Fashion for beatniks, sci-fi cowboys, wealthy aristocrats

MANILA, Philippines - In Paris and Milan, men’s fashion got a jolt of energy thanks to the likes of Dries Van Noten, Kris Van Assche for Dior, Ann Demeulemeester and even Junya Watanabe. Stefano Pilati imagined a gentleman traversing a red carpet and an African safari for Yves Saint Laurent’s spring-summer 2012 adventure, and proceeded to dress his models in garb that met and merged somewhere in between — perhaps a carpet-covered tarmac off the coast of Morocco where our intrepid yet dapper adventurer finds himself courting a female interest or two.

A startling contrast from Ann Demeulemeester’s raffish models, who tromped down the runway looking like beatnik figures with a piratical air, the designer threw in elements like fringe and embroidery.

Rick Owens and Kris Van Assche seemed to be sipping the same Kool-Aid, having tapped into the same realm of sci-fi cowboy westerns from the ‘70s. Whereas Giorgio Armani is still rocking the same boat, helmed by a wealthy aristocrat who likes his pants a little roomier than most. It’s a look that works.