Unprecedented. Seismic. Unlike like anything we’ve experienced before. But more on Mr Jaden Smith’s jacket later. Instead, we should take a moment to reflect on the situation that we now find ourselves in, as if we haven’t spent the past nine months doing just that. In normal times (remember them?), October would be buzzing with film premieres and runway shows. However, this year, with cinema schedules being largely cleared and most fashion week attendees holding their seats in the front row from the comfort of their own homes, red-carpet events were few and far between.

But fear not. Our regular dive into the most considered outfits of the month and the men who wear them goes beyond Oculus Rift headsets and sweatpants. A few brave souls ventured further than most, both geographically and metaphorically in terms of the clothes they wore. Below, our very own magnificent seven, who rode into town to show us how it’s done.

Running Mr Axel Auriant’s Wikipedia page through Google Translate will tell you this much (and don’t say our research is anything but meticulous): he once belonged to “a professional company made up entirely of children”, which sounds a lot like a brazenly Dickensian flouting of labour laws. In fact, this goes some way in explaining how the actor managed to notch up more than 500 theatre performances before the age of 21 (he’s now 22 and most of the theatres are shut, c’est la vie). But more than a thespian Doogie Howser, MD, this spritely Frenchman clearly knows his way around a wardrobe, too, employing sartorial nous in advance of his years. Pictured at AMI’s recent show in Paris, he wears the knowingly ruffled hair and largely black attire of a nouvelle vague icon, with a houndstooth jacket that does more than hold the chill off the Seine at bay. We could add that, if we read it right, he’s also a drummer, but we know batteur.

“He’s always in the right place with the people who make it so, wearing the thing no one else has, all seemingly without trying,” said The Cut in its profile of Mr Luka Sabbat last year, declaring him the “Gen-Z Chloë Sevigny”. Now, we know what you’re thinking. Well, yes, he doesn’t look much like Ms Sevigny. But also, the right place for a pair of jeans like these is surely strolling into the Top Gear studio, not a swanky speakeasy in West Hollywood. Then again, Mr Sabbat is something of a style demigod who eats such assumptions for breakfast (actually, according to his Twitter feed, he’s more likely to be munching on Lucky Charms washed down with orange juice, followed by coffee and a cigarette, but you get the gist). Given how far ahead of the curve the model, actor and influencer is, today’s vision of a truck-driving survivor of a zombie apocalypse is what you will be wearing tomorrow. Although the way we’re headed, perhaps that is to be expected regardless.

NBA finalist Mr Jimmy Butler here turns everyday staples into the strongest of looks. A dark tee and khaki chinos are likely lurking somewhere in most men’s wardrobes, but come into their own in this instance, worn just so. Though, if this marks a return to business as usual, it is with incremental tweaks to the better. Vans with bare ankles in autumn is less of a risky move when you’re confined to the Walt Disney World Resort, where the closest to the elements you’re likely to get is the Frozen Ever After musical tour. With Mr Butler equalling numerous records in this Finals series, including joining Mr LeBron James as only the second player to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, and still walk away empty handed, you can imagine he’d be disappointed. But even in a team game, the five-time All-Star’s individual flair shines through.

In before times, monochrome palettes and Breton stripes were a common sight in the MR PORTER office and across the fashion industry as a whole. Here, Louis Vuitton creative director Mr Nicolas Ghesquière demonstrates the natural extension in this post-pandemic epoch: the black facemask. “It’s important to be very creative in this moment, to bring energy to people, to show we’re not afraid,” the designer recently said after his own show, and nothing can fill you with confidence like a shiny pair of chunky black boots. Perhaps just his presence at the rejuvenated Paco Rabanne display the same week was enough. But, as his attire proves, Mr Ghesquière doesn’t just turn up.

If DJ Khaled featuring Drake videos are to be believed, Mr Justin Bieber’s spacious home is wall-to-wall with champagne magnums, frolicking models and pop art featuring the Canadian singer’s phizog. Not a bad spot to be holed up in, depending on your tastes. Here he is, though, shot outside his New York apartment, stretching his legs in ample jeans. The key here is keeping the rest of the outfit to similarly oversized proportions, from the half-zip sweater, with tattoos popping out, to the chunky gold watch on show at the wrist. The hat, helixed like an auxiliary member of Team Zizzou, is perched above a mop of lockdown locks, while the facemask offers the chance to advertise Mr Bieber’s own brand, Drew House. The look is designed to be inconspicuous, with just enough in the way of clues to reveal his identity, assuming you know what to look for. Unlike his home, where his face is plastered across the wall.

Here, actor Mr Outalbali dispenses with the French crop, shearling bomber jacket and black drainpipe jeans he wore so well in Netflix’s Sex Education for an outfit that wouldn’t look out of place in a film by Mr Wes Anderson. The 21-year-old Frenchman is photographed at the third Canneseries, a Parisian offshoot of the Cannes Film Festival, and a rare physical airing of European competition films in a year when most of the festivals, including its parent, have been shuttered. Mr Outalbali also made an appearance the day before, wearing a lush green double-breasted suit, clutching the same Gucci bag, but this rich, textured, rust-coloured number with a rollneck in a contrasting bluey green wins top honours with us. 

Mr Jaden Smith is a man who shifts paradigms every time he sets foot outside his house. Whether sporting a turquoise suit or a clump of his own hair, every outfit is at once a question and a statement. For instance, we’re presuming Mr Smith’s jacket here is a nod to his recent forays in a customised MGB sportscar to promote his latest album. His rainbow energy is strong, this much we know. But is that pure colour seeping down Mr Smith’s trouser legs? Or perhaps unicorn tears? We suspect that the full spectrum of the actor, rapper and songwriter’s talents lies beyond the realm of human perception. 

The people featured in this story are not associated with and do not endorse MR PORTER or the products shown