It’s a Wrap at Rick Owens and Balmain

Is Rick Owens in a martial-arts mood? Padding and wrapping in judogi kimono-style are making menswear headlines this season, and both came together in his collection of coats. The 3/4 crossovers, without buttons, zippers, or lapels, showed over leggings for a dressy look; the models’ teased manes accentuated the androgyny. Owens mixes leather, wool, shaved and hairy shearling in solid black or natural and white for multi-textured crossovers, while others wrap around the shoulders like a stole, and padded styles are cinched at the waist with extra-wide belts. These are all feminine touches treated in a very masculine, graphic way. And underneath are leather and ponyskin tank tunics over black leggings with high, laced and strapped furry boots.

Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing sent his tailoring to the east as well, in crossover jackets cinched at the waist with obi belts in quilted leather or basket-weave canvas, which he topped with down and new oversized biker jackets. His martial-arts boys have a split personality; street-gang tough and regal. Kimono tuxedos with lapels and extra-wide cuffs covered in red dragon beading edged in gold were paired with rolled-cuff sarouel pants, while washed-out sweatshirting and down with ribbed-knit shawl collars assured the tough side.