Dandyism, decadence and a taste of rebellion at Junya Watanabes vision of Paris
PARIS (AP) — A new kind of dandy took over Junya Watanabe's runway on Friday — not the traditional gentleman, but a sharp-dressed rebel with a streak of punk at Paris Fashion Week.
Watanabe, the pioneering Japanese designer known for mixing classic tailoring with a wild, creative edge, unveiled a lineup of bold, offbeat looks at the Lycée Carnot. The show was sharp but rebellious, rich in history but full of energy. It wasn't about looking back. It was an explosion of new ideas.
Watanabe has built his reputation by smashing the line between elegance and rebellion. This season, he didn't just mix old and new, he turned history into a weapon. His spring men's collection borrowed from the past — rich brocades, jacquards and a hint of Rococo flair — but reimagined them with a bold, punk attitude. Jackets worthy of Venetian nobility were paired with rugged workwear and raw denim, creating looks that felt both grand and streetwise.
The music followed the same energy, starting with a traditional piano piece breaking down into a thumping city beat. Classic style was pulled apart and rebuilt right on the runway. Some outfits showed off sharp, careful tailoring, but the order quickly fell away — seams went crooked, sashes trailed loose, wild patterns took over. Even the ties broke free, knotted multiple times in ways that broke from tradition.
Despite the wild mix of styles, the show was more than just patchwork. Watanabe was making a statement about taste itself — a constant tug-of-war between old ideas and breaking the rules. Familiar touches — a monk's robe, the rooftops of Florence — were turned into clever fashion puzzles.
Throughout the collection, Watanabe's eye for detail and contradiction remained. He's known for boldly mixing sharp tailoring with street style, blending Japanese tradition with punk energy. This season, he sharpened that approach into clothes that were both smart and full of electricity, pieces that challenged the idea of what it means to dress well.
By the end, the dandy wasn't just a gentleman —he was sharper, braver, both thinker and rebel.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
4 hours ago
- India Today
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos ties knot with Lauren Sanchez in Italy
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez officially tied the knot during an opulent celebration in Venice, Italy. Sanchez confirmed their marriage on Instagram late Friday night, sharing a joyful photo of the couple. She was wearing a white lace gown, and Bezos was seen in a classic tuxedo. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lauren Snchez Bezos (@laurensanchezbezos)advertisementThe ceremony was held on the green island of San Giorgio Maggiore, overlooking the Doge's Palace across the Venetian lagoon. Guests, estimated at around 200, arrived by motorboat for the intimate yet glamorous wedding was part of a grand three-day celebration that turned Venice into a hotspot of celebrity sightings and high fashion. On Friday evening, cheers echoed across the lagoon, followed by a romantic performance by Matteo Bocelli, son of famed tenor Andrea Bocelli. The wedding was a three-day extravaganza that transformed Venice into a hub of celebrity spotting and high-style fashion. On Friday evening, cheers echoed across the lagoon, followed by a romantic performance by Matteo Bocelli, son of famed tenor Andrea magazine Vogue confirmed the union, revealing Sanchez's wedding gown was custom-designed by Dolce & guest list comprised a combination of world power brokers and entertainment moguls, who came in ahead of time in private planes and those on the guest list, according to The New York Times, were a plethora of high-profile names across multiple industries. Oprah Winfrey, Barry Diller, Orlando Bloom, Leonardo DiCaprio, and musical performers Usher and Jewel were all among those present. Additionally, former NFL quarterback Tom Brady and tech moguls like Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman were also US President Donald Trump did not attend the ceremony, his daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner did show up, accompanied by Josh Kushner and his wife, model Karlie Kloss.- EndsTrending Reel
Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
‘Evokes a moment': Lauren Sanchez opens up about lavish dress for wedding to Jeff Bezos
Lauren Sánchez and Jeff Bezos tied the knot in Venice on Friday in a lavish, star-studded affair. The 55-year-old helicopter pilot shared the first photo from the Italian wedding on Instagram, offering a glimpse of her elegant Dolce & Gabbana wedding gown. Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos at their wedding ceremony(Instagram) Sánchez walked down the aisle in a custom lace, long-sleeved dress featuring a high turtleneck, corseted waist, and delicate buttons trailing from the neckline all the way to the floor. She completed the look with Dolce & Gabbana Alta Gioielleria Miracolo earrings, each featuring four diamonds cut from a single stone and set in white gold. She wore her hair pulled back into a sleek bun. Speaking to Vogue, Sánchez revealed that her bridal look was inspired by the high-necked lace gown worn by Sophia Loren in the 1958 film Houseboat, in which Loren's character marries Cary Grant. 'It went from 'I want a simple, sexy modern dress' to 'I want something that evokes a moment,' and where I am right now. I am a different person than I was five years ago,' Sánchez told the magazine. 'I researched pictures of brides in the 1950s,' she added. 'I wanted to reflect back, and I saw Sophia Loren and her hands were [in a prayer position] and she was in high lace, up to the neck, and I said, 'That's it. That's the dress.'' Jeff Bezos opted for a classic black tuxedo for the occasion. The couple, who began dating in 2019, got engaged in 2023. According to Page Six, he proposed to her with a massive engagement ring estimated to be worth $2.5 million. Their three-day wedding celebration began Thursday on the Venetian island of San Giorgio Maggiore, with approximately 200 guests in attendance. According to Reuters, the events are estimated to have cost between 40–48 million euros ($46.5–55.6 million). A number of high-profile celebrities were spotted in Venice during the festivities, including Kim Kardashian, who arrived with sister Khloé Kardashian and mother Kris Jenner. Other notable guests included Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom, Tom Brady, Bill Gates, and Ivanka Trump with Jared Kushner and their children.
