Junya Watanabe

“Joyful” is not usually a word used to describe a men’s runway show, but this season, Junya Watanabe’s collection was exactly that. Inspired by the elegance of thesapeurs, Congolese dandies who show off their extreme style, the show focused on formal wear, but with such a lively twist that it felt both retro and modern at the same time. Traditional elements were everywhere — satin lapels, bow ties and cummerbunds — as these modern-day peacocks posed and danced down the red-carpet runway to the smooth sounds of ’70s vocal groups such as the Floaters and Delegation. Dinner jackets in rich bouclés, heavy tweeds and bold tartan plaids looked less stuffy when paired with trousers worn out at the knees and baggy jeans with deep cuffs. Classic formal wear took on a sportier feel with the surprise of a double-breasted puffer jacket over a fitted jean jacket. Even the designer’s signature patchwork — used everywhere from tuxedos to topcoats — managed to look fresh, reimagined in classicle smoking style.

Sacai

The Sacai designer Chitose Abe has been gaining momentum with a younger, edgier audience over the past few seasons. But by honing her skills as a master of mixing custom-developed textured fabrics in unusual combinations, she produced a collection that felt more mature but still fashion-forward. Outerwear was the focus here, and her attention to detail was laser-sharp. A deconstructed shearling jacket was totally on-trend and about as far away from the Marlboro Man as possible when paired with a crisp olive-green cotton suit with cropped pants and an oversize textured scarf. Abe also offered an alternative to traditional men’s suiting in the form of a rugged gray wool workwear jacket with large chest pockets and matching creased trousers.

Raf SimonsCredit Firstview

By now, Raf Simons has become a point of reference for so many young street-wear brands’ entire aesthetic that it’s surprising to remember that his signature look was originally created more than 10 years ago, around the time he published the seminal fashion tome “The Fourth Sex.” This season, Simons’s show, which took place on a raised runway in a warehouse outside of Paris proper, revealed a richer and more elevated take on what he’s known for doing. While still figured through his youth-obsessed lens, there were real clothes that could actually be worn, like beautiful, substantial coats, fluid trousers and good knits. Then there were the clothes that appeared to have endured years of wear and tear, from ragged hems to ripped sweaters, that displayed the designer’s artistry in the study of deterioration.

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Lanvin

First looks are often deceiving, as was the case with Lucas Ossendrijver’s fall collection for Lanvin. The show was in fact divided into three distinct sections, starting with a series of subdued looks in various shades of gray featuring oversize, double-breasted suiting and military coats in traditional men’s wear fabrics. Then, there was the surprise of a fur vest under a classic overcoat; dress codes were thrown out the window and the fun began. Topcoats in exotic skins were worn one over the other; a cropped red python baseball jacket was placed on top of a boxy glen plaid suit. A strong ’70s silhouette was everywhere: high-waisted pants with deep pleats paired with vintage-inspired leather trenches, fur coats worn over slouchy sport coats. The third section seemed to shut the door on nostalgia as a series of unadorned all-black looks took over. Strong, modern separates replaced the bohemian styles with the urban sensibility of today.

Maison Martin MargielaCredit Firstview

Although fashion editors had been eagerly anticipating John Galliano’s couture show for Maison Margiela, it was the brand’s studio-designed men’s ready-to-wear collection that really stood out this season. The French house is mainly known for its minimalism, and its customers tend to value the sense of anonymity its clothes provide, but this season the collection could not have been further from either descriptor. In what could have been a sartorial retrospective of David Bowie’s glam-rock career, the show was flashy and ostentatious in the best of ways. Fitting in with the ’70s trend that has infiltrated all of fashion, the collection featured lurex, colored leathers and sheer and printed tops that would count as faux pas on any other occasion, but on the runway felt quite right.

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