WORDS Brett Staniland
Todd Snyder
The first show of the men’s trade event this season was Todd Snyder. Situated at Stazione Leopolda, the first train station in the city was completed in 1848, closing just 13 years later. Comparatively, 13 years into his namesake brand, Todd Snyder is not slowing down, still capturing menswear classics and reinventing them to be the best in your wardrobes. As the newly made creative director for Woolrich Black Label, “Act 1” consisted of sophisticated updates on the heritage pieces from the brand’s 190-year history. Technical pieces like the Parkas, ski jackets and cargos were uplifted with luxurious fabrics, and styled elegantly by Jim Moore, the Creative Director At Large of GQ. And yet it didn’t give an off-duty, apres-ski vibe you’d see populating Val D’Isere this time of year, it had more of a utilitarian, made-to-be-worn feel to it.
“Act 2” titled The Modernist was inspired by the design masters of furniture and interiors, with a stripped-back approach of creating beauty in functionality. British tailoring styles were interpreted with American proportions, and there’s a reference in the show notes for our own Anderson & Sheppard. Monochrome Donegal wool suiting made with shorts, boxier than we expect to see on The Row, and more relaxed than Armani, partnered with a chunky sock and Trickers leather boots. A very wearable and commercial collection with a multiple marriage for heritage, modernity, British rules and American gumption.
GUESS Jeans
Denim – a notoriously durable, wearable and timeless staple. However, it’s also extremely taxing on the planet, with one of the most wasteful production processes in the industry, particularly when it comes to producing, washing and distressing. This season, the esteemed denim brand took over parts of Florence from Billboards in Piazza Della Repubblica to the local taxis, celebrating the new campaign which looks ahead at the next 40 years of the brand. Transforming the Opera House at Florence’s newest theatre, Teatro del Maggio Musicale, into a full walk-thru exhibition, experiencing the icons of the past such as the patchy denim jacket worn by Marty McFly to a young Tyrese Gibson and Alessandra Ambrosio.
The focus was mostly on the transformation of making a sustainable run of 20 million pairs of jeans a year. Guess AirWash, its new conscious innovation, uses zero toxic chemicals, reduces water use by 80% and is far more energy efficient. It’s also much more time efficient too, saving over an hour compared to stone-washing denim. Guess Jeans has partnered with Jeanologia to laser print, distress and customise jeans, again a much more responsible method than the usual practices the industry has used for decades. Whilst we have similar capabilities in places like Blackhorse Lane in London, Guess Jeans is scaling these methods for a global brand for a wider impact. Let’s hope they can share their innovation with the rest of the industry.
SS Daley
The menswear highlight of London Fashion Week returned to Florence as a guest designer for Pitti Uomo 105, after exhibiting with the S-Style (for emerging sustainability) designers in the past. Since graduating from Westminster 3 years ago, SS Daley has been on the upswing, debuting at LFW, landing an LVMH Young Designer Prize in 2022 and now securing investment from avid supporter, Harry Styles. The collection showed the menswear fanatics what Steven Stokey-Daley is about. Despite a whimsical take on preppy posh-boy boarders, he doesn’t shy away from meaningful nuance statements. The location at Palazzio Vecchio is itself a mention on democracy, with a side-eye to the U.K.
Trouserless looks with silky jimjams and long tail coats depict the middle-of-the-night dashes of someone who is out of bed but shouldn’t be. The up-to-no-good-ness of private school boys in 80s who now flood Westminster itself. Tapestry-esq knit ponchos added the cosiness of a slow morning-after. Still extremely playful as his iconic bunnies and lambs make a reappearance, expertly knitted into softer statement pieces. Winter tailoring came with spring vibrancy, a yellow cord double-breasted suit, with a flared turn up and silky resort shirts with matching fishy neckerchiefs. My eyes were firmly on multiple wide flowy double-deep pleated trousers and single-buttoned suits which added the finesse and elegance of a designer who knows how to charm.
KNT by Kiton
The KNT label from Kiton is imagined by twins Mariano and Walter, keep it in the family, you know? The KNT stand has been a staple of Pitti now for the past few seasons and whilst it may look calm and collected, inside features one of the most tactile collections around. The twins take the sartorial heritage of the main brand and offer lightweight unstructured and relaxed interpretations for the modern man, with a modern lifestyle. Loose-fitting silhouettes and impeccable fabrications offer a mix of the stylist codes from classic menswear and the functionality of sportswear. “We’ve reinterpreted the principles of classic tailoring which have been part of us since we were children, adapting them to a modern style”.
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Brett Staniland
Brett is a sustainable fashion campaigner, model and content creator.