Steven Passaro | Men’s Paris Fashion Week AW25
Word by Willow Shields, Phototgraphs via Méliw Press
In a combination of precision tailoring and romantic draping, FRAGMENTED SELF by Steven Passaro AW25 at Men’s Paris Fashion week was a transformational ode to human touch. Though standalone and powerful, this selection of works was especially compelling as it was the first time the masion showcased couture garments. The result? A defiant display of authentic craftsmanship and delicate beauty. Within the season’s offerings, guests witnessed a score of colours and shapes, said to “capture the beauty and tension of moments in transition".
We saw jet black, tailored jackets and trousers contrasting with soft-to-the-touch flowing gowns and shirts. The recombination of these stylistic themes nodded to the crux of the collection, reinvention through transition. Steven Passaro provided an avenue to understand the complexity of the human psyche: from struggle there is beauty, a cocoon becomes a butterfly, so on and so forth. Demure lilacs and bright whites stood out against the concrete venue, each successive look - both striking and bold. Couture fixtures were interspersed throughout, wearable face sculptures and extravagant body pieces on repetitive display.
Each piece depicts a profound narrative unfolding, with asymmetrical cuts, intentional imperfections and perfectly hidden details... Said to highlight the complexity of identity and as it collides with the beauty of impermanence. For the future of Steven Passaro’s relationship to these themes, I can imagine a performance of featherlight complexity, of a couture gown cut into pieces - utterly changed but equally beautiful. The themes within the collection provide viewers a reflection of the natural world, growth, birth and rebirth. It's no surprise that sustainability was at the core of its development. The house used cutting edge 3D pattern-drafting software to minimise waste while allowing exactitude and creativity to thrive.
