MILAN – Milan is ready to party, with menswear shows for next spring and winter that focus on nighttime tailoring with playful touches. Think sparkles and glitter, fun silhouettes that invite shadow dancing, and sexy looks at the skin with sartorial tricks once reserved for the female wardrobe.
Some highlights from the Saturday shows on day two of Milan Fashion Week.
DOLCE & GABBANA BACK IN BLACK
Looking at color alone, Dolce&Gabbana goes back to basics: the entire collection for next winter was a predominantly black solid color, so much the better for late-night play. Gray and white monochromes played a supporting role.
While light was on bling, the looks were far from easy. Designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana created a tailoring-themed collection with an eye on the late-night syncronized club beats.
Long coats or dramatic capes will get you to the club door. Inside, men’s corsetry, obi belts and cummerbunds accentuate the waist, a silhouette mimicked in the dramatic hourglass tailoring of coats and jackets with curved waists and broad shoulders. A strobe light captures the sparkles and glitters on garments, and sheer tops and muscular knits show off the physique.
Machine Gun Kelly and Italian singer Blanco were among the front row guests of the designer duo.
FLY AWAY WITH EMPORIO ARMANI
Giorgio Armani has been on the global fashion map for more than four decades. His latest collection for Emporio Armani traced a literal map of his adopted home of Milan, with models walking the perimeter of a circular runway providing a bird’s-eye view of a map of the fashion capital’s historic centre.
The collection was inspired by aviation and there were sartorial traces from the golden era of aviation when dandies like Charles Lindbergh made history with solo Atlantic crossings.
A belted gray overall with a fur collar, aviator hat and thick boots set the tone. Once he’s landed there’s muted plaid suits with pants cut off just above the boot – the invention of the season. The equipment is stowed in satchels and duffel bags.
Cozy knitwear paired with leather trousers and jacket, some with an antique finish, form an adventurous silhouette. But the true dandy shows up in colorful daywear, including a beautiful wrap coat in elegant camel, velvet jackets in deep hues and silk shirts worn with foulards in bright accent colors like magenta, lilac and mauve.
Leather harnesses and utility belts added an advantage. The pouches strap onto the top of the boots. Mirrored aviator glasses complete the look.
Armani, 88, cheerfully picked up a bag that had fallen from a model as he greeted the crowd at the end of the show.
FENDI FLASHES SOME SKIN
The Fendi collection for next winter illuminates the skin in a way that was once reserved for women.
One shoulder tops – both knitted and buttoned – bare skin to add sexy drama to the looks. Knit was super see through, barely there. A little layering restored some modesty for the office but was easily undone for an evening transition.
Long coats included an asymmetrical wrap cape, a sartorial trick that was emulated in pants with a one-sided wrap skirt. The effect was cozy and enveloping, providing a cocoon as we venture out into the world again.
Fendi’s whimsy was on full display in the knitted hats: one in the shape of a cartoon-cool wig with a cheeky turn-up or another with fringes on the back. Capes and sweeping coats and scarves are also finished with fringes. Bombers had an antique, worn feel. The color palette consisted mainly of muted greys, oatmeal and burnt umber offset by mauve and lavender. Graphite embroidery brought evening looks into the limelight.
K-WAY CELEBRATES PARISIAN HERITAGE
Franco-Italian sportswear brand K-Way imported a bit of their Parisian birthplace as a backdrop to present a new collection that marks the transition into a lifestyle brand.
K-Way’s packable raincoats were inspired when brand founder Leon-Claude Duhamel spotted two children in red nylon raincoats sitting at the Cafe de la Paix on a rainy day in 1965. To honor this heritage, the Italian owners borrowed original cafe tables and wicker chairs from the Paris landmark. Duhamel himself, now in his 80s, joined the fashionistas in the replica café, sipping champagne and nibbling on cream cakes.
Sales vice president Lorenzo Boglione, whose family controls BasicNet’s parent company, is helping the company steer the brand’s transition with plans to manufacture technical equipment for sailing and skiing.
“We really want to remember where we come from and celebrate this moment. We have to remember where we came from to know where we’re going,” Boglione said. “We want to be colourful, we want to be functional, we want to be modern.”
That means not just focusing on outerwear. The new collection included cropped down jackets with tight accordion pleats, yeti-style cropped coats with matching boots that can be worn over slim body suits or quilted cropped shorts and tops. Long down coats, also as enveloping as a sleeping bag, paired with detachable hoods or fur collars. The distinctive zipper of the brand acts as a logo and sets accents in addition to function. The color palette is based on K-Way’s traditional orange and blue, with some white and green.
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