Mint
6 hours ago
- Mint
Sean Diddy Combs' lawyer mocks sex trafficking case in closing, calls charges badly exaggerated
NEW YORK (AP) — Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyer implored a jury on Friday to acquit the hip-hop mogul, arguing overzealous federal prosecutors twisted his drug use and swinger lifestyle into a sex trafficking and racketeering case that could put him behind bars for life. 'He is none of these things. He is innocent,' defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said, glancing at Combs during a four-hour closing argument. "He sits there innocent. Return him to his family who have been waiting for him.' Jurors are expected to begin deliberating Monday. Agnifilo repeatedly mocked the government's case, peppering his presentation with folksy quips and bawdy observations. He said prosecutors 'badly exaggerated' the evidence, and he belittled federal agents who seized hundreds of bottles of baby oil and lubricant in raids last year at Combs' homes in Los Angeles and the Miami area. 'Way to go, fellas,' the defense lawyer said. Agnifilo accused the government of targeting Combs, irritating prosecutors and the judge, and questioned why no one else was charged in what the prosecution alleges was a racketeering conspiracy involving Combs' personal assistants, bodyguards and other employees. Judge Arun Subramanian instructed jurors they were not to consider why or how the government obtained an indictment. In a rebuttal, Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey said Agnifilo had spent 'a whole lot of energy' trying to distract from Combs' 'inexcusable behavior.' 'Make no mistake," Comey told jurors, "this trial was about how in Sean Combs' world, 'no' was never an option.' Agnifilo called Combs' prosecution a 'fake trial" and ridiculed the notion that the 'I'll Be Missing You' singer engaged in racketeering. 'Are you kidding me?' Agnifilo asked. 'Did any witness get on that witness stand and say, 'Yes, I was part of a racketeering enterprise — I engaged in racketeering?'' No, those accusations were a figment of the prosecution's imagination, he argued. Combs, in a sweater and khakis, watched Agnifilo with rapt attention after looking down and slouching during Thursday's prosecution closing. He didn't testify during the seven-week trial, and his lawyers called no witnesses of their own. Combs' family, including six of his children and his mother, sat behind him. When the day was finished, Combs hugged one of his lawyers and smiled as he conversed with others. As the jury filed out of the courtroom for the last time this week, Combs watched them, but the jurors didn't look his way. Combs' ex-girlfriends R&B singer Cassie and a woman testifying under the pseudonym 'Jane' told jurors that Combs coerced them into participating in 'freak-offs' or 'hotel nights' — drug-fueled sex marathons with male sex workers while Combs watched, directed, masturbated and sometimes filmed them. Agnifilo argued prosecutors had invaded Combs' most intimate personal affairs, warning jurors: 'Where's the crime scene? It's your sex life." He also mocked the prosecution's assertion that Combs and his underlings engaged in hundreds of racketeering acts, as well as the government's suggestion that many of the sex marathons at the heart of the case were crimes. If that's so, he said, 'we need a bigger roll of crime scene tape,' a reference to a famous line from the movie 'Jaws.' Agnifilo argued there's another factor at play in the allegations that women have lobbed against him: the prospect of draining him of his wealth through lawsuits. 'This isn't about crime. It's about money. This is about money," Agnifilo said. Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, sued Combs in November 2023 over abuse allegations. He settled with her the next day for $20 million, but the allegations prompted federal law enforcement to open the criminal investigation that led to his arrest. Dozens of other lawsuits followed. 'If you had to pick a winner in this whole thing, it's hard not to pick Cassie,' Agnifilo said. Agnifilo reiterated that the defense 'owns' the fact that Combs was violent but argued that behavior does not justify the grave charges against him. Combs and Cassie had a 'loving, beautiful relationship,' albeit a 'complicated' one, Agnifilo said. 'If racketeering conspiracy had an opposite, it would be their relationship." Agnifilo said. "They were deeply in love with each other." Echoing prosecutor Christy Slavik's closing argument on Thursday, Agnifilo showed jurors part of the now-infamous security camera footage of Combs attacking Cassie at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. Agnifilo acknowledged that the video clearly shows domestic violence, but he disputed the prosecution's theory that the assault was evidence of sex trafficking by force. He insisted Combs may have been angry not that Cassie was trying to flee a 'freak-off,' but that she was taking his cellphone. In her rebuttal, Comey said: 'Being a domestic abuser is not a defense to sex trafficking.'
