WORDS Brett Staniland
Perhaps the largest talking point of the Milan menswear shows wasn’t a Milan menswear show at all. On the morning of the Gucci show, the newly appointed Valentino designer, Alessandro Michele chose to release a mountain of a resort collection. 171 looks from his 3 month early debut hit our phone screens and conversations throughout the day. Was it intentionally provocative towards his former employer? Who knows – but one thing is for certain, a mid-season resort collection so vast is completely unnecessary.
Prior to this, the menswear stallions of tailoring showed as elegantly as always. Brioni, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Canali and Brunello Cucinelli all held their presentations with their usual grandeur and esteem, capturing the fabric and quality-focused consumers in a gaze. Dunhill were fresh on the Milan schedule after showing a debut collection in London from Simon Holloway, though this was a less inspiring development than the previous, with questionable styling themes.
JordanLuca
Yet again the brand has ignited the sparks around men’s fashion week in Milan. Their fans are besotted with everything they do and with new brand advocates like Mia Khalifa, it’s unlikely to simmer down. Their tailoring has become iconic and their play with light and dark. Boxy long-line blazers, razor sharp with signature JL details contrasted with monstrous Mohawks. I remember Jordan once telling me the tailoring is Luca’s wet dream, but I’m sure he’s not the only one. The trend of the season of pairing short shorts with smart tailoring up top became even more exaggerated as cycling shorts were partially covered by oversized top-heavy suit jackets. Customised with 3-d printed roses. It was a perfect mix of fluid and bold, soft and sharp, fem and masc clothing, full of texture and authentically JordanLuca.
Neil Barrett
Simplicity. Neil’s archive is a treasure trove so turning this into new, relevant clothing in a recontextualised way is an exciting task. His garments may appear simple and wearable but the styling is as interesting as any other show. There’s a certain feel of uniform to his clothing especially looks in this collection that you can see Neil himself wearing, even those with an academic, schoolboy twinge to them. His clothes are inherently ‘useful’. They work and they do exactly what they should. Details were subtle but cute and elegant simultaneously – more shorts and tailoring, this time with a double hem, coming in long and voluminous as well as high above the knee. Shirting garters were used as an accessory, blending in with the shirting pattern and adding a nice cinched silhouette on the arms of a baggy shirt, as well as pinching the sleeves of a sand leather jacket above the elbow. The recontextualising of forgotten pass-me-downs makes this show talk more about our existing wardrobes of perfectly fine and interesting clothing, rather than an incessant need to buy constantly new things and subscribe to the sometimes bonkers, unwearable and short term coolness we see in many collections.
Brioni
Nobody quite captures the art of clothing and romance in interaction without using models like Brioni can. This seasons creations were equally as captivating. The story they’re able to tell with elegance being at the heart of it all. By using their incredible fabrics and finishing, Norbert Stumpfl is able to bring this elegance even into the most casual-but not so casual, daily wear, encouraging us to touch and experience the luxury fabrics on display where he can also show off his craft and finishing. Mannequins pirouetted in revolving boxes throughout the entrance of the palazzo, a blue seersucker monochrome ensemble, complete with Brioni bucket hat stole your initial attention. Through the other side of maze were the elevated menswear and womenswear pieces, after meandering through a range of relaxing looks sat up tree, laying on the grass and reading a book on the floor. The showstopper was a romantic his and hers art piece, showcased on the floor with a mirrored backdrop for us to see an aerial view. The lightness of Brioni’s fabrics is truly incredible and rivalled only by the softness of the cashmere and the ethereal vicuña. But even with these light and soft materials, which are often exclusive to Brioni, their precision in tailoring is the best of the best.
Brett Staniland
Brett is a sustainable fashion campaigner, model and content creator.
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