Fashion: order and disorder<

E January 21, 2018: a rainy Sunday and, on the eve of the sewing week, a fashion crowd a bit tired by the end of the men's collections for winter 2018. A dreary moment.When at noon fell a press release.And fashion woke up, invigorated by the announcement of the appointment of Hedi Slimane at the head of artistic creation and the image of Céline, with the mission of the development of female collections, accessories, sewingBut also of the male universe and perfumes.Hedi Slimane therefore returns to LVMH (owner of the group Les Échos), where he had created Dior Homme before multiplying by three a few years later the turnover of Saint Laurent - at Kering.And Céline to display global ambitions and the creator her will of a "holistic project".Better than a recall, a new curtain raising after the more classic room, which had just ended.

She had had London as the decor of her act I. Far from the Fog and the Palinodies of Theresa May, the next generation of the British male fashion had sang her favorite antiphon there, that of a creativity a little unbridled - at Edward Crutchley or Charles Jeffrey -, sometimes tempered for designers coached and spotted by large groups - like Grace Wales Bonner. A prologue even more than a real act, in the absence of the great actors - Burberry or J. W. Anderson reserving for a mixed parade. No matter. It was a few days later, in the cold of the Florentine night, in the heart of an abandoned rail station, that an all theater shakespearean abyme was played in the theater. Suddenly, the spotlights drew a path of light. Take up men with long hair and pre -raphaélite faces, kilts holding the Cistercian flow, the memory of warriors and past collections. At full speed, others follow them, diverting and shaking up the classics of the wardrobe, all in a very quattrocento joyful liveliness. Then the black is done. Answer their caparisoned men to the hoods of madmen, with survival covers sporting the slogan "The Day the World Went Away". A song made up of two parades - that of Jun Takahashi for his brand Undercover to which that of Takahiro Miyashita the Soloist -, guests of honor of Pitti Uomo? Better still, an event questioning genres, borders, locker room registers, portability, competition between brands and their collaborations. Beyond stylistic performance, the theme chosen by the two creators "Order/Disorder" sounds like an echo of the challenges of the sector.

On the disorder side, the microcosm experienced a 2018 awakening marked by the blast made up of the fall of two system stars, photographers Mario Testino and Bruce Weber, accused by male models of harassment and touching. A scandal revealed by the New York Times, relayed by the Business of Fashion site, and leading luxury houses having ordered communication campaigns to stop any connection with them. A movement followed by Anna Wintour, in her incarnation of artistic director of the entire Condé Nast group - main press customer of the two photographers - who proposed rules in the future on her publications. An awareness recalling the joint initiative of LVMH and Kering which set up a charter of good conduct from last year protecting models from all moral or sexual harassment. Faced with these drifts, the system therefore reacted. Sign of times, we also noted the new diversity of podiums: the white male is no longer dominant.

At the same time, strictly male parades ceasing to be the norm, the mix of presentations during female fashion weekends gaining ground, the redistribution of cards between the fashion capitals is increasing.London fell back on the young guard, while Florence, and its Pitti Uomo - to increase attendance with 36,000 visitors (+2.5% compared to January 2016) -, says its place as pivot of the market for multi -brand andof a high expression of fashion.A dynamic that could make Milan pale, deserted by the brands of the Kering group - from Gucci to Bottega Veneta, preferring the mix of female fashion weekends - and giants like Ferragamo, Moncler or Corneliani.

Conversely, Paris assured its place, with 55 parades and 30 presentations, between foreign brands - they were 14 from Paul Smith to Dries Van Notten via Yamamoto -, mastodontes of LVMH - Dior Homme, Berluti, Vuitton, Loewe or Kenzo - and DeKering - McQueen, Brioni, Saint Laurent -, Return of Richemont - Dunhill - and young creation - like Nïuku.

On the offer side, the market continues to restore and the collections have done everything to reassure the end customer.The velvet, the "comforter" of the man, thus makes a remarkable return of Brunello Cucinelli - with whom he articulates the whole proposal - to Ermenegildo Zegna - Alessandro Sartori betting on his Sportswear component for his Tailoring offer - via Haider Ackermannwhich for its own brand, makes it a second sensual skin.In accessories, the sneaker continues to reign as a mistress, asserting itself ever more sporty and imposing.

