Francisco Van Benthum Men Fall 2010PARIS, Jan 23, 2010 / FW/ — Francisco Van Benthum, who showed in Paris fourth time in a row this season, was inspired by pre-revolutionary Russia, translating the opulence of the Imperial Court and the romance of the Slavic traditional clothes into a contemporary collection.

Aptly entitled TSAR, the collection exudes a folkloristic feel. Proposing suits, coats, jackets, knitwear, pants, shirts and tops, van Benthum used luxe fabris – cashmere loden wools, flannels, fine cotton poplins, silks, waxed cotton, soft lurex shirtings and silk and cashmere for light knits.

Continuing his experimentation with shape and constructions, van Benthum emphasized volume and proportion this season, opting for oversized, round silhouettes and a return to the high waist that he introduced in his Spring Summer 2010 collection.

A very rich color palette of brown, gold, beige, cream, black, grey to orange and red together with the use of traditional handcrafts in the execution of some of the pieces, this is a collection that is worth waiting for when it hit store shelves this fall.

[MARI DAVIS]
Photos by Peter Stigter