Dior's aristo-punks in search of a new depth

"Fashion shows for me are a way to explore ideas," says Jonathan Anderson, "they are a proposal. It is the day of Dior in Paris: fashion week immediately gets into the swing of things. While operating in the context of a group like Lvmh and a fashion house of such magnitude, Anderson's impulse to create something rather than just merchandising seems dogged and inspiring.

Set at the Musée Rodin, in a cube lined internally and externally with a velvet curtain, theatrical yet discreet, the creative director's second men's fashion show marks a decisive step forward from last season's aristo-preppy.

Now it's the turn of a bevy of lanky aristo-punks, yellow-haired or electrified, dressed in tight trousers, half-heeled ankle boots and sumptuous coats that wink at Paul Poiret. Poiret, chez Dior? Unlikely, but there is a true story behind it, so good it seems invented. Not long ago, Anderson discovered a plaque on the pavement in front of the Dior boutique on Avenue Montaigne. On the plaque, a female figure and the inscription Paul Poiret. In his heyday, the king of fluid lines and exoticism occupied the same premises, and this triggered a flow of thought in Anderson, translated into an idea of rugged opulence, electrified by unlikely associations.

What is interesting is how much the ghost of Hedi Slimane is present in the background, evoked not so much by the thin line and the cast of beardless youths, but by the obvious desire to tap into subculture territory, giving Dior Homme a long-lost depth that by today's standards is probably unrecoverable. This, combined with the profusion of product, creates friction, in need of vigorous editing and a clearer point of view.

At Lemaire, Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran opted for a new presentation format in the amphitheatre of the Opéra Bastille: a series of concise tableau vivants entitled 'Mine Eyes' conceived with Nathalie Béasse. A certainly theatrical modality, but paradoxically perfect to emphasise that sense of 'trance de vie' that characterises Lemaire, with its balance of sharp and soft, with its unique vision of everyday life. The collection is shot through with a strong and elegant, subtly erotic tension, captured by Roland Topor's drawings used as prints.