Long Nguyen is the co-founder/style director of Flaunt.

PARIS–When Belgian designer Kris van Assche was appointed creative director of Dior Homme in 2007, one of his first tasks was to build a close relationship with the Dior Homme atelier, established in 2000, to evolve the house’s trademark black suit (or what was then known as the skinny black suit).

In his first several outings–a presentation at a mansion on Avenue Foch in July 2007 and his first show on the grounds of the Invalides near Napoleon’s tomb in January 2008–Mr. Van Assche did not veer far from the codes of the Hedi Slimane years, causing a barrage of criticisms. But a strong history can’t be changed overnight. Over the course of a few seasons, he loosened the skinny black suit and added hues of camel, Dior’s light gray and whites. With the spring 2009 collection, Dior Homme’s signature suit was now boxy yet elegant in its proportion, with draping that reflected the atelier’s craftsmanship.

Last Saturday, in the giant indoor courts of the Tennis Club on the edge of Paris–where light grey and sheer toile veil divided the vast space into small sections to emphasize the privacy of the presentation–Mr. Van Assche sent out a collection of loose and flowing suits and coats, starting from ultra light in white, light ecru, camel to pale blue then to the obligatory black, a collection that revolved around the notion of “less and more,” the theme of the show.

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Long Nguyen is the co-founder/style director of Flaunt.

PARIS–The moving escalators at the vast subterranean glass ceiling basement at the Le Centorial office complex where Raf Simons held his spring show reminded me of his outdoor show in July 1998 at the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie where the spring 1999 Kinetic Youth collection was shown. Models marched around a mirrored ball while David Bowie’s Space Oddity played in a production of Wagnerian magnitude.

This season was a moment for Mr. Simons to reaffirm his design roots and contributions to modern menswear–principally his pioneering signature pencil cut suits with slim pants, his baggy pull on or pleated pants with square shoulder jacket, and his slim coats.

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Long Nguyen is the co-founder/style director of Flaunt.

PARIS–You cannot say that the designer Thom Browne isn’t having a great deal of fun. Inside the sweltering heat of Maxim’s on Sunday at dusk, Mr. Browne transformed the famed Parisian restaurant/nightclub into a cabaret where the audience sat around tables and waiters served Laurent Perrier champagne.

A male couple dressed in identical navy sleeveless coats and shorts pants mounted the stage and sat on the table and as they sipped on champagne. There was a loud voice singing the original “Cabaret” song in multiple languages and a model in a stone sleeveless seersucker jacket and matching shorts with attached long fringes, as well as a bucket hat with fringes and a coat draped over his shoulder. That was only a starter look.

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Long Nguyen is the co-founder/style director of Flaunt.

PARIS–

Dries Van Noten: Mr. Dries Van Noten changed the venue of his show from last season’s sumptuous space at the Musée Bourdelle to an industrial loft, shifting the focus of the collection from a refined and tailored wardrobe to things that are inherently sporty and urban. But he did so without abandoning this fall’s elegant suits and coats, like the Bordeaux wine silk suit worn with an untucked white shirt.

The collection contrasted technology with tradition and sportswear with sartorial construction: this meant a mix of waterproof parkas and silk leggings. There was a yellow parka with the thinness of transparent nylon fabric, a navy hooded long coat worn with tropical wool pants and a tan linen jacket with black nylon stitching. A bonding technique was employed on the outside of parkas and trims of jackets, reinforcing the outlines of the rigid cutting patterns.

The long navy trench belted at the waist, the tan-charcoal-brown striped coats, and the transparent yellow raincoat are sure to be best sellers come spring.

Despite the heavy technical work involved in crafting each outfit, the show was light and airy.

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Long Nguyen is the co-founder/style director of Flaunt.

PARIS–There could not have been a better morning to stage a show outdoors than last Frida, when designer Junya Watanabe presented his spring menswear in the courtyard of a school on the edge of the Luxembourg Gardens.

Under the bright sunshine, just yards beyond the pear fruit bearing trees and with George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” blasting over two mounted loudspeakers, Mr. Watanabe imagined the look of farm life without ever having any actual living experience. There were tan cotton overalls rolled up with a faded chambray shirt, low front cut denim overalls with floral print cotton shirts and caramel wellies, as well as light pink cotton overalls paired with a blue utilities jacket.

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