Fresh Perspectives on Mens Fashion: Dior Debut and Female Voices at Paris Fashion Week 2023

As the men's fashion shows in Milan draw to a close, the fashion world's attention shifts to Paris, where some of the world's most renowned labels will take center stage over the next five days. The city is abuzz with anticipation for the debut of Jonathan Anderson at Dior, who has been teasing his collection with Instagram stories shared exclusively to "close friends." Among the snippets posted to Dior's official account was a film photo of '80s New York art icon and provocateur painter Jean-Michel Basquiat, as well as American socialite and sister of Jackie Kennedy, Lee Radziwill. Both portraits were shot by Andy Warhol and emblazoned with the original 1948 Dior logo, which was changed to an uppercase version in 2018. This early indication of Anderson's vision for his debut collection has fans speculating about his direction. Meanwhile, Loewe, which typically shows at both women's and men's fashion weeks, is absent from the calendar this season as new designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez plan to unveil their new vision in October. The duo were jointly appointed in March as the successors to Anderson, who stepped down as creative director after 11 years. Julian Klausner, who took the creative helm at Dries Van Noten at the end of last year, will present his first menswear collection on Thursday, following his first womenswear show for the label in March. Clues on Klausner's vision for masculinity and menswear may reside in his women's offering, which was rich in historical references as well as color and textile, with tassels, boleros, belts, and ornate embellishments attached to outfits. Other designers making their returns to Paris this week include Anthony Vaccarello designing for Saint Laurent, Craig Green after three years away from the City of Light, and Willy Chavarria after his Paris debut earlier this year. Grace Wales Bonner, Marine Serre, and Emily Adams Bode Aujla have also reclaimed their spots on the schedule, injecting a fresh, female perspective in the world of male fashion. Beyond the catwalks, which can only be attended with an invitation, Paris' artistic institutions are also engaging with the public. On Saturday, Palais Galliera will open its doors to "The Temple of Love," a new retrospective chronicling Rick Owens's boundary-pushing oeuvre since launching his label in 1992. The exhibition is the second retrospective globally dedicated to the Californian designer. At the Musée des Arts décoratifs, a new show on trailblazing designer Paul Poiret will also open to the public. Running until January 2026, it marks the museum's first monograph dedicated to his work. And Demna, Balenciaga's creative director for the last decade, who is soon to depart for a new job at Gucci, is getting his flowers from parent company Kering via a retrospective staged at their headquarters on Thursday.