Hedi Slimane, Designer of Dior Homme from 2001 through 2007, was a huge fan and took much inspiration from youth culture in Berlin and London, while he was designing collections in Paris. Slimane's style was a kind of addiction for his Dior Homme customers, and a source of trend direction for designers of high and low, male and female fashion.
I have a current fascination with Paris, not because of cute patisseries, the Eiffel Tower or whatever Vouge tells you was once happening there. I'm fascinated that Paris (unlike Berlin) has no youth culture. I've asked every Parisian I've meet here in Berlin (five) about it, they have various reasons for this issue (I may post about this later). For a Parisian designer who's idea of "Fashion = music + youth + sex", it makes me wonder if 'real' fashion still exists in 21st century Paris? While I respect Hedi Slimane as a multi talented creative, I do find when walking around Berlin there are many blatant influences of the old Dior Homme collections. There is no doubt - Berlin is an inspirational city, it reminds me that the streets are where the 'real' style is, not the catwalks.
Here is one such example of Berliner street to Parisian catwalk appropriation - the Bundeswehr (German army) sneaker - 15€ available almost anywhere here.
The iconic Dior Homme 2004 sneaker - 400€ at select stores.
I'll leave you with a quote by Jarvis Cocker, circa 2005:
"I've never met [Slimane], but I just think it's wrong," Jarvis Cocker said at the time. "The thing I like about music is that people make it up for themselves, and that extends to what they look like as well. So it's a very personal thing. Then someone comes along and goes: 'Oh, yeah, skinny trousers, de-de-de-de, that'll be £800, please."
Love it or hate it - that is Paris 'fashion'.