PARIS - The Paris menswear collections kicked off Thursday with a focus on individual style, reflecting a downturn in the global economy which has taken the shine off status dressing.
The new mood sweeping men's fashion this season has produced some unlikely style icons.
Megabrand Louis Vuitton drew inspiration from the little tramp himself, Charlie Chaplin, for a spring-summer collection of cropped linen jackets and extra-fine collarless shirts in sober shades of white, grey and black.
Fans of the sophisticated French label can rest easy though. The Chaplin influences were subtle, translating into high buttons on jackets that peeled away to reveal the waistband and a slightly curved leg on narrow pants.
Hip-hop star Pharrell Williams is down with the new sobriety, having ditched his trademark gold and diamond chains for a simple T-shirt and jeans.
"I think the clothes have to describe who you are," he told The Associated Press.
"I like to be comfortable. It's hot though, isn't it?" he added, peeling off his cardigan as temperatures soared in the glass-roofed mezzanine of the Musee de Tokyo where the show was held.
Vuitton menswear designer Paul Helbers came up with the perfect compromise for exacting clients like Williams and fellow rapper Kanye West, who showed up wearing khakis belted below the bottom.
The designer paired a smart grey cotton blazer with a classic striped shirt and baggy denim shorts, for an informal take on city-slicker style.
"For this collection, we wanted a considered fluidity; something less formal, more fragile, but without compromising one button on luxury," Helbers said in a statement.
There was a touch of fantasy, too, in the smattering of outfits in flamingo pink, and in detachable rubber shoe straps to combat slippery pavements.
Italian designer Stefano Pilati gave free rein to his flamboyant side for Yves Saint Laurent, showing glittering evening jackets encrusted with silver sequins in a presentation late Wednesday.
Pilati recently ditched the catwalk in favour of museum-like exhibits mixing slick short films with a static presentation of the clothes. Liner notes had quotes from the Greek philosopher Plato.
What it all boiled down to was an exploration of man's feminine side, with crinkled washed-silk blazers worn over gauzy layers of fine knits, some featuring moth-holes patched with gold mesh.
Pilati said men could afford to loosen up a little without compromising their status.
"Men's clothing is more about dressing up for the right occasion in a certain way, in a formal way," the designer said.
"Sometimes we find ourselves looking for the experimental side of ourselves. But it can be completely legitimate and respect your profession, commitment, responsibility, function or whatever you call it."
