Vuitton’s Abloh revisits Jackson

It was the flamboyance of Michael Jackson as seen through the classical prism of Louis Vuitton.

The silhouettes of some of the late star’s most eye-popping looks were taken by designer Virgil Abloh and revisited in a slightly more pared-down style.

A military jacket and large sash that might have come across overly showy were designed in a tasteful pearl-gray monochrome cashmere. Elsewhere, a giant cropped jacket with stiff padded lapels was saved from excess with soft charcoal flannel twill.

The signature layering of the singer, who died in 2009, was ubiquitous in the 64-piece parade that went from the subtle to the not-so-subtle. An overlaid silver parka coat in aluminum foil leather and a silver safety vest were among the most literal of the Jackson odes and recalled some of his most spectacular concert performances, as did models who wore jeweled gloves.

Later in the show, Abloh made a series of prints based on a cartoon in Jackson’s 1978 film “The Wiz” that became a cult classic among black audiences.

Abloh called his hero, Jackson, “the universal symbol of unity on the planet.” Though touching, the collection could have perhaps done without the scarf shirts fashioned out of global flags that came across as a tad busy and somewhat obvious.

Berluti finds its footing

After much creative change at the top of the LVMH house, the onetime boot-maker Berluti seems to have found its footing.

Belgian Kris Van Assche replaced artistic director Haider Ackermann last year, and his standout show toed the line between vibrant and tasteful.

Berluti, which started a clothes line in 2011, has cut a corner for itself in the menswear luxury market for its eye-popping hues.

And Van Assche didn’t let the fall-winter mood dampen any of this zest for color, all the while working in his signature minimalist touches. A shocking pink trench coat was kept tasteful thanks to the simplicity of its clean cut. It was paired with a crimson suit that gave the whole look a visual electricity. A yellow oversize coat had a 19th-century weight to it that evoked a Parisian dandy.

To cap the collection, leather looks in black and dark blue provided a welcome contrast in color and sex appeal.

Hedi Slimane unveils debut menswear show for Celine

Designer Hedi Slimane’s debut menswear effort for Celine — the most highly anticipated show of the season — also drew the stars inside, including Courtney Love. All were eager to see the new face of the age-old Parisian stalwart that’s historically always been associated with dressing women.

The former Saint Laurent designer who courts controversy and provokes outrage from fashion editors seems to have turned over a new leaf. Sunday’s menswear debut for Celine showed a different side to the enfant terrible of Paris fashion, one that was restrained and even conservative (relatively).

Clean silhouettes that riffed on the ’60s included a checked coat in luxuriant-looking wool or a slim tweed coat. Color was used sparingly.

Slimane’s unkempt, waiflike and shaggy-haired models were still there stomping down the runway, as were the retro Teddy Boy touches like winkle picker shoes. But this new Celine man had a bourgeois feel. Even signature Slimane garments that would have once been provocative, like a yellow faux-zebra coat, looked restrained owing to their simple and balanced proportion.