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

London Collections: Men, Day 1

The sartorial scene of London menswear is one of diversity, ranging from designers influenced by the more innovative streams of fashion and others staying true to the strict tailored looks of Savile Row. London Collections: Men was started to present to the world the underestimated world of British menswear, and it is exactly what it has done. From all the designers who showed on Day 1, these designers should be noted for their collections:

Kay Kwok Spring/Summer 2014

There seems to be a myriad of designers trying to catch up with Raf Simons, who is leading the pack for Dior, but it seems as though Kay Kwok may well be on his way to dethroning Monsieur Simons. The designer has presented a menswear collection that exemplifies his pragmatic aesthetic, the first few pieces being minimal and crisp with finer details such as geometric fabric panels on jackets and elongated top fronts. As the minimal pieces passed, a neo-futuristic turn came around.

Non-cliché digital prints of halos were scattered amongst the final few pieces presented by the designer. There's a suspicion that this could've not worked if the colour was not picked righteously, but the hints of indigo and salmon pink throughout the print are discreet yet enmesh well with the minimal aesthetic. Raf Simons better watch out, Mr. Kwok is on his way...

Jonathan Saunders Spring/Summer 2014

Jonathan Saunders always manages to twist the restrictive image of business wear into ensembles encompassing warped appropriations of the original garment. What's interesting about Jonathan's approach to this fashion stream is that it is subtle - from far away the clothing seems well-fitted at most, but up-close bears so much more dynamic. Business shirts and summer shorts with monochromatic digital prints, gradient red panelled and dotted trousers and jackets featuring zig zagged detail are some of the examples of this designers twisted creations. At least twisted to your professional counterparts. 

Richard Nicoll Spring/Summer 2014

Effortless style is, contrary to say, hard to achieve. Everyone knows it's all about the attitude and the way you approach your own sense of style, so if you are the type of man who opts to go for a more relaxed look without looking daggy, look to Richard Nicoll's latest collection for inspiration. The collection features the revived "suit-and-sneaker" look, but much more appropriate to the younger fashion-conscious man, especially those with the sense of style just mentioned. Bring in pieces such as the inverted metallic parka and silk snakeskin chinos to counter act the uniformity of white shirting, structured bombers and plain canvas sneakers to effectively achieve style that is both easy and interesting to the eye.

FOR THE COMPLETE SCHEDULE OF LONDON COLLECTIONS: MEN, CLICK HERE

Images courtesy of Fashionising

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Milan Men's Fashion Week, Day 4

The final day of Milan Men's Fashion Week offered shows from DSquared2, Jet Set, Diesel Black Gold, Roccobarocco and Enrico Coveri. My favourite show/collection from the last day was Giorgio Armani.

Giorgio Armani Autumn/Winter 2013

Giorgio Armani's latest collection is my favourite minimalist menswear collection, as far as what has been shown. Giorgio Armani has managed to design a collection that embodies Armani's signature style and the future of menswear. Thick patterned knits, geometric cotton sweaters, mink panelled varsity jackets, quilted jackets and soft robe jackets and velvet trousers fill the collection, in a sophisticated colour palette of ash grey, wine red, polished black and navy blue. The collection is bold yet simple, with hints of eccentricity and uniformity flowing throughout the pieces and looks.

View the collection HERE

Watch the fashion show HERE

Images courtesy of Armani LIVE