From a Frankenstein-inspired Prada show to the appearance of a 2000s ‘it’ bag – all our highlights from Milan Men’s Fashion Week
- TextJack Moss
1. Versace
Donatella Versace’s latest collection was accompanied by the sounds of RuPaul’s Supermodel (You Better Work!), setting the tone for a collection which was a colourful riposte to the suggestion that the Italian stalwart would be changing under new owner Michael Kors. (The two billion dollar acquisition prompted some fears of ‘Korsace’ – Donatella was quick to dismiss.) The designer turned to bondage as a recurring motif – much the same iconography as her late brother Gianni utilised in the 1990s – as harnesses were printed on to T-shirts and open-backed silk jackets were fastened with adjustable straps, while a liberal use of clear PVC and biker leather struck a similar note. Electric-toned knitwear, marabou-trimmed tailoring and an offbeat collaboration with car manufacturers Ford (its logo was printed throughout) completed a typically spirited collection.
2. Prada
Miuccia Prada listed humanity, danger and chaos as the primary concerns behind her Autumn/Winter 2019 collection, shown in the vast Deposito space in Fondazione Prada. It was the story of Frankenstein – and his monster – which had first united those themes for the designer: “I became interested in the idea of Frankenstein’s creature being this monster but with a big heart, who just wants love,” she said post-show. Set to the soundtrack of pop-horror movie themes – including The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Addams Family – disparate elements were combined to unsettling effect. There were green cartoon Frankenstein heads, a motif throughout, shocks of faux fur which sprouted from shoulders and trapper hats, while cardigans were worn awkwardly atop blazers or underneath boxy short-sleeved shirts. Elsewhere, a darker mood was struck with a military influence – the MA1 flight jacket was refigured into various forms; a Prada Sport tracksuit came in army-issue khaki – juxtaposed with sensual satin tailoring, worn with nothing beneath to expose the model’s body. “I was trying to do something about the simple, naked sensitive people against the tough world,” Miuccia said.
3. Marni
Francesco Risso’s latest collection for Marni began with the tropes of corporate power dressing – though in the designer’s typical idiosyncratic manner, the end results were anything but. Broad-shouldered tailoring, proportions supersized, came in stripes and checks (“an army of conservative suits blown up,” said the show notes); single-breasted overcoats were similarly outsized. A nod to youth (in his words, “atypical kids, extravagant and not diagnosable”), provided a counterpoint and electrified the collection with colour and print: there were vast checkered hoodies, leopard-spotted faux-fur scarves and various clashing prints which took inspiration from Bruno Bozzetto’s trippy animated movie Allegro Non Troppo, a parody of Disney’s Fantasia.
4. Fendi
Yesterday, we reported the appearance of Fendi’s ‘it’ Baguette bag – previously only available for women, popularised by HBO’s Sex and the City – on the runway of the house’s Autumn/Winter 2019 menswear presentation, in nylon and patterned faux fur. The collection began with another legend of fashion, though: Karl Lagerfeld, who designs Fendi’s womenswear line, and who collaborated with Silvia Venturini Fendi for the occasion. “In my fantasy world, he is the only man related to Fendi. So yes, he is the man in my life,” she said backstage. It made for an elegant collection which riffed on Lagerfeld’s own penchant for well-crafted tailoring – after all, we know his feelings on sweatpants – in luxurious shades of beige, grey and navy.
5. Ermenegildo Zegna
320,000 travellers make their way through Milano Centrale station each day – though until last Friday, the expansive Modernist building had yet to play host to a fashion show. It was Alessandro Sartori of Ermenegildo Zegna who took on the mammoth undertaking, choosing the space for its symbolic connection to beginnings and endings, separations and reconnections. It was a collection primed for travel – Sartori described it as “chic, not street”, though it nonetheless had a relaxed outlook, encompassing ruched nylon track pants, puffa jackets and combat trousers alongside astute wide-shouldered tailoring. If this felt ready for a new generation, so too did a new commitment to sustainability – 25 per cent of the collection was made from Zegna factory offcuts, and would be fully recyclable in its new form.
6. DSquared2
“Alpine glam Seattle,” were the words Dean and Dan Caten, the design duo behind DSquared2, offered before their A/W19 show. The pair are no stranger to snowy scenes, having grown up in Canada – and recently added a skiwear sub-section to their line – nor to no-holds-barred fashion, which has become their signature. Here, the two collided – by way of 1990s American grunge – for a collection which offered numerous alternatives for après ski luxury. There were acid-wash salopettes and tie-dyed band t-shirts (in lieu of a real band, DSquared2 was written in a Def Leppard-style font); shearling-lined parka jackets in rainbow sequins and studded belts embellished with rosary beads. The latter were a tribute to Madonna (“the queen of pop,” said the designers), who also provided the soundtrack to the show.
