High summer is here, which means it’s time to pare back your wardrobe in favor of the louche layers of the aughts: Think sporty prep for day and tailored separates for night. But in case you’re in search of added interest, the runways suggest men’s style to return to timeless embellishment and textural explorations. Jonathan Anderson’s Loewe men’s collection presented classic shapes coated in crystals, emitting a subtle, slick sheen.
At Dior Homme , Kim Jones took a bigger approach (if we’re talking stones), festooning cabochons across cardigans, piqué polo shirts, and lightweight jackets. Pharrell Williams’s Louis Vuitton spring 2024 debut also presented notions of this “Modern Dandy.” While anyone would think the word “dandy” is synonymous with flamboyance, dandy theory, which emerged in the 18th century, actually referred to a sort of refined luxe: classic shapes that fit well, with accessories that allow personality to shine through.
The show held plenty of that, in Damier denim and croc leather bombers emblazoned with the word “LV-overs.” But Williams also taps into in a subtle refinement, using ornamental brooches pinned on lapels, gold chains to spruce up tired waistcoats, or rows of pearls to line sporty tracksuits. If it bordered on kitsch, it was intentional.
There was also the speckling of multicolored embroidered logos across tailored separates. It held a sense of play other designers tapped into in recent seasons; Filipino designer Gab.
