While France experiences its high temperatures on record, the styles strutting down the runways of Paris Fashion Week Men’s are unseasonably cool.
The men’s spring/summer 2027 edition of Paris Fashion Week is taking place amid a record-breaking heatwave, leaving many fretting about maintaining a semblance of chic. At shows, the front rows are packed with flustered attendees furiously fanning themselves. In the city’s showrooms and at industry events, almost every interaction begins with a sigh and a mention of the heat.
It’s boring to talk about the weather. But not acknowledging Paris’s furnace-like conditions would be to overlook an existential issue that underpins the week’s proceedings. The French capital is woefully ill-equipped to deal with temperatures of this kind: parts of its Metro are unventilated and air conditioning is often looked down upon as the cause of sore throats or an unnecessary luxury. The question of AC has become a pressure point in French politics in recent weeks, with far-right politician Marine Le Pen arguing that it has now become a matter of public safety. Those with leftist and green sensibilities retort that the units’ enormous electricity consumption and reliance on potent greenhouse gases would only exacerbate the issue of rising temperatures.
At Paris Fashion Week, some brands, including Dior, are responding by moving show times. Most make sure to greet guests with iced cans of Evian water on silver platters. Issey Miyake went a step further by handing out cold packs. A thought, however, should really be spared for the models who power down the runway under bright lights in outfits incongruous with the weather. Indeed, despite this being the spring/summer edition of menswear, there seems to be an unusual amount of leather and layers in Paris this week. At Louis Vuitton, the house’s creative director, Pharrell Williams, created a tidal wave from which models emerge, bearing surfboards in longline coats and suits. There were even some fur trimmings on parkas amid the neoprene diving suits. Leather jackets and shorts also featured at Auralee, the Tokyo-based label by Ryota Iwai that is cementing its place on the Paris circuit with its mastery of colours and eminently wearable pieces. At Dior, the brand’s Northern Irish creative director, Jonathan Anderson, showed a collection that featured scarves strewn casually around necks.
All of this is in stark contrast to what we saw at the menswear events that took place in Italy over the past few weeks, with Pitti Immagine Uomo kicking off the season in Florence, followed by the fashion week in Milan. Perhaps Mediterraneans possess an innate understanding of the value of a linen suit – or are more prepared to show some calf in shorts. Then again, maybe the luxury fashion houses in Paris are not seeking the European consumer who is stubbornly resistant to AC. They’re courting markets that have already succumbed to the siren’s call of icy indoor temperatures in the height of summer: namely the US, Middle East and Asia. Though it might look jarring at first, doing away with seasonality and including leather and knitwear pieces in spring/summer collections is a commercially savvy move. Whether or not the French will follow suit might depend on the political leanings of their next government.
Wondering how to spend the day in Paris when it’s hot?
– Verneuil la douce, a charming château-turned-inn just outside Paris
– How to spend the perfect day in Paris – an illustrated guide
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