Categories
Fashion

Paris Fashion Week Men Got A Bit Sexy

Paris Fashion Week Men, the view, after looking over many collections. Sexy came into focus this season with a dash of being a masculine troublemaker.

Paris Fashion Week Men 2025
Sean Suen

Categories
Fashion

Anderson’s Whimsical Erotic Dior World

Fashion designer Jonathan Anderson took the helm of Dior Menswear after the exit of Kim Jones. The Irish born previously held the position at LVMH sister brand Loewe for 11 years, turning the Spanish label in a profitable achiever for the Paris conglomerate.

The anticipated debut at Paris Fashion Week was palatable.  Dior is a crown jewel, a heritage luxury label with pedigree going back almost 80 years.  Anderson took the mantle with an impulse to shake up the legacy of historical house. 

The newly installed creative head gave certainly lived up to expectations.  A journey into a whimsical world of male tailoring mixed with eroticism.   A happy place of jackets without shirts, flowing long coats and military wear strutting down the runway.  This is not your grandmother’s Dior.  Instead of resigning himself to the design shackles of an iconic brand, Jonathan daringly went head on with a unique vision of color while stirring emotions. 

The best side of the collection are the earthy elements. Including pieces that can combine with everyones wardrobe without the gaudy pretensions gave all the looks personality. If LVMH is looking for another way to infiltrate the streetwear market, this could be the route to take.

The one drawback, the DIOR monogram on certain pieces felt a bit 2018, too targeted at young buyers looking to trade up.  Or perhaps they will wait for the dupes to hit online.

As the first person to head both menswear and womenswear line at the House of Dior since the Christian, there is a lot of weight on the 40-year-old shoulders.   

Next up is Anderson’s Couture Collection in July, followed by RTW in October.

Categories
Fashion

Milan Fashion Week Men Returns to the Classics

Milan Fashion Week Men Spring 26 collections turns to more classic styling and tailoring. As the fashion industry continues having challenges, brands moved to more traditional masculine silhouettes with narrow color palettes.

Categories
Fashion

Superfine in 2025

The Met Gala, the fashion world’s biggest Red Carpet sailed into New York City on raining day.  The yearly first Monday in May event has morphed into celebrity media circus where A listers throng the stairs for photographers to raise money for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The evening presided over by Vogue Editor Anna Wintour placed Black fashion on a glossy stage. This year’s theme, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style was inspired by the African American Fashion.

I think the memo go lost in junk mails.  Instead of being inspired, the looks came across as Gothic. Was there a will reading before or after the party?   Then there was the other extreme of monochromatic white. I guess prints and color made the “not to do” list.

African American fashion has been influenced by a “we are not you” tradition with a sense of pride, dignity while existing in a hostile place.  Clothes were a way of quiet expression against societal oppression.  Dressing up was a form of telling the world we are human beings.

Sanitised Style

The sanitised interpretations of style felt overly calculated, all ready for the global press.  For some it was about the optics, even if the look lacked imagination.  Diana Ross in white with a 5.5 metered train took control or Andre 3000 with a piano on his back felt a little bit too attention seeking.   Co-host, singer and LV menswear designer Pharrell played it safe to the edge of a yawn in a white jacket.  Coleman Domingo showed his flair with an oversized flower on his black and white stripped jacket. Zendaya’s all white suit, fine, but not a knock out look from the Fashion Diva.  On the other end, Teyana got it right with help from Oscar winner Ruth E. Carter.

The Met Gala 2025, inspiring would be a stretch, using the word “trivialising”, too harsh. I could settle for a mild mannered attempt at putting Black Style front and center.

If you are really inspired by Black Fashion, check out reruns of Soul Train on YouTube.  To see live original unrestrained Black Dandy style, attend Pitti Uomo in Florence.

Categories
Fashion

Superfine Black Dandy

As we say ” Vogue got up with us” for the annual Met Gala theme: “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” From the archives here is a collection of some Superfine Black Dandy gentlemen dressed up, ready to go.

Black Dandy
Categories
Before Tacky

Dandyism

As the Met Gala’s themed “SuperFine:Tailoring Black Style” event approaches on May 5th 2025, this repost of a Before Tacky fashion podcast episode from Pitti Uomo Florence with Dandy Taiwo Meghoma talking about fashion trends and dandyism.

Categories
Before Tacky podcast

The Silent Innovator Who Inspired Everton

During Pitti Uomo, Everton McDougall from Haus by Everton unveiled some new pieces inspired by an African American innovator. The Canadian shoe wear owner went beyond his shoe collection showing new designs and materials at the menswear fair.

Categories
Before Tacky podcast

Before Tacky Fashion Podcast talks to Edis

During Milan Fashion Week designer Edis Pala held his presentation based on influences and themes from the Balkans. On this fast episode of Before Tacky Fashion Podcast, Edis talks about a particular piece. This jacket would would be an eye catcher on any wearer.

Categories
Before Tacky Fashion

Denim His Way

During Pitti Uomo in Florence, Bologna based Victor Hart explained his denim look. The Ghana born designer is a craftsman when it comes to fabric but especially loves the versatile material.

Check out the Before Tacky Podcast

Categories
Before Tacky

The Trainer’s Statement

From Florence Italy during Pitti Uomo, this spontaneous podcast happened while walking to another appointment. I met Felipe Fiallo while the Italian shoe designer was discussing his collection.

I grabbed a tablet, then asked him to go over his footwear designs.