Recently celebrated by the First Lady of the United States, who chose to wear one of his coats for the inauguration of her husband’s second term in office, Thom Browne presented his collection on the last day of menswear week in Paris.
The fashion show was a little different from what we’re used to. Instead of a catwalk, a wooden structure resembling a house was set up in the middle of the Tennis Club de Paris, with mannequins hammering on it as soon as the guests arrived. As for the fashion show itself, it was actually the mannequins passing through the various rooms of the house in total synchronization. The visual effect was quite astonishing, and we can’t imagine how much preparation must have gone into it all.
Monochrome and out of another era, Thom Browne’s men’s collection puts geometric shapes in the spotlight, and we see them everywhere in this Fall/Winter collection, from the shape of square-brimmed hats, dramatic square shoulders and silhouettes, to details such as prints and stitching patterns on quilted garments.
Black, white and various shades of gray might be a limited choice, but not for Thom Browne, who uses them intelligently. It’s a statement in keeping with his inspiration, and the asceticism here is deliberate, desired.
There’s a certain religious inspiration to Thom Browne’s work, with the cross motifs leading the way. The length of some coats and the presence of skirts and dresses are reminiscent of religious and monastic garments.
Coats and jackets with notched collars are reinterpreted geometrically, and mixes of materials and textures are numerous at Thom Browne: leather, fur, wool, quilted fabrics, Prince of Wales found on coats, suit jackets and capes.
Inspired by religious codes and the “T” of “Thom Browne”, this serious collection is not without a dose of humor, with its inverted crosses, a motif found on a piece at the end of the show.
Mary Yasmine Arrouche
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