The men’s and dual-gender collections presented at men’s fashion weeks in January highlighted denim’s versatility. A mainstay in Fall/Winter 2023-2024 collections, the fabric was present in collections that leaned heavily on tailored looks and others that borrowed loose and relaxed fits from streetwear.
Denim was predominately presented as head-to-looks with jeans and denim skirts being paired with denim jackets or button-down shirts. Feng Chen Wang’s laser-printed coordinates were embellished with studs. Juun J matched the destroyed details on jeans to an oversized denim blazer. Zadig & Voltaire kept it simple with a Trucker and straight fit jeans in the same wash.
There was a softness in collections, executed in rounded legs, drop shoulders and dreamy blue washes. Kenzo showed a collarless jacket and jeans with a cloud-like wash. Solid Homme paired balloon-like jeans with pastel blue varsity jackets and showed washed-down cerulean corduroy set. Alaia presented light-wash barrel-shaped jeans.
High-contrast fades were part of Blue Marble’s and Namesake’s collections. The fades segued into more robust ombre effects by Botter, Casablanca and Jordanluca.
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Garments with DIY-inspired details and artisanal handiwork took on many personas. Airei’s jackets and jeans featured deconstructed quilting with delicate undone threads. Acne Studio went for a vintage aesthetic with a bleached quilted jacket and plaid patchwork jeans. Large floral embroideries and multi-color faux-fur inserts distinguished Blue Marble’s jeans.
Creative patchwork was part of Dsquared2’s homage to the early aughts. Low-slung jeans were decorated with star-shaped knee patches and wilderness landscapes made with pieced denim, while others were shredded or embellished with sequins. The nostalgic story was compounded by bootcuts, stacked legs and micro miniskirts and dresses paired with ironic slogan tees.
The dirty-looking denim trend from Spring/Summer 2023 collections show an evolution toward clay-tinted washes. Egonlab and RtA featured orange-tinted bottoms.
In general, loose fits in an array of indigo and washed black dominated the runway. Etro paired its washed-down black jeans with crochet tops and velvet Truckers. A black croc-embossed jacket added a coolness to Sankuanz’s wide-leg jeans. System styled loose fits with flannel shirts and shearling jackets.
Meanwhile, Hed Mayner took volume to a new extreme with giant cargo jeans with zipper pouch pockets. And Luu Dan delivered tent-like jeans.
Designers embraced imperfections. Bianca Saunders, Federico Cina and Georges Wendell, were among the labels that featured decorative frayed and unfinished seams in their collections. Jordanluca showed jeans with trains that trailed behind models. Shredded overdyed denim anchored Dhruv Kapoor’s collection of elongated jackets and wide jeans. Extreme destruction was also part of Rick Owens’ collection of grey and green-tinted denim.
Denim was a key canvas for designers’ more trend-driven items. Etude served overdyed shackets and jeans in millennial pink. Inky graffiti decorated Alyx’s matching jackets and jeans. Kidsuper showed printed abstract artwork on white and gray denim, while Undercovered presented denim with eerie illustrations of hands wrapping around jeans’ legs and jacket chest pockets.
The women’s wear presented during men’s fashion week skewed toward Y2K. System tapped into the maxi skirt trend with a wrap version revealing lots of leg. Ludovic de Saint Sernin’s strapless minidress featured eyelets and lacing and Mugler showed a cropped jacket with ruched sleeves.