Titi Kwan revisited his youth and his recollection of Paris nightlife to find inspiration for his Autumn/Winter 2013 menswear collection for label Alibellus+. The runway show that took place during the last Paris men’s fashion week comprised looks that evoked the hedonistic universe of Parisian night clubs such as Bain Douche, Piscine and Palace during the early 1980s, and brought back to life the exuberant styles and androgynous silhouettes favoured by the New Romantics and by singers and bands popular at the time such as Prince, Japan and Alphaville.
Garments such as high-waisted and overly pleated trousers, biker jackets, quilted trench coats and sweaters made from diverse fabrics like wool, cotton, polyester, silk covered in a plastic finish and tulle embroidered with metallic thread were very similar to what fashion-conscious men wore in Paris, London or New York in the early 1980s. However, the downside of such a strong homage to the era based on personal memories and reveries failed to reinterpret these sartorial trends in their social context, precluding the collection to become more than a mere exercise in pastiche.
