Paris (AFP)

Surrounded by flowers to regain its capacity for wonderment, this is the motto of star designer Virgil Abloh who designed for Louis Vuitton a man collection rich in dried bouquets and floral prints, unveiled Thursday in a card decor in Paris.

A way to reconnect with the child and explore codes of masculinity freed from social diktats, Abloh conceptualized in a note of intent given to the public of his parade.

"At a time saturated with images, stopping to breathe the scent of roses deprograms the mind and makes room for freedom of thought," says the American creator to more than 4 million subscribers on Instagram.

He had already announced the color Wednesday at the show of his brand, Off-White, with models treading a field of white eyelets.

Thursday, on the place Dauphine, in the center of Paris, whose access was closed for the occasion, are men wearing straw hats or filled with dried flowers or flowing outfits with pastel colors and / or floral prints that did the show.

Symbols of diversity, according to Virgil Abloh, the flowers nestle in particular in the accessories of his collection, large men's tote bags with harnesses updated, and already noticed in the Golden Globes 2019 on the popular comedian Timothée Chalamet.

- Branded kite -

The omnipresence of flowers has nothing to do here with a bucolic representation, the parade being part of a very urban decor, a postcard Paris with cafes, XXL public benches branded with the famous monogram of the brand, street vendors of pancakes and a wealth of gadgets circulated around the world like mini Eiffel towers.

For the valued millenial creator, it is mainly about reconnecting with the moment, in the life of a young man, where he develops "his sense of style". In short, the age where one dares, without prejudices.

There are many references to this period in life: from kite-shaped invitations to self-assembly to red balloons accompanying the manikins parading.

Everything is also an invitation to travel, as evidenced by the profusion of bags, trunks and luggage designed for the occasion, sometimes worn overlay on the back, such as the package of a scout.

With around fifty silhouettes in an impressive setting, Virgil Abloh has once again made the show. The boss of LVMH, Bernard Arnault was there to applaud him as his daughter Delphine, deputy general manager of Louis Vuitton since 2013.

- Sunflowers -

At the other end of Paris, in the north of the capital, another creator, the Belgian Dries van Noten, who also celebrated the flowers in a collection focusing on embroidery, sequins and prints .

Her models wear flowing outfits in full floral look, nylon mini shorts and bombers with stylish barefoot or mid-calf boots.

Some motifs even evoke sunflowers and sometimes reminiscent of Van Gogh who had already inspired a jacket for women remained famous at Yves Saint Laurent in the late 80s.

With his well-waisted, button-down coats and jackets, Dries Van Noten also designs modern Corto Maltese, whose cloakroom definitely has nothing to envy to that of women.

Fassbinder's "Quarrel", which describes a universe of bars and brothels in a harbor (Brest) and the adventures of a young sailor with hot eroticism, served as inspiration for this collection, alongside other films such as "Leaving Las Vegas", by Mike Figgis, on the descent into hell of an alcoholic in the city that lives at night.

? 2019 AFP