In Size M. | The Future of Menswear, Paris
Lazoschmidl: Charting an Independent Course in a Conglomerate Controlled Fashion Industry
Author’s Note
Kubrick once famously said that to make a movie he has to have the idea simmer in his head for at least a couple of years — just to be sure that the idea is worthy of developing any further. Such is the importance of time to creativity.
In fashion, while the designers are expected to produce collections every six months, the journalists are expected to publish the reviews within days, if not hours of the show.
Does that do justice to the collection? Can you actually digest what the designer is offering, and in return offer a valid critique? Without letting the work simmer in your head — probably not. Which is why so many reviews either end up reading like the PR company provided statements or a description of the show that can very well be confused for ‘closed captioning.’
This season, my search for the future of menswear led me to the Lazoschmidl presentation during Paris Men’s Fashion Week. Taking place in the (still ultra-hip) neighborhood of Le Marais, the exhibition was small and intimate but spoke with specificity and confidence as to what that future for men’s fashion might entail.
The presentation was tightly curated (perhaps even more so than a Hedi Slimane collection) — which can be a good thing but also a bad thing, depending on where your brand is in its evolution. Titled ‘Sweet Dreams’, the collection was an ensemble of the staple items in a contemporary men’s wardrobe. The individual pieces were all elegant and well-made — a beautiful pair of jeans that referenced the ‘90s painted denim of Helmut Lang (I’m ecstatic to know that good ol’ Helmut would still be part of that future), seer-sucker loungewear and pink printed fleece amongst others stood out. But whereas Hedi has the liberty of 100-outfits to show his polished vision, the task is really challenging when the scale is small. And sometimes one has to go against the grain of restraint and put out ideas that can invoke stronger reactions. It’s important for a small brand to garner these strong reactions regardless of them being positive or negative, as it provokes the audience that is already hyper stimulated. The ‘Pee Jeans’ shown recently by Jordan Luca gaining a viral moment is such an example. And although I don’t advocate trying to create viral moments as an objective in and of itself, pushing the conversation forward is the key responsibility of small brands and it must be embraced.
To that end, accompanying photography and a short film by talented Daniel Riera was on point and indeed a treat to watch as it grounded the whole presentation into a universe that unmistakably forms the core identity of the brand. It’s also to the credit of the duo behind Lazoschmidl for confidently collaborating on this project and crafting a vision that they are clearly invested in themselves. This is also instrumental to a small brand.
With the West fully into the grips of sustainability, cost-of-living crisis, and a conglomerate controlled fashion industry, it’s increasingly difficult for small brands to chart an independent course and stay true to its values. I’m curious to see how Lazoschmidl handles such a challenge. A brand that has been around for almost 10 years is ripe for a watershed moment; how the designers react to that will seal its future. As a person who is anti-conglomerate, I wish for their success but as a champion of small brands I want them to believe in the worth of a risk that breaks boundaries.
A few months back I wrote an op-ed arguing that ‘Streetwear’ as we have come to call graphic hoodies and T-shirts is dead and irrelevant, and the term streetwear (in its essence) needs to be reimagined with a new subculture that is more relevant, edgy and composed of a host of all other characteristics that give streetwear it’s true cred. I mentioned Lazoschmidl as one of the several brands speaking that language of ‘new streetwear’ in that op-ed. After viewing the presentation, I feel convinced about the validity of my thesis and that ‘Lazoschmidl’ can still definitely be a part the pioneers of this future of menswear currently taking shape — it all depends on where the designers take this brand next!
