Dries van Noten Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2016

Dries van Noten honored Hollywood bombshell Marilyn Monroe, in his spring collection. There were black-and-white photo prints on suits, capes, shirts, sweaters, boxer shorts, you name it. And it will sure ignite a trend.  This collection echoed other Paris runwayshows in pointing to a more embellished path for men’s wear. Van Noten added sparkly embroideries and sequins to his roomy, vaguely Fifties clothes as Elvis Presley crooned “Love Me Tender”.  Besides Monroe’s lips, lobsters were a recurrent motif, winking to Salvador Dali and Elsa Schiaparelli, among “creative provocateurs” Van Noten cited as references.

The designer choose looser silhouettes, teaming his slouchy double-breasted jackets and boxy camp shirts with skater shorts.

Raf Simons Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2015

The flared black trouser legs puddled around the feet. The models’ heads were cloaked in checkered scarves, obstructing their view.  The space glowed red and the rave music rumbled. Raf Simons still knows how to set a mood of youthful rebellion, and the electricity of a fashion happening. There was certainly a punk spirit to his oversize macs riddled with grommets in geometric formations.  Edgy too were his oversize grommet-studded nylon rucksacks, which models lugged on heavy chains draped over one shoulder, dragging around their belongings like a burden.

The rest of the collection felt more familiar, as Simons continued to experiment with the narrow, elongated shapes he introduced for fall. There was his shrunken Seventies sweater vests, which helped exaggerate the oversized pants. Tailored jackets were either lean or gently oversized in sturdy woolens.

Model Focus: Diana Moldovan

Her name might not immediately ring a bell, but it’s pretty sure you have seen Diana strutting down one of the many runways each season or striking on one of the huge billboards in the city. This 28 year old Romanian model, known for her doe-eyes and film-noir esque appearance, is growing bigger every year, leading the Romanian fashion pact as no other and captured a sturdy spot in the top 50 models.

It all started in 2006, when she signed a model contract with IMG in New York and Storm Management in London. It catapulted her right away to the top named models; it was even the same year she opened the spring Jil Sander show in Milan and was named as one of eight new girls of the season by WWD magazine. Followed only a year later by V Magazine and Style.com, marking her as one of the seasons hit girls. It turned all eyes on her. The result is an impressive resume packed with glorifying names such as Giorgio Armani, Clarins, Yves Saint Laurent, Blumarine, Cacharel and Chanel and numerous magazine editorials and covers (Vogue! ELLE! Harpers Bazaar!). And when you go looking on Pinterest for beauty images, there’s no doubt you’ll quickly stumble upon her pretty face. Or just Google #modelcrush and you’ll find your way out.

Yep, succes seems to be her middle name right from the moment she started out as a model. For this pretty face the only way is up. On and off duty that is, as in 2006 she won another lot out of the lottery: male model Sean O’Pry (ohlala!).

Gucci Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2016

Gucci’s new designer Alessandro Michele presented his first official menswear-collection. This collection  amplified his idiosyncratic, “genderless” approach as he lavished his thrift shop Seventies collection with florid embroideries of exotic birds, butterflies and flowers.
Choral music played as the the often bespectacled models walked a 300-foot runway. Except for the radical bell-bottomed pants and jeans that puddled over Corvette red loafers, almost every garment and accessory was embellished, from fur trim on jade green silk robes and silvery botanicals crawling over a red tracksuit to the punk studs lining the Achilles tendon of silvery sneakers. On Michele’s coed runway, the line between suits and pajamas blurred in a barrage of lavish silk brocades and wallpaper prints. Bow blouses, or ones with pointy collars or sailor airs, were worn by both sexes — and sometimes it was hard to tell him from her.
The press has been gentle on the unassuming Michele, embracing his daring neo-dandyism and recognizing his influence. Let’s see what his customers will say.

 

Dolce & Gabbana Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2016

Each new collection from Dolce & Gabbana now presents a revision of signatures old (like the strict tailoring), and new, like the oversize geisha silhouette. But there’s never a sense of the banality that you might expect to attach itself to the overly familiar. That’s because the clothes are infused with a visual intensity that transcends the kitschiness of the imagery to become something verging on celebration. The parade of peacocks and dragons and swallows darting through bamboo forests that passed down the catwalk was indeed a catalog of kitsch, but by the time those elements had been printed on a silk boot or embroidered on a lace shirt or knitted into a cardigan sweater, they’d become facets of a collection that also featured three-piece suits and patched jeans and summery striped pants and an army of polo shirts. A whole lot of separates, in other words—suggestions for integrating even the most extravagant piece into a wardrobe.

 

 

 

 

 

Round Up Milan Menswear SS2016

It’s a man’s world. For a little while, if we may say so. We’re in the middle of the Spring 2016 men’s show hurricane. The Italian runways getting wrapped up again and the fashion scenery is moving on. But boy oh boy, Milano has given us some pretty good things for next summer season. Time to look back on some of the most inspiring and exciting trends to have on our future plate.

What can we say? It seems BLUE is bubbling up as a main theme of the season. It’s one of the strongest and coolest colours for men. And we’re not talking small details here, that’s for sure, get the whole package. Dress in blue from head to toe, layer it down and let the details, fabric and silhouette do the talking. Also seen at: Etro, Bottega, Calvin Klein.

Men may not always show it, but just like every human, they also have a SOFTER side. And for SS16 they’re not afraid to show it.  Velvet continues to pop up, just as silks and even lace was part of the deal. And who else than Miuccia Prada to turn men’s fashion week in Milan upside down. You can’t call the season until Miuccia has shown what she’s thinking. And she was thinking about soft silken shirts open to the belt and part-tucked in. Also Gucci opted for silken suits with a comfy pyjama feel to it and Versace’s strong men showed their mild side in bomber jackets. Also seen at: Etro, Burberry, Prada.

