Notes From Menswear Fashion Week: AW25

A quiet season 

With only a handful of African fashion names showcasing across Pitti Uomo, Milan and Paris Men's Fashion Week this fashion season started slowly for me.

At Pitti Uomo, South Africa’s Viviers unveiled a capsule collection in collaboration with Cape Wools SA embracing locally sourced merino wool.  The textile culminated into a straightforward showcase, offering a contemporary take on tailoring with baggy silhouettes and cropped jackets. While it had some notable pieces, it didn't fully capture the brand's usual brilliance.

According to the show notes, the presentation explored whether and how art has become a performative act that’s more about likes and money than genuine emotions aimed at solving real problems. But has fashion even as an art form ever not been about money? Runway shows, viral moments, buzzy collaborations and celebrity campaigns are all engineered acts of creativity often fuelled by capital gains. 

This is not to say “sincerity” cannot exist in the business of art and design. I believe it's a balancing act. Balancing creativity with business acumen. So in other words, honest art can exist in the performative and vice versa. 

At Paris Fashion Week, Lagos Space Programme, the Nigerian brand exploring Yoruba customs for the modern age combined athleisure, with formal pieces and some workwear elements realized through a pair of indigo blue wide-leg cargo pants.  Inspired by rock and roll this season, Adeju Thompson’s separates like shirts for example came with the gender-blurring and edgy spirit of rock n roll style—open in the chest and elongated at the back. 

The silhouettes were languid, offering the ease I personally like to see in clothing. Adding to the delicacy, there was a softness in the way trousers' hung loose on models, some with a lacy hemline elegantly covering the ankles. Elsewhere in the showcase an embroidered pants and shirt combination had all the elements of a statement red carpet look. 

Noteworthy standouts 

Outside of African fashion, Japanese brand Auralee showcased a brilliant lineup of everyday garments. What makes Ryota Iwai’s collections so appealing to me is not only the practicality and relaxed simplicity but also the way Iwai styles his runway looks from the layering to the bold pops of colour and patterns that transform basics into striking outfits. “I drew inspiration from a friend whose effortless individuality struck me,” the designers reveals. “Whether in an elegant suit or a worn-out t-shirt, they always exuded unapologetic authenticity,” he says.

Hee Soo Kim, the South Korean creative director behind System, follows a similar formula, producing seemingly everyday pieces that capture the zeitgeist. Kim reimagines familiar classic styles by reinterpreting them into today’s sophisticated staples. From brilliant coats and knitwear to pyjama shirts, denim, and dad-like leather jackets in baggy cuts, this collection evokes the childhood memories of exploring your parents' wardrobe. He also looked at the androgynous work of American painter Romaine Brooks who inspired some of the gender-fluid looks such as blazers.

In essence seeing a handful of African brands this season made me wonder about the future. After winning international competitions and accolades and showcasing at fashion’s biggest runways what comes next for African fashion brands? Loosing steam is certainly not ideal though it’s turning out to be an inevitable reality.

Thanks for reading this edition of Africa Fashion Decoded.