In the wake of last November’s attacks, Louis Vuitton delivered an ode to Paris by way of its AW16 menswear show. An enormous light-filled cloud made (through a miracle of engineering) from stainless steel hung above the catwalk, undulating like some sort of hologram. This installation – entitled “Liminal Air Space-Time” – was the brainchild of Japanese artist Shinji Ohmaki whose work the brand’s artistic director of men’s collections Kim Jones first saw in Tokyo and “immediately fell in love with”. 

With this cloud floating surreally above the catwalk and large windows letting in the light of the Parisian sunset, the show began. In contrast to the setting, the Jones’ offering had a certain darkness to it. Models emerged from a hole in the floor as if coming out of a crypt, in a collection that was reminiscent of 1930s military garb – perhaps that of the Russian Cossacks. Their hair was combed neatly into side-partings (like any respectable member of the armed forces) or else covered up by cosy berets.

Trench coats, fur coats and tailored suits also reflected this sentiment – and while these were classic menswear pieces, they weren’t stuffy, but rather distinctly modern and achingly sleek. The combination of the berets and the jewellery made the overall effect slightly camp, in the most elegant and refined way possible. “When we first looked at the berets, we were like, ‘Oh we can’t do that,’” said Jones, speaking backstage after the show, “but it worked.”

The jewellery, which came in the form of brooches, charm necklaces and earrings, was the result of a collaboration between Jones and one of his friends, Jade Jagger, who looked at the archive of Baron de Redé, who was notorious for the parties he threw. “I’m quite besotted by him,” said Jones, “He was like this crazy party guy and he had amazing taste. We had all these archive pictures of his jewellery... I wanted it all in to be silver with diamonds, and I wanted the silver to be brushed to make it feel masculine, and just very chic.”

Masculine and chic are traits that seemed to define this collection – it was luxury menswear in its purest and most elegant form. “It’s celebrating Paris,” said Jones, referring to the theme of AW16. ”And it’s the likeness of Paris too. It’s a really, really beautiful place so I wanted to make (this collection) refined, elegant and chic.” There’s no doubt Jones achieved his goal.