Where do you go after the after-party? One simply heads Ouest. At least that’s what I did on a snowy Parisian morning for the first official Paris Fashion Week presentation of designer Arthur Robert’s burgeoning menswear label. Hosted at an abandoned supermarket, Ouest captured the frenetic energy of fashion week with an early morning rave, complete with a DJ and models in various states of undress, evoking the universal feeling of euphoria when you get lost in the music.
Still in its infancy — Ouest was established in 2022 — the brand’s latest proposition of the modern menswear wardrobe started with a reflection Robert had after an evening out. ‘Walking back home after hours of dancing, in the cold morning light in the streets of Paris. A slight haze, and putting back my coat on yesterday’s outfit’, read the show notes. Amongst contemporary menswear labels like APC and Ami (where Robert is an alumnus), the brand sets itself apart with its tinge of queer desire.
The Ouest uniform starts with the workwear and denim staples Robert is quickly making his signature. Still, it isn't all rugged masculinity, with the brand confidently finding the progressive sweet-spot reflective of today's unabashed queer community who don't feel restrained by the conventions of the past.
Among the reinforced carpenter trousers and Moleskine coats are pinstripe button-ups adorned with cascading ruffles, and t-shirts layered under satin, trim-laced camisoles. An amalgam of the sleek streets of Paris and the surfers of Biarritz, one of the key styling pieces for A/W 24 is body-hugging wrestling singlet with a plunging neckline, injecting the Ouest wardrobe with a welcome dose of sensual athleticism.
There's an unpretentious quality to the subtle sex appeal of Robert's work. In no means a thesis statement on progressive gender identity, his fifth collection is just daring enough that it doesn't feel like it's trying too hard. Rather, it's a testament to the designer's ability to create desirable clothes rooted in all-too familiar experiences. With growth imminent for the brand, following being shortlisted for the Pierre Bergé ANDAM Prize last year, let's hope they continue to carve out their space in menswear with as much fun as possible.