To master the art of proportions is one of the most important thing for men’s fashion. For a few seasons now we slowly shift away away from tighter, form-fitting tailoring and see more voluminous and RELAXED SILHOUETTES based on the traditional basics in a men’s closet. Also seen at: Vivienne Westwood, Marni, Versace.

Several fashion houses took us across the world, TRAVELING through cultural differences and details. Tomas Maier’s collection for Bottega Veneta showed his army of men ready for a walk up into the Bavarian Alps, that included Lederhosen on lambskin suede trousers and sandals featuring rope details or even hiking boots, all worn with wool socks. Missoni designed a collection based on the modern-day nomad. But aren’t we all, nowadays? There’s seems to be an interesting fashion conversation between the Eastern and Western world which is translated into long beads, tunics, big scarves, Chinese flower prints, and travel footwear. So get packing fellas, we’re about to go on a trip. Also seen at: Versace, Dolce&Gabbana, Jil Sander.

Bomber jackets, graphics, colour splashes and childish symbols; the more playful and BOYISCH, the better. Why always act like proper adults? Prada was all into racing cars, rocket ships and Energizer Bunnies, all the while Ferragamo was spelling out the alfabet on it’s sweaters. And what about the bold patch trend seen at Moschino? Say it all out loud, dear man. Also seen at: J.W. Anderson, Antonio Marras, Coach.

Already this one seems to be the look of summer/spring 2016. Whether your jacket is patent leather or suede, it doesn’t really matter as long as you can ZIP IT UP. Wear it super clean and office-ready or a bit off-shoulder. Seen at:Neil Barrett, Prada, Emporio Armani.

Let’s keep it SHORT: it’s obviously a huge trend on the catwalks and a summer classic. Don’t be afraid to show off your legs gentlemen, whether you go to the beach, having a stroll around the park or even taking the dogg out. Seen at: No 21, Marni, Coach.

Prada Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2016

Tailoring was the anchor in the menswear-collection of Prada. Sport jackets, dusters and topcoats were trim, breezy and unlined, made distinctive with contrast stitching and the freewheeling way Prada paired them with short shorts. Zip-neck racer knits and filmy silk shirts, meanwhile, boasted naïve graphics representing that long-eared creature, or race cars.

The latter motif mushroomed into pants and zippered blousons resembling pilots’ uniforms, banded or piped in safety orange and patched with utility pockets. The shorts also came in leather, shown with plunging tanks or boxy, zippered jackets.

 

Salvatore Ferragamo Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2016

Ferragamo’s designer Massimiliano Giornetti mixed the city street and the tropical outdoors in a collection that seemed young for a brand that’s been in business for nearly 90 years.

Working against a backdrop of palms and tropical greens the creative director sent out models in baseball caps wearing sports-inspired riffs on the traditional suit. Baseball style and other abbreviated jackets were done in pinstripes — some with contrast piping — and were paired with roomy, pleated trousers. More traditional suits were worn over T-shirts, or layered over sweaters accessorized with colorful skinny ties. Colors were of the earth — plum, ochre, cocoa, turquoise and palm leaf green — and came in blocks or stripes on everything from knits to outerwear. Baseball and leather jackets were adorned with cactus and monkey designs on the back — Fifties greaser style — while one sweater was paved with varsity letter patches, in keeping with the youthful spin.

 

Calvin Klein Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show MIlan SS2016

 Italo Zucchelli’s collection for Calvin Klein was single-minded, reductive and repetitive — and it was all the better for it. For the designer distilled the essence of the brand — clean, minimal and as urbane as New York City — into his muscular tailoring and military-ish sportswear.

Sturdy fabrics like cotton-twill added stiffness to topcoats and short, strong-shouldered jackets. Zucchelli also employed cotton twills and jacquards to approximate a signature of the brand — denim — giving jeans and jean jackets a worn, yet sculptural aspect. The other main ingredients were military parkas, cropped nylon bombers, boxy T-shirts, and narrow chinos with a wavy loop of fabric tacked to the waistband, echoing the lacquered waves of color winking from sleeveless T-shirts layered under gauzy sweaters.

Some of the chinos and bombers were riddled with enough removable utility pockets to carry keys, smokes and cell phones.

 

 

Versace Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2016

Donatella Versace sent out a desert-inspired collection with laid-back silhouettes, lots of layers and bursts of warm color.
The designer layered long and fluttery printed shirts under plum, sand and olive suits — and even sent some out solo and belted like whisper thin robes. Pinstripes were made to look faded — as if bleached by the sun — as were muted tie-dye prints on suits and scarves, while tuxedo trousers with a drop crotch had a breezy Eastern feel.

Models in flowing, knotted silk headscarves — and wearing sandals and socks — made their way down the sandy catwalk dressed in languid, pajama-like suits and hooded bomber jackets printed with hand-drawn rosettes or patterns inspired by the Versace Home collection, such as cushions and chairs.

Bomber jackets came in plum leather or caramel with a subtle argyle pattern picked across them, while washed silk coats had oversized patch pockets, presumably for storing a compass, map and camel snacks. Knits — which rarely take a starring role on the Versace runway — were a treat, with one dip-dyed number glowing with colors as bright as a desert rose — purple, pink and blue. Other elongated knits came with slashes at the elbow or the shoulders, teasing with small windows onto the body, the only hint of flesh in the entire show.

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