Boss’ Latest Collection Was a Masterclass in Colour

This season, Boss up and left New York and relocated to Milan, where it staged its co-ed collection during the city’s S/S20 fashion week. As was to be expected, the brand put on a show that celebrated contemporary tailoring – after all, regardless of its geographical location, the suit is in Boss’ DNA. In fluid cuts that felt effortlessly modern, but also invoked a spirit of the 1980s – think: Let’s Dance-era David Bowie – Boss’ chief brand officer Ingo Wilts also gave a masterclass in colour. Namely, how to wear it head to toe.

Since taking over from Jason Wu in 2018, Wilts has put his own stamp on Boss, injecting colour and softness into the label’s mens- and womenswear (previous collections have included less rigid tailoring, and colours from hot pink to maroon). This season, though, he went all out; exploring the potential of a full colour spectrum. In the case of menswear, which was styled by Another Man’s fashion director Ellie Grace Cumming, the show opened with an entirely white double-breasted suit. And then, as though working on a blank canvas, pieces in buttercream yellow – holdalls and duffel bags as well as board shorts and shirts – gave way to hues of tan, which became full-look firecracker red (the latter on a leather windbreaker and belted trench).

Then, the collection reached a crescendo in blue: powder, cornflower and Yves Klein. Here, Wilts incorporated graphic prints – inspired by the Manhattan he had left behind – before retuning to softer pale turquoise and inky navy. Boss’ S/S20 offering ended as it began, with bleached white. The result was a collection where head-to-toe colour-blocking looked entirely effortless. The key is, as Wilts taught us: keep silhouettes loose, easy and clean, and materials unfussy.