At Veronica Leoni’s debut show for Calvin Klein this past February in New York, stylist Julie Ragolia honed in on one specific menswear look. A model walked down the runway wearing a sleeveless knit with armholes down to the waist and a simple pair of black trousers. “I immediately thought of Pedro [Pascal],” she says, speaking about her famous client who loves to play with fashion. She knew he had the confidence to pull it off. The Calvin Klein team let her hold the look (so no one else could wear it) until the perfect moment arose: the Cannes Film Festival red carpet. “The rest, as they say, is history.”
Headlines like “Cannes is Warm, but Blacked-Out Calvin Klein is Hot,” ran instantly with stories claiming Pascal’s exposed arms “broke the internet.” Collectively, the Cannes red carpet showcased male celebrities unafraid to go bold with self expression. Alexander Skarsgård stomped around in kinky thigh-high boots. Jeremy Strong posed in head-to-toe pink corduroy. A$AP Rocky glowed in a white Miu Miu suit, brown leather loafers, and glittering jewelry. These playful stars are part of a growing cohort of men who are having unabashed fun with fashion—a trend unlike anything we’ve really seen before.
There’s no singular stylist attributed to this wave (though credit is certainly due to many). Instead, it seems to be magical pairings of in-the-know industry vets and actors with fantastic, innate senses of personal style. Take, for instance, Colman Domingo and longtime stylist duo Wayman Bannerman and Micah McDonald. Throughout their multi-year tenure, the team has concepted countless showstopping looks, like a hot pink Versace suit for the Oscars in 2021. This year, Domingo’s style has been more documented than ever, with their work culminating in Domingo, the ultimate modern dandy, donning two Valentino looks—one, a floor length blue cape with an embellished bolero, the second, a black-and-white jacket-and-pant set—to the 2025 Met Gala, for which he served as co-chair.
Bannerman and McDonald insist on the partnership element at play here. “He has been one of our greatest collaborators over the years because he is always open to play and have fun,” they said. “He is never reluctant to try any type of look on.” Domingo has also found one of those elusive, perfectly symbiotic ambassadorships with Alessandro Michele, creative director at Valentino. Domingo delights in Michele’s silk pajamas, old-school men’s formal footwear, and elegant evening scarves.
Ragolia has found such trust in designers like Miuccia Prada, Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent, and Pierpaolo Piccioli when he was at Valentino (and has since been announced to helm Balenciaga), alongside emerging brands like 3.Paradis, Aubero, and Kartik Research. “Men’s fashion is in one of the most dynamic states ever,” she waxes lyrical. “[Menswear designers] have long understood consistency and form, and there is a demand for this that menswear is reliably ready to meet. It is driving the path for how women dress, too.”
According to Daniel Todd, buying director at Mr. Porter, “figures like Timothée Chalamet, Colman Domingo, and A$AP Rocky, who embrace a daring, intelligent, yet balanced approach to style that feels both culturally attuned and sartorially sharp,” are a reflection of the exciting evolution paralleled in contemporary menswear designers. “Brands like Bottega Veneta, LOEWE, and Lemaire are reinterpreting classic menswear through relaxed silhouettes, luxurious fabrics, and thoughtful detailing—offering pieces that blur the lines between formal and utilitarian, structure and fluidity.” And it has a trickle-down effect.
“The appetite for self-expression has grown and, without question, there’s more freedom and options than ever for men to express individuality through style,” Todd continues. “The lines between formal and casual are increasingly fluid, allowing for more experimentation with proportion, texture, and color.”
The most interesting displays of style, regardless of gender, juxtapose two opposing elements, whether it be the aforementioned casual and formal, or masculine and feminine. Take, for instance, one of Ragolia’s “internet-breaking” looks for actor LaKeith Stanfield to wear to the 2021 Academy Awards. She commissioned Saint Laurent to recreate a jumpsuit based on a look from the Spring 2021 womenswear collection. Bannerman and McDonald often pull accessories—hats, earrings, gloves—from the womenswear collection for Domingo. And though officially deemed menswear, many of his Valentino looks are ripe with feminine references.
By no means is it revelatory for men to dabble in womenswear, but Harry Styles, alongside stylist Harry Lambert, kicked this facet of the trend into high gear years ago, wearing women’s blouses and dress and feminine accoutrements like feather boas and beaded necklaces. Chalamet, who loves a daring red carpet ensemble, has recently toted women’s Chanel bags to the delight of social media and Reddit threads alike. “Anything goes now in menswear!” Bannerman and McDonald write. “Men can have as much fun on the red carpet as women do now.” (Traditionally, red carpets have demanded elegance in the form of tailoring for men and gowns for women.)
Within this realm of boundary breakers, as in any space, authenticity hits best. “I don’t intentionally take risks nor do I invite anyone to take risks for the sake of it,” says Ragolia, who counts notorious, yet undoubtedly authentic, rule-breaker Kristen Stewart as a beacon of self-expression. (Stewart famously walked the Cannes red carpet barefoot to protest dress code requiring women to wear heels.) Pascal has invoked a similar protest spirit by wearing a T-shirt by London-based designer Connor Ives with the phrase “Protect the Dolls,” which calls for the protection of transgender women, and a tee emblazoned with “Adult Content,” a slogan by the late trans artist Pippa Garner. The latter was sold by Mother, Daughter, Holy Spirit to fundraise for trans rights. “I am a support for my clients to express who they are as individuals,” Ragolia says. I enjoy playful ways of working, but anyone I dress needs to always feel like themselves. We are a team.”
![los angeles, california february 28: pedro pascal attends the los angeles premiere of disney+ the mandalorian season 3 at el capitan theatre on february 28, 2023 in los angeles, california. (photo by emma mcintyre/wireimage)](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/gettyimages-1470377151-6841c75c5c911.jpg?resize=980:* "Los Angeles Premiere Of Disney+ "The Mandalorian" Season 3 - Arrivals")
Even better when it resonates with an audience. “Clothes are only one part of the equation; it’s how one feels in their clothes that determines a level of resonance,” she says. “People began to notice Pedro’s style, for example, over something so simple: a series of sweaters. A cardigan, a knit tied around his neck, and another silver cardigan set the world on fire. That was exciting because everyone has a cardigan or sweater in their closet. There were no tricks. Just the decision to utilize the everyday with a fresh perspective.”
