This season, Paul Helber took a drastic shift from his downtown bicycle courier look from Spring/Summer, to bring us a more refined, serious man, who still has fun with little pops of bright color, with a largely muted palette. Rich browns and luxe grays were accented with a punch of bright orange, or a subtle patent brown leather. Boots, leather jackets and layering stay a mainstay in this collection, and while I won’t be running out to cop some runway pieces, I can definitely see this as direct inspiration for some dope fall looks to come in a few months.
I’m especially intrigued by the mixing of various textures, from suede, to linen, to cotton, to crushed velvet. I find it interesting that most of the color blocking happens right on the garments, which to me has quite a slimming effect, accentuating the torso, giving the impression of broader shoulders. And, as per the norm as of late, Paul & Marc offer us some subtle, discreet bags, which literally scream quality leather in your face, without screaming LOUIS VUITTON. Refreshing, no?
Runway Show in Paris on January 21, 2010
