Hermes style has 1980s kick, Loewe goes conceptual in Paris

PARIS (AP) — Hermes led the pack on Saturday’s installment of Paris Fashion Week as its veteran menswear designer, Veronique Nichanian, delivered an atypical glam rock twist to her luxuriant wares.

There was no far-flung concept, gimmick or muse, unlike in most Paris shows, because none was needed. Nichanian - who’s been at the helm of this family-run business for an incredible 34 years - is an expert at letting the clothes do the talking.

Meanwhile, an off-kilter fun fare greeted guests at the Loewe show. They trod through sand and walked under 4,000 multicolored satin ribbons of different lengths -- a site-specific artwork -- to find their seats.

Here are some highlights of menswear 2022 displays:

LOEWE’S SURREAL UNIVERSE

Disconcerting music evoked a sort of dangerous playground as the clothes started getting displayed on Loewe's sandy runway. “Nothing is as it seems,” the house said of the bewitching display.

Jonathan Anderson, the Spanish heritage brand’s designer, said he wanted to disrupt the normal and everyday with this surreal universe.

He gave staple fall-winter items a twist, blowing up a pair of dark, round-toe boots, for example, to almost clown-like proportions.

A white T-shirt and black shorts became abstract works of art with huge circular hoops inserted at the hems to create the illusion that the model had been diagonally cut through his center.

A minimalist and oversized coffee-colored coat looked sober enough from the front. But when the model turned, the garment had a twin circular motif in the middle that resembled a shiny posterior and inspired guests to snap their cameras.

HERMES' STYLE

Nichanian let her hair down at her Left Bank show for Hermes, infusing the typically high fashion designs with...