Hed Mayner brings a touch of grace to Paris Fashion Week Men's

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Jun 19, 2019

Hed Mayner's latest show at Paris Fashion Week Men's was packed-out on Tuesday, offering the fashion world a breath of fresh air at the end of a hectic day. Fans and curious fashionistas alike had come out to see the work of the Israeli designer, who has made it into the finals of both the LVMH Prize and the Andam Prize this year. Attendees were rewarded with a show in which time seemed to stand still, as Mayner's looks calmly floated through the immaculate white venue, a space in the Marais which will soon be transformed into a gallery. 

Wrapped up in long tunics and ponchos, sporting sheaves of wheat that had been transformed into hats or pouches and wearing sandals on their feet, the models seemed to have come from a faraway country, or some pre-technological space-time where It bags, smartphones and other electronic gadgets don't exist. 

Indeed, Mayner (33), who has been showing his collections in the French capital since June 2017, has concentrated all his efforts into the conception of his clothes. In particular this season, he focused on reimagining classic menswear, which he playfully reinvented with distressed cotton, linen and hessian to create new shapes and fits reflecting his characteristic comfortable, gender-neutral aesthetic. 

Traditional jackets with wide lapels were cut off cleanly at the waist, transforming into XL spencers. Elsewhere, they were left long but were reworked in a number of different ways – backs were opened into two vertical flaps or reconfigured through folds and draping, while shoulders were cleverly twisted to boost their volume. 
 
This same experimental approach was applied to the shirts, which were flared or stretched into maxi-tunics. One piece was missing its sleeves and was instead constructed with pieces of fabric that had been folded simply over the model's torso. 

"I wanted to transform the classics of the menswear wardrobe by giving them new shapes, as though they're in movement. For example, the sleeves of one jacket are positioned across the front of the garment to create a new pose," explained Hed Mayner backstage. A proponent of simplicity and relaxed, voluminous cuts, the designer also transformed simple throws into ponchos that were paired with sirwal pants in a range of natural, earthy tones. 
 
Having studied at Jersulem's Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Mayner continued his fashion education at the Institut Français de la Mode, before launching his own unisex label in 2015, building it around a mixture of influences and cultures. Based in Tel Aviv, the designer's pieces are currently sold by 50 multibrand stores around the world, including Paris' L'Eclaireur and Galeries Lafayette.