Paris menswear: UK designers, differing styles mark last day

On the final day of menswear shows in the French capital, Lanvin put on an ode to contrasting styles, while British designers reigned supreme. London designer Craig Green decamped to Paris for his first major show outside of his homeland and British fashion icon Paul Smith showcased his latest designs.

Here are some highlights of Sunday's fall-winter 2020-2021 menswear designs.

LANVIN STRIKES DISCORD

A model presents a creation during Lanvin Mens FallWinter 2020-2021 fashion collection presented Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020 in Paris. (AP PhotoThibault Camus)

Dramatic jagged lighting panels were used as decor on the Lanvin show venue's Brutalist architecture.

In more ways than one, this season was about contrasts.

It infused all aspects of the unisex menswear collection: Each ensemble had a striking contrast in color, motif or style.

A model presents a creation during Lanvin Mens FallWinter 2020-2021 fashion collection presented Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020 in Paris. (AP PhotoThibault Camus)

A loose navy jacket sat against a white undergarment and shiny vermilion boots. While, voluminous white sheer sleeves with a historic-feel were twinned with an intentionally-clashing check skirt.

A pared down or minimalist mood pervaded the 56 looks — in keeping with the direction the brand has moved as a whole since general changes last year that saw Bruno Sialelli named creative director.

The house continues to capitalize on their “come back” after several years of creative turbulence.

A model presents a creation during Lanvin Mens FallWinter 2020-2021 fashion collection presented Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020 in Paris. (AP PhotoThibault Camus)

CRAIG GREEN DEBUTS IN PARIS

In his first ever Paris show — and his first calendar show outside of London — British designer Craig Green made a splash.

There was much anticipation on the move from his homeland, especially as British Vogue has deemed him one of the most important current London-based designers.

Model Gigi Hadid presents a creation during Lanvin Mens FallWinter 2020-2021 fashion collection presented Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020 in Paris. (AP PhotoThibault Camus)

Green developed a cutting-edge aesthetic after internships with fashion forward names Walter van Beirendonck and Henrik Vibskov that led to collaborations with Moncler.

On Sunday, straps, long banding and geometric padding were dominant features in the designs that seemed fused with the show's bags.

Long straps, tassels and abstract paneling came on the collection's rather statement geometric bags in brooding colors such as dark gunmetal, eggshell and silver.

Models wear creations for the Paul Smith Mens FallWinter 2020-2021 fashion collection presented in Paris, Sunday Jan. 19, 2020. (AP PhotoFrancois Mori)

A transgressive, even aggressive, feeling appeared at times when the padding on the clothes and bags resembled army flaks. Green is a designer to watch.

PAUL SMITH

British fashion legend Paul Smith carried out a stylish collection — spanning from traditional statement coats, polka dots to total look denim. Varied themes defined the show.

A model presents a creation for the Paul Smith Mens FallWinter 2020-2021 fashion collection presented in Paris, Sunday Jan. 19, 2020. (AP PhotoFrancois Mori)

The Smith signature of loosely proportioned suits came in beautifully selected hues of dark pastel red, cadmium blue, copper red and vermilion among others this season.

On coats, lapels were sometimes slightly jagged — a small flash of detail on the largely understated and pared-down designs.

Total look denim might sound like a simplistic thought, but Smith's masterful use of extra thick fabric gave jackets a nice, armor-like feel.

A model presents a creation for the Paul Smith Mens FallWinter 2020-2021 fashion collection presented in Paris, Sunday Jan. 19, 2020. (AP PhotoFrancois Mori)

A model presents a creation for the Paul Smith Mens FallWinter 2020-2021 fashion collection presented in Paris, Sunday Jan. 19, 2020. (AP PhotoFrancois Mori)

A model presents a creation for the Paul Smith Mens FallWinter 2020-2021 fashion collection presented in Paris, Sunday Jan. 19, 2020. (AP PhotoFrancois Mori)

A model presents a creation for the Paul Smith Mens FallWinter 2020-2021 fashion collection presented in Paris, Sunday Jan. 19, 2020. (AP PhotoFrancois Mori)

A model presents a creation for the Paul Smith Mens FallWinter 2020-2021 fashion collection presented in Paris, Sunday Jan. 19, 2020. (AP PhotoFrancois Mori)

