3 Men’s Designers from Paris to Watch
Three up-and-coming brands from Paris Men’s Fashion Week are bringing an old world aesthetic to their new designs.
Monsieur Lacenaire A vet of the Balmain studio, Garance Broca taught herself to knit on a secondhand machine at age 15. In 2011, she launched Monsieur Lacenaire in collaboration with Benoist Husson. The label, which is named after Pierre-François Lacenaire, the notorious 19th century French poet and murderer, embraces Broca’s love of knitwear and vintage humor, she says, and is designed “for a creative man with a witty spirit who likes authentic stories.” For their Spring 2016 collection, Broca and Husson drew inspiration from a graphic 60s-era Blue Note Records album cover by Reid Miles. “What interests me is that he worked at a time before technology like Photoshop was available,” says Broca. The Monsieur Lacenaire Spring 2016 Jazzocratie collection presentation was even accompanied by its own vinyl—recorded at the old Saint Germain des Prés studio where Miles Davis, Dexter Gordon and Kenny Burrell used to jam.
Photo courtesy of the brand.
Monsieur Lacenaire
Photo courtesy of the brand.
Murilo Lomas As a trained architect, Murilo Lomas brought a strong sense of structure and proportion to his first men’s wear collection. As a native Brazilian, however, he also drew on his country’s sensual history. His spring 2016 collection, which he designed “to wear in any weather, on any trip,” unites both qualities effortlessly. Especially outstanding was the lush retro, William Morris-inspired florals, which were present throughout the collection from shirt to sneakers.
Photo courtesy of the brand.
Murilo Lomas
Photo courtesy of the brand.
Fileuse D’Arvor The striped sailor sweater is synonymous with France’s Northern Brittany coast, even though almost all production there stopped a long time ago. The one holdout, Fileuse D’Arvor, which has been in operation since 1927, was nearly out of business when the Brest family, its original owners, reissued a range of iconic models three years ago for Japan. Made entirely in France in fine linen/cotton for spring and wool for fall, the sweaters are now under copyright and Fileuse d’Arvor is now adding new styles to its repertoire.
Photo courtesy of the brand.
Fileuse D’Arvor
Photo courtesy of the brand.
