The Spring/Summer 2009 Gaspard Yurkievich men’s collection was unveiled Thursday, June 30th at the Maison des Métallos in the 11th arrondissement of Paris.

The new collection finds its inspiration directly in the sartorial language developed during the 1920s, which consisted in integrating and reinterpreting habitually masculine dress codes within the feminine wardrobe: the military outfit, Tyrolean jacket…The dialogue has, thus, been recreated and presently “feminized” elements are in turn reintegrated into the men’s wardrobe, all the while remaining true to the search for modernity that characterizes the collection.
At once graphical and decorative, the collection perpetuates its quest of the perfect balance according to the principles developed by the Art Deco movement.
The range of pastel shades is defined by the strictness of the black lines which provide the silhouette’s contour. Here we find an optical illusion, giving the impression of a jacket overlaid by another or layered shorts.
The collection proposes a sensual and contemporary elegance. Sophistication and modernity find their place in the chosen materials: the refined and seemingly weightless nylon jackets, satin-finished cotton gabardine, tweed jackets and shorts whose polished surfaces attract and reflect the light. Elaborated fabrics, madras and jacquard with wave designs, add an aestival feeling to the collection.
The sensuality is reaffirmed through references to Greek Antiquity: shoulder pleats on select tops in silk and modal jersey revisit the toga draping. The decorative composition of the Greek bust is used as a print and translated into an allover tee-shirt print.
Accessories are purposefully left absent from the collection, with the exception of a metallic chain worn on the forehead as a reference to the antique diadem.
As it is the case with all of Gaspard Yurkievich’s collections, the music weaves a delicate and integral subtext to the collection. Here Dani Siciliano plays with the concept of the “chorus” in archetypal Greek tragedies and further strengthening the juxtaposition by scoring music influenced by Detroit “Booty House” and her own compositions.

All photos by SHOJI FUJII

Chosen by the French magazine L’Express Styles to illustrate upcoming fall winter 20082009 trends, Gaspard Yurkievich finds its place among the best of Paris.

(IMAGE ABOVE) On the bottom left : Black Tulle Dress from the Gaspard Yukievich THE BEAUTIFUL FALL fashion show (Fall/Winter 08/09)

 (IMAGE ABOVE) On the middle right : Two silk dresses from the Gaspard Yukievich THE BEAUTIFUL FALL fashion show (Fall/Winter 08/09)

Carroussel du Louvre, Paris, 25 February 2008: The Fall/Winter 2008-2009 women’s collection draws direct inspiration from the book The Beautiful Fall in which author Alicia Drake evokes a Paris of the 1970s and how, under the influence of American models and the personality of New York illustrator Antonio Lopez, “Parisian designers” learned to become “stylists.”
The collection echoes Antonio Lopez’s kaleidoscopic and flamboyant style and the Parisian chic of the generation’s muses, such as Paloma Picasso, Loulou de La Falaise, Pat Cleveland and Donna Jordan.
Bourgeois dress codes of the past are shattered in a free-spirited atmosphere where nocturnal adventures meet the search for bohemian sophistication.
The elegance of black and beige is coupled with a frenzied shape. Intense violet and zippers with oversized pull tabs, serving equally as a decorative element, structure and enliven shirts, blouses, smoking jackets, dress coats and printed silk twill scarves.

Product of a collaboration with Elvis Pompilio, the hat collection is a hybrid of the traditional borsalino and cap and is presented here in black and chestnut felt, worn tipped to underline the eyes.
Graphic and vibrant tights and leggings in lurex and mercerized cotton complete the silhouette while recalling the edgy features characteristic of Antonio Lopez’s “street culture” photographs and drawings.
Shoes with heels striped in gold, violet and black partake in the creation of a fresh and contemporary definition of glamour and the fantasy of Parisian elegance.
Dani Siciliano and Sam Sparro co-author the show’s music and perform together a new version of Sam Sparro’s “Black&Gold.”

 All photos by SHOJI FUJII.

As promised, you will find here a brief photo presentation of Gaspard Yurkievich’s Fall/Winter 2008-2009 collection, rightly entitled “untitled, black”. The soberly sophisticated men’s collection was presented January 17th at Le Laboratoire in Paris. The following photos give a snapshot of the first two looks that walked down the runway. Discover the full collection in daily doses on the Gaspard Yurkievich Flickr photostream, click HERE.

All photos by SHOJI FUJII.

The Fall/Winter 2008-2009 collection will be unveiled tomorrow, Thursday, January 17th at 12:30 by GASPARD YURKIEVICH at Le Laboratoire in Paris. The Spirit of Yes presents to you here a sneak-peak of what this new collection has to offer. Photos of the imminent fashion show to come…

The new collection experiments with many complexities such as: concentration on masculine wardrobe classics in order to leave room for the clothing’s structural architecture; avoidance of colour’s duplicity by employing principally black and variations thereof. The collection is unified by the subtlety of the pleats and appliqué work, the sheen and matte finishes as well as the numerous possibilities offered by the luxurious fabrics.The silhouette for winter 2008 finds its inspiration in the Renaissance constructions. Intricately designed and structured torsos, which affirm force and masculinity, are paired with slim and sober legs. Pleats and cutouts, traditionally known to allow for ease and liberty of movement, are used here as elements which are at the same time decorative and structural, whether it be at the shoulders, elbows, torso or the length of the back.

For the first time, there is a near absence of colour and black predominates. This decision was made in order to focus on the volumes and to unify the collection. The concept’s predominant inspiration is British artist Anthony McCall, currently based in the United States of America and known for his Solid Light Film. The black is not disquieting but is used as a force that guides the play of lights. These bursts of light along the appliqué on the black surface give a sense of volume. A subtle shimmer establishes depth by reflecting light on the various textures and woven designs: jacquards, faux furs, lustrous and matte materials and even perforated or calendered cotton.

The inspiration for the collection’s title comes directly from Robert Mapplethorpe’s Polaroids book. His photographic work draws its strength from the gentle balance between the classicism evoked and the intensity that his creations emit.

The masculine wardrobe basics are reworked, from the smoking jacket to the trench, the duffle coat to the bomber jacket. Even grand and classic materials themselves are revisited: cashmere, cotton, blackwatch, wool gabardine… Select shirts have front panels, revive the button-down and find structure in a back pleat or tacking at the hips. These designs experiment with the traditional stripes and plaids. In contrast, the trousers remain constant in maintaining the same volume. The various appliqué work and pleats alone structure the shape in a subtle manner. The tailored overalls benefit from the gracefulness of a braided wool cord streaming down the side of the leg. The sock collection completes the outfit and adds an element of illusion by giving the impression of a double sock, all in preserving the comfort and cultivation of the mercerized thread, cashmere and silk. The winter 2008 shoe collection emphasizes derbies and low boots and is available in the following combinations: patent leather, printed crocodile and satin, black and faux black. The hat, a hybrid of the cap and classic hat, was designed in collaboration with Elvis Pompilio. Worn slightly tipped, the silhouette’s refinement is complete.

Wagner’s classical compositions accompany this elegant silhouette to the limit of excentricity.

Texte disponible en français sur demande: [email protected]

Ten days from now the Paris Men’s Fashion Week starts. And who better to kick it off than our very own Gaspard Yurkievich! That’s right, Thursday, January 17th at 12:30 the much-anticipated Fall/Winter 2008/2009 creations will make their way down the catwalk at le Laboratoire (4 rue du Bouloi - Paris 1er).
Rendez-vous right here on the Spirit of Yes for full after-show details!

Click the calendar below to see the full schedule for the Paris Men’s Fashion Week.