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In terms of inspiration, the "Britishness", Madeleine de Proust in the male sector, is in great shape with great reinforcement of tartans and argyle patterns.It is naturally expressed for claws from across the Channel of Alexander McQueen - where Savile Row meets the Highlands - to Paul Smith - the Scottish and the coats of officers -, but also with the Italian Donatella Versace, theJapanese Chitosis Abe (Sacai) or the Flemish Dries Van Notten.

Même stratégie de l'offre à l'oeuvre quand les marques se réapproprient leur propre héritage. Prada décline ainsi le nylon et les imprimés qui furent les fers de lance de son succès et de sa transformation en marque globale; Saint Laurent présente (en show room) sa partition rock, mâtinée de références au Maroc d'Yves et Pierre; chez Valentino, Pierpaolo Piccioli réinterprète ses propres classiques; Dolce & Gabbana célèbrent les princes Salina d'aujourd'hui à grand renfort de broderies; Armani déploie sa maîtrise des velours, des gris et des bleus; Missoni parie sur ses mailles colorées; Tod's ancre son italienneté en s'offrant pour image le danseur étoile de la Scala, Roberto Bolle... Cette reconquête peut avoir des allures de renaissance comme chez Brioni où Nina-Maria Nitsche revient aux valeurs très «grand tailleur romain» de la maison tout en revendiquant un ancrage dans la vie, avec le recours à une brochette de «vrais gens» pour présenter la collection. Même souci d'universalité chez Dior Homme, où Kris Van Assche, retravaille la partition tailleur - soulignée comme la saison dernière par le motif «Christian Dior Atelier» - complétée de street et souligne les ambitions de la maison en faisant défiler des mannequins de tous les âges et «forever young», comme le chantait en 1984 le groupe Alphaville, bande-son du défilé.

This return to step, otherwise this return to realities, she signs an "end of man" in the manner, everything else equal, of which Fukuyama envisaged, after the fall of communism, the end of historyAnd the triumph of democracy?Perhaps not, because the man has probably not finished his moult and his "finished" mode is not yet defined.No doubt the "homo fashionistus" has not won the battle, but the ante-model man is no longer the alpha male he was.The offer is always more fragmented but its dynamics continue to go through a well thought out creativity.An obviousness that always translates with tenderness and acuity Véronique Nichanian in Hermès, between pink shards and emerald, timelessness and modernity, for a collection with oxymoron, whispered and strong.

At the game of brands intelligence, Kim Jones, on the departure of Louis Vuitton's male offer, also understood everything.In seven years, he has not only created a look.He gave a style to the man of the world number of luxury, and a tempo to the aspirations of the contemporary male, between portability and desirability, game of registers and external collaborations giving the "La" to the whole industry.

A rare balance. It is this yardstick that the most significant proposals of the season are measured. They can be inspiring, like that of Jonathan Anderson at Loewe, multiplying the audacity on the ready-to-wear side and ensuring a solid offer of bags and small leather goods-essential in a brand of accessories. Another understanding of the business challenges of the industry, that of Virgil Abloh at Off White who proves that this king of collaborations - with Nike or Timberland - also knows how to offer a "Business Casual" wardrobe - a way of showing the following groups carefully work that he can be bankable. For their part Carol Lim and Humberto Leon offered Kenzo a double man and woman parade, accompanied by a performance, My Sister's Wedding, played live by actors, filmed and broadcast simultaneously on the big screen before viralization on Instagram. A moment of poetry and emotion turning to the giant “slow party” - a message of social ties towards the Millennials. Same intelligence of time, but on another niche, in the way Haider Ackermann at Berluti, advances the idea of ​​a "calm man" against the chaos of the world. A man sure of him without being dominant, determined and poetic, clean cuts and sensual palette helping. A postmodern man. We bet that the one that Hedi Slimane prepares will also be. The end of man is not yet for tomorrow.