A model presents a creation for the Paul Smith Mens FallWinter 2020-2021 fashion collection presented in Paris, Sunday Jan. 19, 2020. (AP PhotoFrancois Mori)

A model presents a creation for the Paul Smith Mens FallWinter 2020-2021 fashion collection presented in Paris, Sunday Jan. 19, 2020. (AP PhotoFrancois Mori)

A model presents a creation for the Paul Smith Mens FallWinter 2020-2021 fashion collection presented in Paris, Sunday Jan. 19, 2020. (AP PhotoFrancois Mori)

BERLIN (AP) — Erich von Däniken, the Swiss author whose bestselling books about the extraterrestrial origins of ancient civilizations brought him fame among paranormal enthusiasts and scorn from the scientific community, has died. He was 90.

Von Däniken's representatives announced on his website on Sunday that he had died the previous day in a hospital in central Switzerland.

Von Däniken rose to prominence in 1968 with the publication of his first book "Chariots of the Gods," in which he claimed that the Mayans and ancient Egyptians were visited by alien astronauts and instructed in advanced technology that allowed them to build giant pyramids.

The book fueled a growing interest in unexplained phenomena at a time when thanks to conventional science man was about to take its first steps on the Moon.

"Chariots of the Gods" was followed by more than two dozen similar books, spawning a literary niche in which fact and fantasy were mixed together against all historical and scientific evidence.

Public broadcaster SRF reported that altogether almost 70 million copies of his books were sold in more than 30 languages, making him one of the most widely read Swiss authors.

While von Däniken managed to shrug off his many critics, the former hotel waiter had a troubled relationship with money throughout his life and frequently came close to financial ruin.

Born in 1935, the son of a clothing manufacturer in the northern Swiss town of Schaffhausen, von Däniken is said to have rebelled against his father's strict Catholicism and the priests who instructed him at boarding school by developing his own alternatives to the biblical account of the origins of life.

After leaving school in 1954, von Däniken worked as a waiter and barkeeper for several years, during which he was repeatedly accused of fraud and served a couple of short stints in prison.

In 1964, he was appointed manager of a hotel in the exclusive resort town of Davos and began writing his first book. Its publication and rapid commercial success were quickly followed by accusations of tax dodging and financial impropriety, for which he again spent time behind bars.

By the time he left prison, "Chariots of the Gods" was earning von Däniken a fortune and a second book "Gods from Outer Space" was ready for publication, allowing him to commit himself to his paranormal passion and travel the world in search of new mysteries to uncover.

Throughout the 1970s von Däniken undertook countless field trips to Egypt, India, and above all Latin America, whose ancient cultures held a particular fascination for the amateur archaeologist.

He lectured widely and set up societies devoted to promoting his theories, later pioneering the use of video and multimedia to reach out to ever-larger audiences hungry for a different account of history.

No amount of criticism dissuaded him and his fans from believing that Earth has been visited repeatedly by beings from Outer Space, and will be again in the future.

In 1991 von Däniken gained the damning accolade of being the first recipient of the "Ig Nobel" prize for literature — for raising the public awareness of science through questionable experiments or claims.

Even when confronted with fabricated evidence in a British television documentary — supposedly ancient pots were shown to be almost new — von Däniken insisted that, minor discrepancies aside, his theories were essentially sound.

In 1985 von Däniken wrote "Neue Erinnerungen an die Zukunft" — "New Memories of the Future" — ostensibly to address his many critics: "I have admitted (my mistakes), but not one of the foundations of my theories has yet been brought down."

Although his popularity was waning in the English-speaking world by the 1980s, von Däniken's books and films influenced a wave of semi-serious archaeological documentaries and numerous popular television shows, including "The X-Files," which featured two FBI agents tasked with solving paranormal mysteries.

His last major venture, a theme park based on his books, failed after just a few years due to lack of interest. The "Mystery Park" still stands, its man-made pyramids and otherworldly domes rotting as tourists prefer to explore the charms of the nearby town of Interlaken and the imposing Swiss Alps that surround it.

Erich von Däniken is survived by his wife of 65 years, Elisabeth Skaja, Cornelia and two grandchildren.

FILE - Erich von Daeniken, co-founder and co-owner of Mystery Park, poses in front of the Panorama Tower at Mystery Park in Interlaken, Wednesday, April 23, 2003. (Gaetan Ball)/Keystone via AP, File)