In a familiar language – Style

In an era of uncertainty, the designers and brands exhibiting at Milan Men’s Fashion Week prefer to speak the clear language of commerce and sustainable fashion. Many of them look for inspiration not in modern culture with its often dubious ideas and slogans, but in their own archives.

When Alessandro Sartori became the designer of Zegna in 2016, he was able to create a recognizable style for the brand and significantly advance the image of the largest men’s brand in the world. While not all of the runway collections are commercialized, they never fail to impress with their technical innovations. Sartori was originally a textile designer, and the most interesting thing about his work is the variety and amazing properties of the materials that one of the most important textile manufacturers creates.

In the new collection, the usual voluminous silhouettes were executed in monochrome images, which do not give any room for design errors – this is where Sartori’s skill is most noticeable. He is a master of precise cutting, not overloaded with details, and a subtle colorist. Among the most unusual shades: camel color, mustard, dusty pink, saffron, rust color (one of the most trendy), midnight blue and the whole range of gray and brown tones.

Norbert Stumpfl in the Brioni collection demonstrates how modern classics should look: executed technically flawlessly, from the best materials, relaxed and devoid of conservatism. The jacket is comfortable and light to such an extent that you forget about it and wear it as casually as a cashmere shirt or overshirt, or even replace the jacket with a coat, and casually tie a sweater instead of a scarf. If we remember quiet luxury, which, judging by trend analytics, we can’t escape this year, then Brioni is its standard example, because it is impossible to imitate it with the help of cheap materials.

Another example of “quiet luxury at a loud price” is the Los Angeles brand Fear of God, which held its first presentation in Milan. However, about 90% of its models are made in Italy. The owner of the brand, Jerry Lorenzo, is a self-taught stylist from Kanye West’s circle of friends, like the late Virgil Abloh. He relies on minimalism, generous proportions, good fabrics and… the recognizable image of the Armani collections of the 1980s, who is worth recognizing as the most quoted designer in recent seasons.

Meanwhile, Giorgio Armani himself quotes himself, which he has every right to do, as well as to say that “fashion does not have to change every season.” Therefore, the designer remains faithful to his time-tested relaxed classics (blazers without lapels, a lot of voluminous knitwear, wide trousers) and in some places quite accurately reproduces the most memorable models and silhouettes of the 1980s, that is, the Armani era. Much of the show was made up of “quiet outdoor” ensembles (they were more likely to feature the Emporio Armani logo than the Giorgio Armani logo), as a reminder that Milan is preparing to host the Winter Olympics in two years. Still, Armani could clearly use a fresh look at his great heritage. The problem of choosing a successor for the designer, who will celebrate his 90th birthday this year, is becoming increasingly urgent.

Another “brand in itself” is Ralph Lauren, which traditionally holds its presentation in Milan. In the collection, it is worth highlighting color nuances rather than recognizable and proven patterns over the years: shades of wine, eggplant, bottle green and the traditional Scottish blackwatch tartan, which Lauren used so often that the new generation seriously believes that he invented this pattern.

At the same time, Dolce & Gabbana benefits from self-citation. They perfectly manage to modernize the models of the 1990s, which had much more minimalism than Sicilian baroque. When designers turn to solid black (90% of the collection) and show impeccable jackets, tuxedos and formal coats, we immediately remember why the whole world loved them at one time. If we talk about tailoring in fashion, then Dolce & Gabbana are an excellent example of it.

Someone who didn’t do a very good job of quoting is Sabato De Sarno, Gucci’s recently appointed creative director. His men’s collection turned out to be a tautology of the women’s collection, which, in turn, was a paraphrase of the brand’s images from the times of Tom Ford and Frida Giannini. It is clear that the brand has a lot of work ahead of it in search of a new identity, different from the vision of Alessandro Michele. And it seems that logos and famous loafers alone are clearly not enough here.

The contrast between wild nature and rational, man-made space was embodied in the scenery for the Prada show. Viewers walked through a sterile, almost featureless office space and found themselves in a room with a glass floor, under which there was living winter undergrowth: with moss and grass, fallen leaves and real streams. In the collection itself, super-narrow silhouettes—trench coats, bright textured trousers, and tight-fitting colored knitwear—were contrasted with voluminous and loose models: suits made of thick “vintage” tweeds and sheepskin jackets. Among the accessories, woven wide belts and… sandals stood out.

Part of the collection of the shoe brand Santoni could be attributed to the “quiet outdoor” trend, if you did not know that this brand began to rethink ski and trekking boots many years ago. It is worth highlighting the boots with a pattern applied to the leather using silk-screen printing: the model reproduces a topographic map of the Marche region, where the brand originates.

Alexander Rymkevich