Menswear collections in Paris

DESIGNERS at the spring 1993 menswear collections in Paris this weekend were making new clothes look old, writes Roger Tredre. In a move away from sharp tailoring, Comme des Garcons showed clothes made to look lived in. This was the wardrobe of the flea market: crumpled clothes modelled by a succession of crumpled men, including John Hurt, the actor (above, in a dry-wool suit and a linen jacket with zip-up check blouson). Rei Kawakubo, the Japanese designer behind the Comme label, said the clothes were for 'mature men with attitude'. The view in Paris is that the older man does not want to look as if he has tried too hard. Paradoxically, the new generation of crumpled clothes test designers' skills to the limits. Ms Kawakubo's jackets use advanced fabric technology. The new cloths include a dry wool fabric which floats on the body and has a dry crunchy feel. Shoulders of jackets were left unpressed. The collection also included Velcro fastenings and zips instead of buttons; reversible raw silk jackets; and printed pin-stripe jackets and trousers.

(Photograph omitted)