As a heterosexual woman, when I consider menswear I think of my dream beau. Physically he has the physique of a football player - quarterback or linebacker, his complexion I'm not picky about, and he is handsome but definitely not cuter than me. He is intellectually astute, kind hearted, mild tempered, and a leader. Aesthetically he has a clear image of himself that is not the result of following trends but of a deep integrated view of his values and principles that are then translated to his exterior being.
Aside from my personal preference, I also consider the broader marketplace, specifically North America. The fashion cognitive male shoppers - generations X, Millennial, and Z - are fairly conservative as it relates to clothes they wear daily. They are open minded, less likely to purchase trendy pieces but are willing to invest is high quality wardrobe staples.
Men's fashion can be more polarizing than womenswear. In that men are usually portrayed as two extremes either flamboyant or macho - there is little to no realistic medium. However, menswear has definitely matured beyond the European prepubescent images of the early 2000s - although there are some designers still pushing the narrative.
This selection of brands offers real clothes for real people who are uninterested in the frivolousness of trends and gimmicks. Clothes to either began to build a foundation upon or special pieces to add to one's wardrobe. What is "in" as it relates to fashion is longevity, integrity, consistency and not merely buying items solely for a superficial associate with a company. Out are the days of ostentatious expensive clothes. Today, when investing in fashion the idea is to think further out into the future and try to tap into one's ideal state of being and then understanding how that image will manifest itself outwardly to the clothes we wear and buy.
NAHMIAS
during my research process and the first thought that came to mind was "the boy next door." Not the boy next door in a suburban cul-de-sac kind of way but in the west-coast, laid back, Santa Monica boardwalk way. The designer, Doni Nahmias a California native presented his Fall 2026 collection entitled "WIPEOUT" during Paris Fashion Week after a three year hiatus from the runway. A concise collection of 38 looks was an oded to surfer and skater culture.
According to fashion editor Gro Curtis, who consults for Nahmias the designer is simply "...making clothes that he and his friends want to hear..." What I liked most was the singular vision communicated across styling, model casting, the Puma collaboration and there was a sense of ease in a "not trying to be fashion" sort of way. Some key elements of the collection included a selection of delicate high-end jewelry pieces that I thought were adorable - one mushroom pendant necklace paired with a relaxed suit and another model wearing a oversized cardigan with no shirt, Nahmias branded boxer briefs, and baggy shorts wore a heart-shaped pendant necklace. There were also two leather bomber jackets in solid black and one with red, white, and blue highlights. I thought there was a good balance between casual wear - camo cargo pants, Kurt Cobain inspired oversized knitwear, patch work denim, distressed denim, baggy khakis, hoodies, sneakers, and an elements of loose fitted tailoring and suiting.
PAUL SMITH
Paul Smith's Winter 2026 collection was the most modern approach to men's formal and casual suiting. The show was narrative by Paul Smith himself during which he spoke about his 55 year career in the fashion industry and in working with his young design team - who "with their fresh eyes" visited his archive collection of 5,000 pieces which enables the designer to reimagine previous work in a new way. The rediscovery offers a beautiful harmony of smart pieces done in contemporary silhouettes. Sam Cotton, recently appointed head of men's design at Paul Smith, in an interview with Vogue discussed the deep dive into the archive "We wanted to look for examples of new modern sartorialism..." The result was a collection which incorporated ideas and garments from 14 archive Smith collections - including the 1999 inside-out collection, pieces from a 1978 show, and '80s style tie designs. The matter of factness of the tailoring and clean design created an elegant yet real wear offering. This clear eye perspective is refreshing.
AMI PARIS
In a interview with Women's Wear Daily Ami's designer Alexandre Mattiussi shared his direction for the season as "...getting the right mix between what I call the perfect wardrobe and something much more real, much more grounded." The collections was a Parisian interpretation of '80s American sportswear and interchangeable wardrobe essentials. The assortment offered relaxed suiting options styled with baseball caps and gum sole sneakers. A baggy tan cargo pants paired with a double-breasted blazer and yellow and black scarf. Also a stand out look was the oversized multi-colour sweater and black kilt, strong denim jean offering and varies leather outer wear selections. There was a strong sense of easy wearability and mix-and-match while still presenting strong refined staples in a effortlessly put-together manner.
LOUIS VUITTON
There were many distractions as I watched the Louis Vuitton Menswear Winter 2026 show - a 20 minute long production, including a chore, a orchestra, and dizzying shifts of camera angles. The collection entitled "Timeless" is a assortment of 81 uninspiring monochromatic looks - the same statement could have (should have) been made in less than half the amount of looks.
In a pre-show interview with Vogue designer Pharrell Williams called into question the current definition of "luxury" and concerning the season's design direction offered "It's of the future,"expanding "...when you see all the silhouettes, it's not super avant garde or alien. What you're going to see is what feels familiar..." The clothes were utilitarian on the surface but employed a great deal of technical construction which did not translate while watching the Youtube video or via photos. The designer in contract during an interview with Women's Wear Daily described himself as "
I like quiet luxury, but I like loud luxury, too, because I'm young, Black, from the ghetto, you know, so I love nouveau riche..." I would have loved to this energy come across in the collection because honestly the clothes were tired and a major snooze fest. Of the categories Leather Goods seem to be the focal point of the show as it had the greatest degree of range.
Performance wise the Fashion and Leather Goods business as of the 2025 third quarter financial results accounted for ~48% of LVMH's total business and was down 2% to the same period last year. I do not predict this collection or the leather goods would support in changing the revenue tide. I would have preferred to see more innovation in Footwear - definitely more sneaker iterations for men's as oppose to leather goods. The size of the bags or more accurately purses were a bit small and at times did not seem it would fit even a iPhone. Besides Pharrell Williams and those celebrities and influences gifted the manbags I am hard press to believe even the most fashion trendy men who roam SoHo New York would wear let alone invest in buying.
DIOR MEN
It is a bit mind boggling how Jonathan Anderson has no sense of clear direction in his interpretation of Christian Dior. The design is unfocused, scattered, and dare I say a bit manic in its excessive relies on rabbling storytelling and seemingly disparate elements clumsily assembled. For his third installment as creative director of Dior Mens the Fall Winter 2026 collection similarity to the first show the designer was in search for "...what is the new aristocracy today" in his quest to discover the collection included an assortment of frock coats, cropped Bar jackets, and a 1922 Paul Poiret sequin dress refashioned as tops. During an pre-show interview with Vogue the designer decried normality elaborating "
Ultimately, the way I work is just collecting things or experiences throughout the process and then kind of infiltrating them in." Grant it, it is imperative that designers have a strong point of view and some degree of confident that at the end of the day the clothes, bags, and shoes will sale. However, it is equality important that designers are empathy enough to "read the room" and are able to translate and even come to a happy medium between what the commercial market wants and what the designers thinks will push innovation forward. A modern day fashion collection requires a underline sense of continuum and a connection to real life. Providing the idea of the "Dior Lifestyle"for the "Dior Man" has not come into focus as of yet. What I saw was a show of effeminate male models dressed in a disarray of overly decorative unisex clothing. The overall collection has little to no investment value and
the ornamental nature of the design limits its shelf life. There was a few pieces I can see being commercially successful however they are far and few between.
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