Milan Men's Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2014

Dolce & Gabbana's Kings of Fashion

Milan has not brought the flurry of changes to menswear as anticipated almost every year, with most designers managing to keep their signature aesthetic but struggling to progress. Maybe the toll of 2013's undoubtably spectacular collections has come down on the designers, and they have nothing to prove except the quality of their garments rather than displaying the flashiness that can be achieved in men's fashion design, who knows. But of course, a few have emerged as victorious in pushing their label forward whilst sticking to their famed focus on quality, ethos and aesthetic.

Calvin Klein is now on board for the logo-mania trend

Predictably, most of the trends shown during London Collections: Men have flowed right into the collections of Italian designers, including a heavy accentuation on scarves, the re-emergence of plaid - likely to be a bouncing off of the gingham trend within womenswear thanks to Céline, beatnik turtlenecks and statement sweaters, particularly Calvin Klein, all featuring names of popular perfumery within their brand.

Salvatore Ferragamo finale

The colour selections of various Italian designers seemed mundanely uniform, all splashing shades of blue, woody browns and shocking reds throughout their collections, with Salvatore Ferragamo and Gucci achieving this without desperation to bring attention to their collection, unlike a few designers. Black is obviously an essential within the Winter wardrobe, and hints of gold, both shiny and matte, were seen in MSGM and Vivienne Westwood, and more so in the garments of the Kings of Style of Milan; Dolce & Gabbana.

Backstage at the Gucci show

Themes amongst the collections are a given, and for this season the most prominent was old country western and royalty. The wild, wild west was apparent in the collections of Versace - baring more than the eye could handle, Missoni, Philipp Plein and subtly throughout John Varvatos's clothing. But even despite this, no clear relevance can be disseminated - is it just spectacle for the sake of spectacle? Or is this theme simply an honour to the recent Chanel Métiers d'Art show? I hardly think crotchless leather chaps will make a comeback. Maybe Missoni's ponchos will emerge as the only trend to be taken on from this theme, as fashion consumers focus on wearability and lifetime nowadays. Besides, cowboys were outshone by the Norman Kings of Italy, who made a seemingly resurrected appearance in Dolce & Gabbana's collection, and was no doubt the show and collection that emerged as the best during the week.

Missoni's ponchos presented during the finale

To view all the looks from the fashion shows, head to www.style.com

Images courtesy of This Hearts On Fire, Senatus and Fashionising

The Crows and The Peacocks

The impeccable style of men over the last 2 weeks have been outstanding. The comeback of the fashionable man is well and truly here, and as famed fashion critic Suzy Menkes says about the street style phenomenon, "There are the Crows and the Peacocks". Well, it looks like women have a formidable force of fashion to reckon with - the man. Here are some of the best street style from London Collections: Men, Milan Men's Fashion Week and Paris Men's Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2014...

Images courtesy of Street FSN and Tommy Ton for GQ

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The Best of Milan Men's Fashion Week S/S14

The collections presented at Milan this year seem to have reflected the designer's limited ability to deliver striking pieces, but maybe this is partly due to a change in the overall ethos of men's fashion. The extravagance has been toned down, with designers showing much simpler designs, focused on the rise of digitization and cleanliness of men's fashion. Of all the designers and labels who showed, besides Emporio Armani and Ermenegildo Zegna (reviewed in previous posts), notable Spring/Summer 2014 collections included Corneliani, Neil Barrett, Bottega Veneta, Iceberg, Fendi and Z Zegna.

Corneliani

Simplicity is the key theme of Corneliani's Spring/Summer 2014 collection, but it certainly isn't shallow. Although the crispness of simplicity is commendable, the attention to detail is what makes the collection a stand out. Creased collars, asymmetrical closings of coats and gradient circular tessellated print are plentiful in the collection, and are not necessarily easy to be seen, hence one's questionable first impressions of the collection are undoubtedly made false. A refreshing colour palette of white, nudes, navy blue and hints of teal emphasize the discreet details.

