MENSWEAR FASHION WEEK S/S24 ROUND-UP

Words by Jamal Grootboom | Images: Getty Images/Vogue Runway

The Fashion Week season kick-started with menswear collections from luxury houses such as Rick Owens, Loewe, Vetements and Dior Men. Pharrell also made his creative director debut at Louis Vuitton after the passing of Virgil Abloh in 2021.

Menswear has come a long way in the fashion industry, with it gaining just as much hype compared to the womenswear collections. This season, in particular, shows some breathtaking collections from various designers, including the hotly-anticipated Louis Vuitton collection with the ‘Happy’ rapper at the helm.

From the looks of things, menswear is definitely in a great space concerning pushing the boundaries and making it an exciting affair.

If you missed all the hype, here's a look at some of the trends to watch out for and the collections that left us in awe.

The Louis Vuitton collection was the most-anticipated show of the season. Grammy award-winning producer Pharrell made his debut as the creative director for LV menswear and certainly put on a show. The attendee list included A-listers such as Beyoncé, Jay Z, Zendaya, Naomi Campbell, LeBron James, A$AP Rocky and Rihanna (who was recently named as an ambassador for the brand), to name a few.

The collection featured a pixel motif in various silhouettes and treatments akin to the Loewe SS23 show. The ‘Frontin’ producer also infused a ‘90s hip hop motif through the use of typography and echoed current trends with oversized coats, shorts and pants. There were more tailored pieces with a check pattern, however, it’s clear Pharrell used his style as the core inspiration for his debut showing.

Time will only tell how this unconventional move will work for the luxury house, but this is a promising start.

The lines of what is considered womenswear vs menswear are becoming more blurred, with many of the collections not only featuring female models but also the infusion of feminine textiles and silhouettes. Extreme high-waisted pants were seen at various shows, including Loewe and Rick Owens. New applications for mesh and sheer fabrics were also shown at the likes of Giorgio Armani and Hermès.

The oversized trend is also firmly in place, with Vetements taking it to an outrageous level. This trend continued with palazzo-esque pants by Dior Men and light flair slacks shown at Givenchy.

The fashion industry is moving away from ascribing gender to specific items, instead viewing everything as clothes to be worn across the gender spectrum.

While baggy and oversized silhouettes dominated, structured garments also popped up with an unusual spin. JW Anderson and Loewe played with 3D elements along with exciting shapes for pants and dresses. Setchu also showed an intricate blazer that featured a nipped-in waist with balloon-esque arms. Similarly, Kenzo took the blazer and merged it with a jacket for a flattering and fresh take and accented the hip area for an interesting silhouette. This forward-thinking approach carried through most of the jackets too, which were expertly tailored and featured a play on proportions.

Overall this was a great precursor to Paris Haute Couture Week and shows that menswear is just as exciting as womenswear.