It feels absurd to say masculinity is back but a fresh take on manliness is a trend emerging from certain, key designers this season and at Yohji Yamamoto there it was, from the very first foot set on the catwalk, a tangible, firm edge delivered by the clothes and enhanced with confident precision by the casting and hair. Sharp, straw pork-pie hats were worn and with a hole in the back for tough, sleek ponytails to protrude. Ankle-length culottes were matched with light jackets or printed shirts that referenced Victorian military. If shirts were worn they were buttoned up to the neck to accentuate the cut of the lapel. Pants were wide and billowing, some black and pleated, others with ethnic prints. Crotches were lower than low and with a cheeky wink via flashes of polkadot underwear glimpsed through the pockets. The casting helped immerse the viewer into Yamamoto’s vision, there were no skinny or fey boys here. Striking men of thirty years and upwards walked amongst younger models such as Frenchman Morgan Person (Success) who’s the go-to boy in Paris if you want to express laddy character in your visual language. A magical masculinity is kicking off the new decade, three cheers for that.