Neil Barrett

It's a risky venture for a designer to re-appropriate a classic pattern for the sake of revival, but Neil Barrett has done so without creating a tacky feel to the pattern. Checks came back into the forefront of fashion with the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2013 collection, but no menswear designer has effectively reflected that successful comeback since Marc Jacobs. The dissection of the checkerboard has appeared as an interesting motif throughout the collection, overshadowing the other details including curvaceous panelling, ribbed neoprene shirts, zipper pockets and texturised stripes. Imbalance is present, but execution of modernising the pattern is successful.

Bottega Veneta

As an avid fan of Bottega Veneta, it was no surprise that I would feature their new collection in my review of Milan Men's Fashion Week. Their signature aesthetic is apparent, with the calming colours of concrete, navy blue, sharp black and earthen browns and reds heightening the sombre diamond and iron grate patterns and embroidered stitching that flow throughout the collection. To many who are unaware of this illustrious label, the collection may seem tame and boring, but one must look further the craftsmanship of the pieces to appreciate its bespoke wonderment. 

Iceberg

Integrating artworks into fashion is another difficult endeavour taken on by fashion designers worldwide, and sometimes turn out catastrophic to both the credibility of the designer and the dignity of the artist. I cannot say this is the case for Iceberg, their careful selection of abstract artistic patterns easing into the structural, yet relaxed, look of the pieces within the collection. Panels of white and pops of orange are vivid, but no other detail within the collection stands against the artworks on the sweaters. 

Fendi

The desert stormed through Milan and is set to next season with Fendi's latest offering for the hotter months, just as they intended it to. The sand-covered runway fit perfectly with the Saharan-Mediterranean theme, making obvious the connection between the clothing and the ethos of the collection. Lightweight fabrics such as silken shirts, amassed with dusty and earthy prints, and wide-necked Sicilian shirts juxtaposed against the heavy leathers and out-of-context oxfords bring a modernity to the Ancient connotations of the collection. The fusion of past and future are clear with the structured feel of the garments and the colour palette reflecting the colours adorned by Desert Kings.

Z Zegna

The classic Zegna aesthetic has been glorified once again with a Spring/Summer collection from Paul Surridge. The enclosed, futuristic space in which the collection was presented contrast to the seemingly relaxed feel and look of most pieces within the collection, particularly shirting and bottoms, which loosely fit on the body without  blatantly hiding one's shape. A contemporary take on the honeycomb pattern is motif within the collection, with quilted jackets and leather jackets donning the pattern via embossing. In addition to this, a retake of the kaftan shirt, patterned trousers and kimono shirts deepen the relaxing vibe of the collection.

Images courtesy of Fashionising

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It's All Smiles at Emporio Armani

Armani is undoubtedly the leader in setting trends focused on the post-modern appropriation of the Bauhaus minimalist aesthetic. The Spring/Summer 2014 collection marks a stray away from the soft silks and harmonious colours seen in the previous collection, and more towards a hard-edged, tougher visual aura. The colour palette ranges from the sharpest of blacks to the eye-blinding silky white, with harder pops of colour scattered throughout.

The colour palette sounds harsh on the eye, but when used on wide-collar jackets, oversized windbreakers, heavy keep alls and silken shirts and trousers, the toughness breaks and creates an approachable collection that is easy to be worn, if one is daring. Even with the dominance of these pieces, the narrow fit of the trousers and body hugging tightness of the shirts bring a minor element of femininity, completely relevant to the fashion-conscious man of today.

This season, Armani assures you that coloured lenses are back in, with key pieces being acetate oversized sunglasses, shimmery leather jackets and bright silks, there is a contrast within the collection that many may ignore, reject or accept. For me, Armani should always remember his deceivingly masterful designs, without straying too far from his minimal roots. On a final note, Armani has also brought a much needed accessory to the runway once again - the smile. Always smile, it's your best accessory... as cliché as it sounds.

Images courtesy of Emporio Armani