As menswear attempts to find stable footing in a post-pandemic world during the Milan Fashion Week, styles are emerging that blend resort, adventure, and tailoring elements.
Quiet luxury was reimagined by Dolce & Gabbana through a fresh interpretation of masculine designs, incorporating feminine tailoring techniques and a departure from the brand’s typical colour and ornamentation. Neil Barrett turned to the past for inspiration, creating clean, timeless designs reminiscent of uniforms. Meanwhile, MSGM explored the adventure theme with a collection inspired by African travels.
On the tailoring end of the spectrum, Ralph Lauren showcased its upscale Purple line in a Milan villa, emphasizing made-in-Italy craftsmanship and daily luxury, featuring items such as burnished footwear, unconstructed cotton-linen blend jackets, and substantial Fair Isle knitwear.
Margherita Maccapani Missoni unveiled her new brand at the menswear shows, opting to use her paternal Maccapani family name over the more recognizable Missoni, a name made famous by her mother, Angela. The Maccapani brand caters to women with easily wearable, figure-flattering clothing designed to accompany them throughout their day — a contemporary take on the knitwear that made the Missoni family brand a household name.
Here are some highlights from the shows on the second day of mainly menswear previews for Spring-Summer 2024.
DOLCE & GABBANA REVOLUTIONIZES MENSWEAR
Designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana innovated menswear this season, incorporating tailoring techniques commonly used in their women’s line.
The diverse collection of nearly 80 outfits signified a departure from the designers’ usual style, embodying subtle luxury and a reinvention of timeless aesthetics. There were no prints, no colour, and no glitz. The designers instead emphasized shapes and materials, utilizing a neutral colour scheme of black, white, and shades of beige.
Neil Barrett embraced timeless classics, adopting uniform-inspired designs that stood the test of time. MSGM embarked on an adventurous journey with a collection influenced by African travels.
Ralph Lauren exhibited the high-end Purple line, concentrating on made-in-Italy detailing for daily luxury. At the same time, Margherita Maccapani Missoni utilized menswear shows to introduce her new brand, Maccapani, featuring comfortable, body-skimming clothes for women.
In Dolce & Gabbana’s presentation, tops were cinched at the waist, reminiscent of their sexy ruched dresses. Tunics displayed deep Vs and long, trailing sleeves, while a translucent organza top and pants were adorned with floral appliques at the cuffs. Wide satin trousers paired with a fitted mock turtleneck exhibited a style that women could quickly wear.
A range of oversized tailored jackets encapsulated the tailoring theme, featuring hourglass waistlines on long coats, ruched details on oversized puffers, deconstructed blazers with sheer panels, and inflated vests.
Music icons including Machine Gun Kelly, Blanco from Italy, Doyoung from South Korea, and Australia’s Luke Hemmings were among the front-row attendees at Dolce & Gabbana, drawing ecstatic cheers from fans upon arrival.
EMPORIO ARMANI CONTEMPLATES TIMELESSNESS
The latest Emporio Armani collection reflected timelessness, set against a massive ginkgo leaf, symbolizing resilience.
The ginkgo, enduring for 250 million years, is highlighted throughout the collection as a motif on jacquards, prints, and elegant gold jewelry. The exhibition hints at Asia and North Africa with wide-leg trousers, sleeveless tunics, and robe jackets, all in black and cream tones.
Neil Barrett returned to Milan with clean, striking looks, proving that simplistic design can still turn heads. The MSGM, maturing at 13, is transitioning towards a more grown-up aesthetic.
New designer Federico Cina paid tribute to his home region, Romagna, with a raw and emotional co-ed collection. The designers of Jordan Luca encouraged their models to lean into their runway walks, embodying a silhouette against friction in their designs.
The Milan Menswear
Shows provided a dynamic platform for designers to reinterpret post-pandemic fashion through the lens of timelessness, adventure, and luxury. From Dolce & Gabbana’s subtle luxury to Emporio Armani’s contemplation on timelessness and Neil Barrett’s crisp, clean looks, the shows hinted at a new era in menswear that embraces both tradition and innovation. These designers and others proved that fashion could adapt and evolve, offering renewed inspiration in a post-pandemic world.
