The wait is finally over. Before we begin part 2 of our Spring Summer 2020 Runway Report, catch up on part 1 here. In this edition, we focus on designs from notable names such as Dior Men, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Valentino, Paul Smith, and Celine.
dior men
Dior’s Spring Summer 2020 collection carried a futuristic vibe. Models with slicked-back hair walked down a runway carpeted with pink sand and artistically chipped ‘DIOR’ letters. From trenchcoats with loose pants to pink suits and jackets, the collection featured sleek silhouettes and shiny, silky fabrics. One outfit that stood out was a jumpsuit adorned with motifs of birds, flowers, and trees. The outfit was also paired with a silver handheld bag resembling luggage.
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton’s creative director Virgil Abloh initially intended to stage the brand’s Spring Summer 2020 show right in front of Notre Dame. Those plans were extinguished, though, after the April inferno that damaged the Paris landmark. So he took his collection to the iconic Place Dauphine (a historical public square) instead and lit up the runway with a presentation of workwear and classic streetwear hoodies inflected with couture tailoring. These were incorporated with floral prints, embroideries, and mid-layer harnesses. The show ended on a quirky note with several ensembles that featured leather goods sewn onto outerwear — a style which Abloh dubbed the ‘accessomorphosis’.
givenchy
At the gardens of Villa Palmieri in Florence, designer Clare Waight Keller debuted her first solo menswear outing. Givenchy’s Spring Summer 2020 collection showcased her forte in tailoring through three-buttoned suits, coats, and jackets in fitting or oversized cuts. These outfits were matched with Givenchy x Onitsuka Tiger footwear and presented in monochromatic and complementary colours. The brand also teased the audience with retro Korean street style influences in several pieces such as oversized jackets, tucked in basic white tees and baggy bottoms.
valentino
Valentino’s creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli has always had a penchant for bold prints and bulky footwear. This has been a recurring style throughout his past collections, including Spring Summer 2019 and Fall Winter 2019. His Spring Summer 2020 collection expressed a similar vibe by pairing chunky Valentino Garavani sneakers and tops with military-camouflage prints or vibrantly coloured landscapes created by artist Roger Dean. A standout look from the runway was a long-sleeved robe emblazoned with blue skies, purple fog, and orange desert sand.
Paul Smith
Set to flute music, Paul Smith’s Spring Summer 2020 collection was a fun and light-hearted showcase of pop art colours in caramel, pink, blue and yellow. The British brand’s collection featured mainly different cuts and designs of suits reminiscent of old-school Wall Street style — baggy single and double-breasted jackets, loose pants, and Chelsea boots.
Celine
Heidi Slimane’s third menswear collection for Celine combined casual dressing with a defiant attitude. This was expressed through slim-cut suits designed with glitter and pinstripes, and leather and denim jackets. These outfits were also matched with shiny Chelsea boots and classic white sneakers. Packed with swagger, the show saw its models strutting down the runway decked out in 1980s hairstyles, shades, leopard prints and snakeskin leather.
Stay tuned for more coverage of the Spring Summer 2020 collection. In our next and final runway report, we’ll introduce the timeless, dapper looks from Emporio Armani, Giorgio Armani, Versace, Ermenegildo Zegna, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Dunhill.