What to Look out for at Menswear Fashion Week AW19

The revolving door of fashion swung overtime last year, which lays out an interesting deck reshuffle today. Menswear month starts January 5 in London and stretches – with a couture curve in the tail end – until February 13 in New York (which shows both menswear and womenswear simultaneously. Love or loathe some of these changes, you will eat it! Here’s a little recap of what’s new-new.

Dirk Van Saene AW19

Beloved Antwerp designer Dirk Van Saene will be showing his AW19 collection from January 17 until January 19, news that has devoted followers of his limited, collectible designs in a tizzy. His clothing, paintings, home objects and acclaimed ceramics make up the interiors of your most tasteful lucid dreams, so don’t snooze. The invitation is a stirring self-portrait and I cannot wait to see what’s coming. But first, long-time partner to Dirk Van Saene and iconic vanguard in his own lane, Walter Van Beirendonck, will be showing his always-anticipated menswear collection on January 16. Remember the W hand signal from SS19? Yeah, you can’t see but I’m doing it right now!

Glenn Martens Guest Designer at Pitti Uomo

Given the stratospheric rise of Y/Project these past years, it comes as no surprise that Florence trade fair Pitti Uomo wished to snap up Belgian designer Glenn Martens as their honoured 2019 guest. It’s another notch on Martens’ belt and his acute sense for collaborative excellence will undoubtedly cause a few stirs in the AW19 banquet on January 9.

Kris Van Assche’s Debut at Berluti

We’ve already been granted a preview with the SS19 capsule collection, but AW19 entails a first full runway show for Kris Van Assche’s Berluti on January 18. Predecessor Haider Ackermann was known for a sumptuous use of colour and supple leather, while the M/M Paris 2019 rebrand (adding fuel to the wider, controversial sans-serif logo movement) promises that sports tailoring inflection Van Assche has been heralded for in the past. A clearer focus on accessories will widen Berluti’s brand presence, which should be interesting given the label’s traditionally high price point.

Hedi Slimane Premiering Solo Menswear at Celine

This is the last show of the Paris season, and who understands dramatic exits better than Hedi Slimane? As the debut of his new Celine (hold the accent, please) in September ’18 made fashion fiends womp-womp their way through Saint Laurent-comparative Instagram carousels, it’s up to the full debut of this post-Philotic menswear to reinvigorate or further dampen the mood. Either way, tongues will be wagging on January 20.

Sophomore collections by Virgil Abloh and Kim Jones

Road blocks might as well be sponge cakes to Virgil Abloh, as proven by the giga hype surrounding his debut at Louis Vuitton last year - even spurring recent viral LV internship requests (Magnus Juliano deserves, though). The ever-tricky sophomore collection (January 17) will still be a rip-roaring affair and apparently Michael Jackson served as its main inspo. Abloh’s former mentor and current brother in arms, Kim Jones, will be doing the same at Dior Homme on January 19 – backed by the stellar Yoon Ahn on jewellery. Matthew Williams and KAWS turned up the heat last season, while Hajime Sorayama lent his robotic Tokyo splendour to Dior pre-fall 2019 back in November.

Raf Simons Post-Calvin & J.W. Anderson in Paris

Following the designer’s parting of ways with Calvin Klein, a rarely public breakup in the way it was communicated by owner group PVH Corp, Raf Simons’ menswear show in Paris (January 16) will surely be analyzed from fibre to fibre to parse any messaging that may shed light on the split. We can expect some extra cheering or even anti-American protests from the Paris crowd. A LFW transplant and newcomer showing on the same day is J.W. Anderson, who will be presenting pre-fall and autumn-winter simultaneously.

RÆBURN Rebranded

Christopher Raeburn, newly-named creative director for Timberland, will have London’s attention on January 6. Now known as the mononymic RÆBURN, the brand will celebrate its 10th anniversary this London Fashion Week with the kind of innovative, sustainable designs his followers treasure. Also, Craig Green is back in LDN after last year’s stint at Pitti Uomo on January 7.

Givenchy’s New Menswear Departure

Having just bagged the British Womenswear Designer of the Year Award, Claire Waight Keller will be unveiling her first solo menswear show for Givenchy to keen eyes on January 16 in Paris. As Tisci fans disperse, Sussex stans assemble. Such is fashion.

Post-sale Versace

Nothing much should be changing over at Versace (January 12, Milan) following the closing of their Michael Kors group takeover deal (more palatably dubbed ‘Capri Holdings’). If the front row suddenly morphs into black canvas high chairs while Heidi Klum shuffles cue cards somewhere to the side and Tim Gunn tells Bella Hadid to make it work as she tries to hold a Mood Fabrics seam together, there may be riots.

New York Sans Calvin

Now CK 205W39NYC is no longer on the schedule, will the focus finally shift to promising younger labels? The full line-up still TBA but Pyer Moss won’t be present, since work is still underway on Collection 3 and Telfar is not on the list either, leaving the most buzzed-about brands out of frame. A good moment for labels like Vaquera, LaQuan Smith, Public School, Maki Oh, Palomo Spain, Sies Marjan et al to seize the spotlight!

Lastly and very importantly, I need to see plenty of new street style shots featuring the likes of booked-and-busy supernova model Alton Mason, Alpha Dia, Slick Woods’ other half Adonis Bosso and Luca Lemaire for example. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

Read the KNOTORYUS Best of Menswear Month SS19 here.

Find all fashion week schedules here.

Header image: Melodie Jeng / Runway images: Vogue