Irish link to standout shows at Paris Fashion Week

Derry native Jonathan Anderson and New York-based designer Colm Dillane, whose family hails from Co Laois, have become some of the most sought-after names on fashion show calendar

Derry designer Jonathan Anderson acknowledges the applause of the audience during the Loewe Menswear spring/summer 2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week. Picture: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

On a balmy Sunday evening, the spring/summer 2024 edition of Paris Fashion Week came to a close, with two designers with close Irish connections standing out. 

Thousands of international guests traveled to the French capital to preview what lies next for our wardrobes. As always, various brands and designers offered us a glimpse into a way forward for men’s fashion.

The six-day-long affair witnessed some of the world’s top brands compete for the attention of millions of potential customers on social media in a display that resembled a blockbuster film of monumental proportions. 

Louis Vuitton, one of the world’s biggest luxury brands, with over €20bn in annual revenues, shut down Pont Neuf, the oldest standing bridge in Paris, for a show with guests such as Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Rihanna lining the front row. 

Coincidentally, Kenzo closed the Passerelle Debilly footbridge for an outdoor show to present its latest offering of classic workwear infused with a Japanese sensibility. Elsewhere, Givenchy hosted its show at the Hôtel des Invalides, with a catwalk punctuated by statues of Napoleon.

Among those showing in Paris were two designers with connections to Ireland who have become some of the most sought-after names on the calendar.

Derry native Jonathan Anderson presented a tight-edit of elongated silhouettes and some abstract shapes at Loewe, the Spanish luxury goods brand where he has been creative director since 2013.

Unlike other designers on the schedule, whose work often hinges on being purely rooted in aesthetics, Anderson interrogates the meaning of our wardrobes and, typically, defines the next chapter of fashion with an urgent message. This season, his exploration was rooted in lean silhouettes that manifested in high-waisted trousers.

Succession stars Nicholas Braun and Brian Cox with Nicole Ansari-Cox at the Loewe Menswear show as part of Paris Fashion Week. Picture:Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Loewe

Succession stars Brian Cox and Nicholas Braun watched on as passages of shimmering crystal trousers emerged, snaking around water fountain sculptures by artist Lynda Benglis. 

They gave way to iterations in cotton and denim. (Other highlights included argyle knits, classic English tailoring in wool and tweed with pockets appointed above the naval, and a smattering of sumptuous leathers). 

By accentuating the waist, Anderson challenged preconceived notions about masculinity, a theme that echoed elsewhere in the Paris collections. 

Increasingly, men’s fashion designers are embracing fabrics preferred in womenswear such as luscious silks and frothy tulle. Likely, it will dissolve the strictness in men’s dress, adopting a more fluid approach to attitudes around gender and how we present ourselves.

Following on from his guest designer appearance at Louis Vuitton in January, New York-based Colm Dillane staged another riot of a show for his own label, KidSuper. The designer, whose family hails from Co Laois, staged a comedy show to debut his last collection, switching formats for the spring/summer 2024 season, opting to host an original play at the historic Théâtre de l’Odéon. The play reflected on originality and the creative process.

While he imparted every look with the childlike whimsy and charming effervescence of KidSuper, Dillane honed his craft with a more sophisticated offering that largely eschewed streetwear in favour of tailoring. 

Despite his penchant for eccentricity, this practical iteration of the KidSuper world made for his sharpest outing to date.