It was a buzzing trade show/men’s week in Paris where you could really smell the excitement for the new fall/winter season in the frosty air. Once again, the amount of different shows, presentations and events scattered across the city could hardly be fitted into a single schedule, but inspiration was surely to be found - even in between.
At the Maison de la Mutualité, Capsule hosted around 120 casual men’s collections on two floors, stretching from progressive streetwear to more classic (denim) lines and sneakers. Highlight collections included Stampd, Danilo Paura, the lines by the Korean We Not Fat group (such as Drink Beer Save Water or Tee Library), and basically all brands represented by the Medium Concepts agency, including Matiere, Willy Chavarria, Paterson, Death to Tennis and Dim Mak, the new fashion line by US-mega DJ Steve Aoki. There was especially a great amount of interesting international newcomers to be discovered, such as Bristol Los Angeles, Sisyphe from Madrid, Used Future from South Korea, The Incorporated from Seattle or Surf is Dead from Los Angeles. Many of these were housed in the “Under the Radar” area on the fifth floor, curated by Highsnobiety.
MAN also welcomed around 120 men’s brands in its always family-like atmosphere at Rue Yves Toudic. Many MAN regulars returned to the fair, including names such as Uniforms for the Dedicated, Eat Dust, Amor Lux, Folk, Howlin, Sandqvist or Levi’s Vintage Clothing, who reported super busy show days. The portfolio was rounded up by new names like The Cords & Co., the new corduroy-only venture by the Happy Socks founders or technology-meets-design outerwear brand 7L from Great Britain. For the first time, MAN stretched its presence in Paris by a five-day showroom, which hosted 21 brands (including P.A.M., Stutterheim or Hope) already from Wednesday (18th January) and was connected to the main MAN show by shuttles.
Generally, the calmer and more private atmosphere of a showroom space was adapted – and well received! – by many this season, most notably by Resident Showroom, the new venture by Jacket Required co-founders Craig Ford and Mark Batista, plus Edwin Europe veteran Pierre Boiselle. The trio brought together a nicely curated mix of 36 brands from the denim, work- and streetwear field in a light-flooded location near Bastille, which served as a private showroom from Tuesday to Thursday and trade show on the weekend. Newcomer M.C. Overalls, a lovely and very accessible monochrome workwear line which revives the oldest English denim brand, was sitting next to industry heavyweights such as Ebbets Field Flannels, Edwin or Billionaire Boys Club. Both organizers and exhibitors praised the relaxed and friendly working atmosphere at Resident Showroom, surely making this a successful debut.
Another much talked-about showroom was the one by Italian streetwear authority Slam Jam, who brought its fall/winter ’17 brand selection to a new space in the Marais, showcasing hype-suspicious collaborations such as Alpha Industries x 424, Napapijri by Martine Rose or its own Slam Jam x Carhartt capsule, plus other collections from its distribution portfolio including the supercool Kappa Kontroll line, Stussy, The North Face Red line or Life’s a Beach.
Nearby, Tranoi was celebrating its new spot at Carreau du Temple, which was well received due to its central location. Together with the classic location at Palais de la Bourse, Tranoi showcased around 250 contemporary and avant-garde men’s (and women’s) designers. One highlight marked the collection by Istanbul-based Les Benjamins, who also held a fashion show earlier in the week. Generally, the classic Parisian all-black-overlength look was (still) pervading the hallways.
The key items and trends from the showgrounds:
The bomber down jacket
Curduroy
Teddy or „popcorn“ fleece
Oversize (especially: hoodies!)
Pastels, washed out tones
Longsleeves (important for layering)
Shiny materials
Texture
The denim kimono
Also interesting:
For more information on trade shows check out DFV Group’s expocheck.com.
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