The French menswear collections presented last week were a sea of sequins, silk and all things pink, challenging the adage that boys will be boys.
Fine fabrics like silk, gazar and crepe de Chine crept into the male wardrobe for spring-summer 2009, as Paris designers increasingly blurred gender boundaries.
"The most striking thing is the amount of crossover from women's collections that seems to be happening," Michael Roberts, fashion director of Vanity Fair magazine, told The Associated Press.
"A little bit of that goes a long way as far as I'm concerned. I just find it a little bit annoying that I'm supposed to be here for a week watching men's shows, and I keep having to pinch myself to remind myself that I'm not in the women's pret-a-porter," he added.
Dior Homme:
Models paraded in gold-sequined pants with bright jewel appliques, or a metallic bomber jacket in this season's ubiquitous fuchsia pink.
Admittedly, these were merely footnotes to a collection based on intricately constructed jackets, as well as club-kid gear - an unexpected direction for designer Kris Van Assche, who is known for a romantic sense of elegance.
Van Assche bristled at the suggestion that he was bringing feminine elements to Dior's sober aesthetic.
"For me, it's not at all about making menswear more feminine," he told the AP. "The whole job is to use these traditions like embroidery and all that, but to make it in a very masculine way."
Lanvin:
If anyone can be credited with kickstarting the feminine trend in menswear, it is French label Lanvin, which created a minor sensation last year with its jogging suit made from purple duchess satin.
Lucas Ossendrijver, who designs the menswear line under artistic director Alber Elbaz, reverted to technical fabrics with a crisper feel this season, but kept the foppish details like ruched seams on trousers and jacket backs.
A black silk puff-sleeved blouse was worn over a T-shirt encrusted with black beads, while accessories included lace-up sandals and crinkly straw hats laden with thick ribbons.
Paul Smith:
The British label famed for providing classics-with-a-twist opened its show with a strikingly androgynous model - his silky hair flowing well past shoulder length.
Fashion highlights included striped suits whose lapels were spliced to create a herringbone effect, but a seemingly endless sequence of baggy, faded jeans rolled above the ankle looked curiously out of touch.
Emanuel Ungaro:
Designer Franck Boclet celebrated the house heritage with a shocking pink backdrop, but used the color sparingly in his collection.
After all, he made his name at Francesco Smalto cutting suits with a defiant swagger. Here, they were rendered in checked patterns with pants that stretched suggestively across the thigh.
As a result, a pink linen blazer seemed slightly adrift, though a purple cardigan top with a loose matching parka was a plausible option.
Francesco Smalto:
Swiss-Korean designer Youn Chong Bak took over the design reins three seasons ago and has steadily loosened up the brand's image. For next season's preview, models lounged around an Italianate fountain in a chic mansion in her crisp cotton jackets paired with tailored cream bermudas, conjuring images of the spoiled millionaire Dickie Greenleaf in The Talented Mr. Ripley.
Best of all were the waistcoats cut away in the front in the style of morning coats. These came in white linen with a tone-on-tone satin trim, or in a denim version slung over an unbuttoned white shirt.
"I think it's always more pleasant to see men who have attitude but nonetheless have a slightly soft side, because people are sick of machos," Chong Bak said.
Hermes:
The focus was on bare necklines with sailor-style sweaters that framed the collarbone.
This might seem like a bad move for a company famed for its luxurious silk ties, but French designer Veronique Nichanian provided plenty of alternatives.
They ranged from plain shawls worn loose over the chest to brightly patterned silk squares jauntily tied around the neck. The signature Hermes scarf even doubled as a cummerbund, worn simply over a white linen shirt and dark pants.
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Boys will be boys? Then what are sequins, silk and all things pink doing here?
