Who is the Maison du Mec man? Is he a gladiator? A corporate warrior? A thrill seeker? A seaside dreamer?

Kicking off the Arab Fashion Week Menswear Spring-Summer show, these are some of the questions Lebanon-based designer Joseph Achajian attempted to answer. Staged just four years after he emerged onto the scene with his minimal black and white poplin shirts graced with the label “New Dreams Every Day.” In four years, a devastatic explosion, a pandemic and political and economic unrest have rocked his homeland, but his slogan… his ethos still radiates just the same.

With an eye on the future, Achajian once again stands out on the Middle Eastern fashion scene for his penchant for contemporary tailoring. Hailing from a line of tailors and corsetiere, he grew up around a factory, a family-run business that dates back to the 1920s.

Groomed to pursue a career in medicine, he completed a master’s degree in biology but switched gears and went into retail and visual merchandising and styling which set the foundations for the success of the brand he runs today.  Innovative, unconventional designs adapted to a modern age, he embraces classic tailoring and the traditional pillars of suiting: jackets, crisp white shirts and trousers suited for a man living in a hyper connected, jetset age.  And spring summer 2023 was no exception.

On the runway, Mediterranean codes are told in notes of saturated hues of royal blue, bordeaux and cream – a color palette that transcends seasons. A Gilded-Age summer tuxedo was deconstructed, with its refined elements spread throughout a runway collection that included sleeveless vests, cropped trousers, and layers of notch and shawl lapels.

Headed towards an easy summer, the Maison du Mec man is ready for a season of post-pandemic events.  Nonchalant robes, silky track pants and mesh tops accented with innovative swathes of belted leather across the torso and crop tops in leather that show off the six pack he’s been working on. In fact, accessories feature prominently with mirror shades, mono-shoulder sling backpacks and water-bottle holders preparing the Maison du Mec man for the hot desert summer months to come.

In a much anticipated surprise that provided a highlight for Arab Fashion Week here, a robot closed the show, carrying with it, one of the latest fashion tech accessories from the collection Achajian has been working on with Ferronato. The Swiss Label has to its credit the first luxury accessories range with full data privacy protection which integrates meta-fabrics into high-end accessories that are ultra-fashionable and block electromagnetic interferences and unwanted tracking via devices, at the same time.  With Achajian’s deeply-rooted knowledge of the menswear wardrobe, this is certainly a collaboration to keep an eye on as we face a new tech-driven era.