RUNWAY: Haider Ackermann SS14

After a quick toe-in-the-water into menswear during Pitti Uomo, Haider Ackermann steps back into the men's fashion calendar with a small presentation in Paris to highlight what he calls his "men's wardrobe". It was a stunning display of color and fit from the designer, who recently branched off from his financial backers and is now fully independent. Some standout pieces from this outing include a lavender smoking jacket with black piping and tapered trousers to create a perfect mix of masculine and dandy. Harder-edged looks includes slouchy bomber jackets that were softened by silky summer scarves. There aren't enough descriptions to account for how fresh this collection seems among all the humdrum that we often see during the exhausting 3-week ordeal that is men's fashion week.