A new fashion season often welcomes the introduction of new ideas and fresh perspectives on dressing, even in the simplest details. The Autumn/Winter 2024 menswear collections aren’t any different especially as the industry at large is currently experiencing a slowdown.
There’s a constant conundrum in fashion season after season. As much as brands continuously take creative licenses in seasonal collections—collaborating with a slew of artists, materialising new silhouettes, and crafting interesting narratives—familiarity and wearability are most often paramount to the general consumer. It’s apparent that since the resurgence of minimalism (guised as “quiet luxury”) there’s a growing mindful approach to fashion where appeal goes deeper than first-glance statements.
The slew of menswear collections for the Autumn/Winter 2024 season reflect a more concerted effort at balancing creativity with tried-and-tested staples. However, the offerings aren’t as pared back as Autumn/Winter 2023 when “quiet luxury” was at its peak. There are considered inflexions of more showy displays of techniques and craftsmanship, especially by luxury fashion brands. And even the simpler forms aren’t exactly what they seem.
CELINE’s Autumn/Winter 2024 menswear collection marks a return to tailoring for artistic, creative and image director Hedi Slimane—though if you’ve been a stalwart follower of the man, it has always been there. The full breadth of the collection is a masterclass of Slimane’s penchant for borderline-skintight silhouettes in swathes of blacks and greys and in a number of textural treatments.
The “Symphonie Fantastique” collection as it’s called, is named after a musical piece by French composer Hector Berlioz in 1830, and reflects the romantic tension imbued throughout the pieces in the collection. Intentional structure in form is juxtaposed with the use of luxurious materials, and an adept understanding of how monochromatic layering highlights the cut and make of each tailored piece.
While the cuts are typical by Slimane’s standards, the make on certain pieces is extraordinary. A number of the outerwear (especially the collection’s hallmark gold coat) are essentially couture, employing the use of embroidery specifically placed by hand. And even when they’re not done to that similar level of handcrafted detail, pieces such as a double-face wool suit riddled with rhinestones, or one that looks as though it was specked entirely with gold dust, breathe new life to something that’s considered de rigueur from Slimane.
Love it or hate it, streetwear’s reign within the luxury fashion context has most definitely come to its inevitable end. Streetwear-centric garments, however, have grown to be such quintessential elements of menswear that you’d find them in a variety of iterations across all levels of fashion retail hierarchy.
The pullover hoodie is given due focus this season. No, this isn’t your average go-to that’s become part of your airport fit or the one you’d grab for date nights at the movie theatre. The Autumn/Winter 2024 versions are generally devoid of any graphics or embellishments yet make for strong statements just based on materiality alone. Take for example Burberry’s offerings in super supple leather that even the keenest of eyes could easily mistake for nylon hoodies. Loewe takes it up a notch with leather iterations that reach all the way to the thighs, complete with ribbed trims. Pushing the envelope further, McQueen serves up hoodies that are almost far removed from what you’d expect of a hoodie while still remaining wearable.
For the more pragmatic, Coach’s cotton versions are cut long with a raw edge—and finished with tasteful distressing around the hood—perfect for layering. Or opt for Wooyoungmi’s self-tie hoodie for a piece marked by a style detail that’s effortless and chic.
At Loewe, creative director Jonathan Anderson’s continued exploration of the parallels between art and fashion has led to a collaboration with American artist Richard Hawkins. Known for his collages that focus on the male body and its portrayals across many different types of media—including fantasised celebrity porn–Hawkins was given carte blanche to create original artworks for the brand’s Autumn/Winter 2024 menswear collection.
Hawkins employed the use of an AI script to assist in generating the collages before turning them into paintings. The painted collages are then further broken down and are effectively snippets as they’re translated onto pieces in the collection in true Loewe form. The works are crafted as jacquards and prints on knitwear, while they’re recreated as stunning beaded embellishments on supersized Squeeze bags for men. In certain pieces, different permutations of embroidery, leather marquetry, glass studs, and fringes are paired together to further emphasise the collage nature of Hawkins’ work.
One may be immediately drawn by the male bodies in the artworks, but on closer inspection, the different layers within each collage become more apparent. The disparate elements—messages and graphics—echo the combination of visuals that we’re inundated with on a daily basis and how that informs our reality in some shape or form.
Work-from-home arrangements and the loosening of office dress codes for a majority of industries may be the norm now, but fashion refuses to let ties die. And let’s face it, ties will never really go out of style.
As though in defiance of societal norms (how very fashion), corporate dressing is increasingly gaining traction. It’s almost human nature that we often tend to eagerly act in reverse to convention; we don’t want to abide by strict dress codes but rather have the freedom to do so whenever we feel like it. Ties take centre stage in this wrestle for control as corporate-esque outfits are built around the once-powerful accessory.
Prada’s entire Autumn/Winter 2024 menswear collection revolves around the idea of corporatewear, splicing them with the desire to escape the confines of the office. Silk ties are the connecting thread that, well, ties the entire collection together as they’re paired with trompe l’œil shirting (some are actually made of Re-Nylon) and trousers attached with leather belts.
Saint Laurent and Sean Suen both reference the past with silhouettes that nod to when ties were a hallmark of traditional menswear. The former has brought back wide ties to match the equally wide lapels of its blazers, while Sean Suen’s printed versions stand out against reimagined classics.
As corporate dress makes a menswear comeback (or “corpcore” as the kids call it these days), you’d be able to find pinstripes in just about every single Autumn/Winter 2024 collection. At its most classic, like at Brunello Cucinelli, the pattern is used as a way of lengthening the overall look of the brand’s double-breasted offerings, while CELINE’s three-piece pinstripe suit gives off the vibe of a menacing mob boss.
Yet, where pinstripes truly make a renewed difference are on atypical pieces far removed from its tailored heritage. Dior Men takes the lead in this approach. The House’s pinstripe creations take on forms that resemble more workwear-inspired pieces. There are pinstripe suiting and coats, but there are also overalls and rompers completely dressed in pinstripes. The pattern immediately imbues these pieces with a sense of sartorial formality that elevates the entire look, especially when worn with more louche pairings within the collection.
There’s also an attempt at making pinstripes somewhat sexy. Burberry’s roomy cut suiting are irreverently worn sans an inner layer or with a deep V-neck sweater, while Onitsuka Tiger opts for a deconstructed knit collar with its modern interpretation of a pinstripe suit.
