Milan Men’s Fashion Week returned to the Italian fashion capital with a packed program of 66 official dates. Including 25 fashion shows, where the audience stayed out in the sweltering 34 degrees heat to see the collections for the Spring/Summer 2023 season.
The calendar was filled to the brim with brands returning to fashion week or celebrating a special milestone. Versace and Gucci were among those returning, with JW Anderson, Indian designer Dhruv Kapoor and English brand Charles Jeffrey Loverboy making their debuts. FashionUnited has rounded up some of the highlights from Milan Fashion Week.
Gucci
The long-awaited collaboration between Gucci and Harry Styles, titled ‘Ha Ha Ha’ (after Harry Styles’ and Alessandro Michele’s first names) was unveiled on the final day of Milan Men’s Fashion Week. It shows a new gentleman who is not afraid of crossing borders, but who enjoys experimenting all the more. The selected styles show the mutual love of the two for striking motifs, leather, checks and 70s silhouettes.
Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani, on the other hand, focused on understatement. His casual combinations were restrained in indigo blue, light shades of gray and occasional splashes of color and cut a fine figure both in the home office and when going out.
Moschino
As a tribute to Tony Viramontes, Moschino’s Spring/Summer 2023 men’s collection featured bright, pop colors and illustrations that referenced the late artist’s work. Part of the collection was created in collaboration with the fashion house’s creative director, Jeremy Scott, and the estate of Viramontes, with many of the linear prints and motifs replicating the fashion illustrator’s work. “I wanted to put this brilliant creator in perspective,” Scott said in a statement. “He may not be familiar to everyone, but Tony Viramontes is a stunner.”
The aesthetic ran throughout the collection, with abstract faces and bold lines featured on everything from tailored suits to pleated skirts and sarongs. The range of formal wear contrasted with sporty coats and military-inspired boots, giving a modern twist to the expressive line.
Etro
This season marked Kean Etro’s final collection as the menswear label’s creative director, and it saw him celebrate today’s utopian view of poetry. The collection, which revolves around the power of words to ignite mood and emotion, aimed to capture how poetry “shapes inner chaos,” according to a statement. This was expressed with flowing, delicate garments such as kaftans and kimonos.
Male models wore t-shirts and broderie anglaise shirts, as well as suits in crashed satin that countered linen and silk, each with the intention of conveying a sense of sensuality.
Billionaire Couture
Designer Philipp Plein returned to the Milan menswear week calendar for this season with ‘Billionaire Couture’, presenting a collection that was shown on the terrace of the Four Seasons Hotel. For the presentation, a group of men stood on low platforms in front of a mirrored wall, all wearing looks from the line. In addition to colorful suits, the models also wore silk coats and pajamas reminiscent of a luxury vacation wardrobe. The garments were styled together with leather travel accessories, smart colored hats and sneakers and loafers completing the summer look.
44 Label Group
Making its physical debut at Milan Men’s Fashion Week, 44 Label Group presented its ‘Full of Fire’ collection, a product of German techno artist and producer Max Kobosil. The designer’s creative background was evident in the concept of the collection, which revolved around resistance to being labeled by others and breaking new ground that comes from positive emotions.
This was evident in the disassembled, edgy and layered garments that ran throughout the line of genderless silhouettes. The t-shirt, considered the brand’s core piece, took center stage and was accompanied by trousers, shorts and skirts made from contrasting materials. Many pieces were inspired by a utilitarian attitude with torn details, overdyed prints and 3D embroidery.
Emporio Armani
For Emporio Armani’s SS23 collection, Giorgio Armani wanted to subtly address uniformism, albeit with skin-bare cuts and light detailing. The focus of the presentation was two-piece suits, many of which were combined with deconstructed shirts with vertical cutouts and slits. Soft, pleated pants and shorts, some with a drawstring waist, were paired with more fitted jackets featuring the same prints, while other looks found a more casual appeal, like palm tree print hoodies or tracksuits.
Plein sports
Plein Sport also returned to the fashion week calendar this season, presenting in an industrial hall in Milan. The activewear models designed in the Plein Sports Lab aim to “promote endurance and improve execution,” according to the label in a statement. The focus of the collection is the tiger. Styles include scratches, animal prints and tiger-inspired embroidery and prints on t-shirts, biker shorts, hoodies, jogging pants and sneakers. Alongside the collection, the brand presented its new mobile store concept, the ‘Plein Sport Truck’, which will be on the road in several European cities.
Dsquared2
Dsquared2’s collection was inspired by the life of a Jamaican surfer. Prints, crochet and knitwear were influenced by a relaxed, casual lifestyle. Clothing, bags and t-shirts featured prints and patches paying homage to the Bob Marley Foundation, while other pieces featured a Honda logo as part of the brand’s collaboration with the motorcycle manufacturer.
Flared denim, oversized cuts, relaxed fits and pieces featuring the colors of the Jamaican flag — yellow, black and green — all fitting to the theme, were layered one on top of the other, reflecting the laid-back lifestyle the brand sought to capture.
fendi
Fendi took inspiration from nature for its bohemian collection. The color scheme reflected the earth, sea and sky – ochre, cornflower blue and silver gray – and the prints evoked weather patterns, which featured alongside cowhide motifs and psychedelic logos. The accessories included in the collection were reminiscent of a typical summer vacation. Souvenirs such as daisy necklaces, baguette bags, friendship bracelets and buckethats played an important role on the catwalk.
This article was previously published on FashionUnited.uk. Translation and editing: Barbara Russ