Lewis Hamilton for Balenciaga: Men in Skirts

by time news

War he that? Or wasn’t he? At the Balenciaga show in Paris at the beginning of October, it was hard to tell who was walking in what disguise on the red carpet that served as a catwalk. But this man with thick hair, thick jacket and even thicker shoes was really Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion. Between Cardi B, Isabelle Huppert, Juergen Teller, Karen Boros and other surprise models, he didn’t really attract attention. But he didn’t seem to mind. After all, he was at the center of the fashion scene. Four days later, he continued to role-play. The British racing driver walked to the press conference in a skirt before the Turkish Grand Prix. “I love it when I can differentiate myself from the sport,” he said. In this way he can free himself from the pressure that weighs on him.

Alfons Kaiser

Responsible editor for the section “Germany and the World” and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Magazin.

He succeeded. Because in one of the most masculine sports ever, he appeared in a piece of clothing that is largely reserved for women in the western world. The skirt – apparently not just a piece of clothing, but a motivational boost. The fashionable marketing-laden appearance that Hamilton shared several times on Instagram with its more than 24 million followers came at the right time. Because the topic of men and skirts, long dismissed as a byway of male fashionable emancipation, is suddenly really an issue.

Gaultier deserves imitators

Be it at the fashion shows by Thom Browne, Raf Simons or Balmain, be it in the Instagram feed from Marc Jacobs or Lutz Huelle, be it the American designer Jeremy Scott at the Met Gala in New York or the British singer Harry Styles on the cover Vogue: Men who are trendy wear skirts – or even, like actor Bill Porter at the 2019 Academy Awards, a widely flared ball gown.

At first glance it is perhaps no surprise that Olivier Rousteing at Balmain sends the men in draped dresses with polka dots down the catwalk and Raf Simons really lets all men show their spiky legs. After all, fashion designers like Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood and Rick Owens have been spreading the look for decades. Gaultier, to whom the adapted kilts fit perfectly, deserves imitators.

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