favorite of mine was a silk / cotton collarless bomber jacket that was absolutely beautiful in its shape and feel. The leather jackets were also top notch, especially a trucker version.

Nicolas Andreas Taralis

I have not seen Nicolas in a long time due to my maddening Paris schedule, so it was lovely to catch up and see his collection in real life. NAT has been going high-end, which he sees as the only way to remain afloat as luxury goes mass market and continues to dilute its quality. Many of the garments he presented will be painstakingly produced at a small factory in Italy in editions of 15. The deconstructed tailoring he presented was especially brilliant, with unfinished fully canvased construction, and basting stitch left over that you can play with as you see fit. If I had any qualms is that some of the oversized garments were really humongous. I think we are about to start moving away from the cartoonish hugeness back to a silhouette that has a relationship with human anatomy, which I welcome.

K’ANG

This brand, from a former apprentice at m.a.+ and Deepti, has come on my radar last year and has become one of my most exciting finds. It is rare to see a young designer present a collection so accomplished. His tailoring is top notch and possesses a subtle edge, as evidenced in a black leather trench with metal buttons and an opening on the top of the back that gives it just the right amount of oomph. Add to it a matching helmet and you have an outfit that turns heads. Leave it out, and you have a garment that is calm and assured. One of the highlights of this collection were fabrics that went under a metal roller covered with eroding chemicals. Depending on the fabric, the effects were more or less subtle, but always cool. There was also a long deconstructed two-layer coat I have my eye on.

THE VIRIDI-ANNE AND DEVOA

Last year I reconnected with these two Japanese OG StyleZeitgeist stalwarts who show at the same showroom, so I am putting both under the same heading, even though the brands are different.

The Viridi-Anne continues leaning into a tech direction, which makes sense for the techwear-obsessed Japan, but it’s keeping things goth in its mostly black offerings. I liked the roomy jackets and pants that were on offer, as well as an adjustable carabiner belt.

I was less convinced by Devoa, a brand I usually love. Its customary attention to construction was missing in favor of details that seemed superfluous. But I did love a part of the collection that was made with Faliero Sarti fabrics. For those who don’t know, Faliero Sarti is a venerable Italian fabric house, which doubles as the unofficial supplier of scarves for the StyleZeitgeist universe.

I’ll add one last thing – it’s gratifying to see brands like TVA and Devoa keep their pricing honest. Some of the wholesale prices seemed too good to be true. If you are looking to dress well and not spend stratospheric amounts of money, look to those two.

LABEL UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Another OG StyleZeitgeist brand has come back to Paris quietly with its excellent knitwear offering. These days Luca Laurini is keeping things simple, sticking to the tried and true not-so-basic knits he has built his brand on.

SETCHU

Satoshi Kuwata is a rare breed of a designer who deserves the mainstream attention he’s been getting. He put on a show at Pitti Uomo, but it is the intimate, one-on-one experience with his thoughtful clothes that is the crux of what he does. Not only his fabrics are top notch, but his construction methods are brilliant in the way they give each garment transformative powers, therefore also giving the wearer more agency over the clothes. The new versions of his signature foldable origami blazers were feats of sartorial engineering, and even the simple sweatshirts with zippers running all through their sides were alluring.

TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloist.

I was happy to see the brand back in Paris after a five-year hiatus. Although I’ve been able to follow TheSoloist closely, because I have either ended up in Japan at the time they were showing, or I would see a selection at their New York showroom, it was good to see the brand’s complete offerings. For this collection, Takahiro Miyashita imagined a band, The Black and White Realism, and the color palette fitted the name. I particularly liked the fake fur lined bombers and extra-long coats whose long tails could be wrapped around one’s legs. There was also a beautiful black kilt, a garment that I am particularly partial to.

m.a.+ by Maurizio Amadei

It’s nice to see StyleZeitgeist brands slowly coming back to Paris, and m.a.+ was in top form here. The brand has built its uniform, on which it subtly iterates and adds to. This time its signature aviator jacket was updated in a beautiful stretchy fabric, and there were excellent long drape coats. Leather continues to be an indispensable part of the brand, and the boots, belts, and bags looked as desirable as ever.

Forme d’Expression

This brand has become my go to for relaxed tailoring for a reason –– it consistently hits it out of the park in terms of both the beauty of its fabrics and in the forgiving yet streamlined fit it offers. There was a new variation of a long coat with two horizontally aligned buttons that made it look something in between a double-breasted and a single-breasted construction, and another long “priest” coat. I’ve been a 3/4, Edwardian fit diehard for years, but lately I’ve been attracted to longer volumes and these were absolutely fantastic.

SONO

One of my recent discoveries, SONO has forged its own path by providing relaxed clothing made of brilliant natural fabrics, minimally died and made entirely in the UK, France, or Italy. They don’t tout their sustainability credentials, but everything they do comes as close to responsible production as possible. But the clothes are the point, sweaters in cushy wools, relaxed coats, and drawstring pants are seductive in their deceptive simplicity; this is the stuff you want to live in.

JAN JAN VAN ESSCHE

There was not much deviation in this JJVE collection in terms of shapes, but his work with Japanese fabrics continue to inspire quiet awe. In addition to those, Jan Jan has spent some time last year among Indian artisanal weavers and what he brought back was amazing; lovely linens made without a single watt of electricity used that in their unevenness bore the imprints of a human hand.

STOVAIGH

This Chinese brand was a new discovery. In its oversized tailoring it offers loosely defined Southeast Asian tradition filtered through a contemporary lens. The palette is earthy and the fabrics are developed in Japan from yarn to cloth specifically for the brand, and are dyed by artisans using whatever organic materials they happen to gather, from tea to flowers. Some of the buttons are made by a Chinese ceramic artisan, and they are small treasures in themselves. I think this brand will be a worthy addition to my future Paris trips.

EMATYTE

This shoemaker was my last but not least stop on the artisan express. Gabriele makes shoes, boots, and sneakers by hand himself from start to finish in his workshop in Tuscany. Their construction, including Goodyear and Norwegian welts, is top notch, and his aesthetic is lived in. I like that there are artisans out there that offer completely handmade product that stands outside of the usual polished #menswear set. EMATYTE is a testament to the fact that tradition need not be conservative.

PARATRAIT

My last showroom stop was one of Tokyo Fashion Award, an organization that supports young Japanese talent. It’s always worth a stop to see whom they are championing, and this time I liked a newcomer called Paratrait. Just when you think that the country that has birthed Snowpeak, Nanamica, Daiwa Pier 39, And Wander, Descente (I can go on and on) cannot possibly produce a new take on techwear, Paratrait’s mix of tech and fashion proves otherwise. I was particularly taken by long black parkas that were weatherproof but did not look so. A+.