Black Out

All-Black Looks Are Always a Safe Bet, but the Season Showed They Can Still Surprise Us

Even though black never really left, the Fall 2023 Men’s runway season seemed to boldly assert that black is back. As black is timeless and goes with everything, it definitely fits into the theme of what felt like a somewhat more conservative approach as designers seemed to shift a bit toward men’s wardrobe staples that can be worn and loved for a lifetime. Nonetheless, the season wasn’t without the noirish drama that black can inspire.

Expectedly avant-garde, Rei Kawakubo and company at Comme des Garçons Homme Plus served up a collection filled with all-black, experimentally tailored looks that brooded on humanity’s dark side. While they may be known for being loud, Dolce & Gabbana stripped things down to their essence with an elegant and focused monochromatic collection. Though it took a very different approach, Saint Laurent had a similarly monochromatic and elegant color scheme. At Givenchy, Matthew M. Williams infused grunge riffs into all-black suiting. Modernist master of darkness Rick Owens reasserted his ownership of all things goth and industrial with another stunning, though relatively pared-back, collection.