Sofia Achaval’s Milan Fashion Week Men’s Diary

The Daily Front Row‘s perennially chic correspondent, stylist Sofia Achaval de Montaigu, has been soaking up the glamour in Europe. Below, she fills us in on all the highlights and the unforgettable moments that took place at the recent menswear shows in Milan.

Gucci

Gucci brought guests to the Fonderia Carlo Macchi in Milan; a factory with metal beams and smooth concrete floor.
A rectangular space outlined by lights was the runway over which the models walked, to the beat of Late Night Prelude by Mark Ronson, who was sitting front row with other celebrities like George Mackay and Idris Elba. This Fall Winter line was new creative director Sabato de Sarno’s debut for menswear; a collection where tailoring shone. The first look stood out due to its simple lines and a combination of straight evening trousers, a perfectly tailored floor-length coat, and a white t-shirt with a necklace. Leather bags and gloves were a constant throughout, adding some color to a predominantly neutral color palette.Denim was a big hit too, with flares covering thick-sole loafers embellished with rhinestones.

Fendi

Fendi presented its collection in a show with an audience sitting on F-shaped steel benches stretched alongside the venue, creating a geometric aisle through which the models walked in an easy, relaxed way, as if they were strolling in the street. Sitting front row were James Franco, Aron Piper, and Nicholas Galitzine, who cheered on artistic director Silvia Venturini Fendi’s collection which proposed a combination of countryside and urban clothes. This was seen in a series of short pants with leather rain boots and ski socks, while checked skorts in different lengths and textures were a novel suggestion. Sparkly and metallic moments were present in different outfits adding an extra touch of brightness. But without a doubt, the last outfit was my favorite: a totally black outfit consisting of a pleated skirt, a bomber jacket, and a polo, paired with sunglasses. The color palette went from olive and military greens to classic gray hues, ending with different shades of bordeaux. Accessories are always impeccable in Fendi’s collections, and on this occasion, the ones that stood out were leather sailor hats and bags, which brought a coolness to the show.

Stone Island

Stone Island’s debut in Milan was a sensorial experience which included flashing lights and techno music. Models wore high-end streetwear while standing still in three-story metal structures inside Milan’s La Cattedrale to present the collection titled “The Compass Inside.” Once the guests sat on the bleachers, laser lights turned on revealing the designs, after which a gigantic black curtain dropped and made the show dark again. Sitting front row were artist and producer Dave, Wayne McGregor, Henry SEarle, Tricky and Heidulf Gerngross, who also starred in the brand’s graphic campaign. The collection was made up of three different lines: Ghost, Stellina, and Marina. Among the designs, we saw a down jacket made with PVD nanotechnology and a metal coat that imitated liquid glass. The Ghost line included military-inspired peacoats and included a monochromatic Ghost label over the left sleeves. Lastly, there was also a sheepskin suede coat with a hood, which was my favorite.

DSQUARED2

Brothers Dean and Dan Caten invited attendees to a totally white runway space, which included a machine that transformed looks: models walked in with unbrushed hair and street clothes and walked out looking significantly sharper. We could see that the collection was divided into two categories—casual and elegant—as looks were modeled by twins! The more casual outfits included deconstructed sweaters, sleeveless cotton shirts, denim pants, and plaid shirts. While the more elegant pieces focused on tailoring, high-end materials, and striking details. Bright metallic textures such as sequins stood out towards the end of the 49 looks too. The show’s finale was the most iconic: the designers walked down the catwalk, with Dean in drag, channelling Linda Evangelista, as the designer walked to the beat of Freedom wearing a long black dress.

Dolce & Gabbana

At Dolce & Gabbana, models walked unassumingly up and down two set of stairs wearing the collection called “Sleek,” which was comprised of 62 looks that included transparencies, silks, sparkles and golden hues. A gray animal print coat combined with a two piece suit in the same print was my favorite piece in the collection. Bags, berets, and even pouch bags were some of the accessories created for next Winter, and in terms of shoes, high black leather boots stood out. The beginning of the show was dominated by grays and blacks, and some streaks of color in earthy hues. Towards the finale, the elegant darkness of the color black made way to brilliant shades of white, wtih immaculate tuxedos and matching satin shirts combined with denim trousers. To complete those sophisticated looks, models wore their hair brushed back. Among the public and those sitting front row were Jeff Bezos with his partner Lauren Sánchez, whose son Nikko González took part in the show, in addition to other celebrities like Maria Pedraza, Noah Beck, and Andre Lamoglia.

Prada

Day three stood out thanks to Prada. The show took place at Fondazione Prada, where two vibes collided: the office and the outside world, to create a unique environment. The reception included a gray rug and blue office boxes, with computers that read “Prada.” In the hall, office chairs were set over a crystal runway, suspended several centimeters over a valley where water flowed silently through a stone creek. The collection sought to highlight the duality of men in regards to the office and nature, combining suits with wool hats that reminded the audience of those used for swimming. The hat turned up first in red, and then, the models carried other colors such as purple, brown, green, white, gray, navy blue, and black. A peculiar proposition of intertwined belts also made us turn our attention to accessories. Models walked to the beat of a techno music track created by Dj Clara 3000, and an outfit that represented the collection’s spirit perfectly was a pair of black trousers, a shirt and a tie, mixed with a bomber jacket. Sitting in the front row were Brooklyn Peltz-Beckham, Trent Alexander Arnold, Christopher Briney, Guillaume Diop, Paapa Essiedu, Luther Ford, Jake Gyllenhall, Kelvin Harrison, and Jaewook Lee.

Giorgio Armani

Armani’s show was set to the backdrop of a lighthouse which illuminated the catwalk. Loredana Berte’s “Il Mare D’Inverno” from 1983 opened and closed the show, which began with a clear nautical theme present in the typical sailor’s suits, a long blue trench coat, and wide sleeves over a striped t-shirt with a scarf around the neck. Afterwards, tailoring took over the runway in colors like brown and beige. Ski clothes and a great white cape that seemed to float over the runway stood out as memorable. As did rhinestone-adorned blazers, trousers, and coats, while aviator sunnies, scarves, and boots completed the outfits. Sitting in the front row were celebrities like Corey Mylchreest, Patrick Schwartzenegger and James Reid, who applauded Mr. Armani with a standing ovation along with the rest of the audience after the finale.

JW Anderson

JW Anderson took us on a journey where comfort, confidence, and art collided in clothes inspired by the cult movie “Eyes Wide Shut.” Anderson gave life to the film’s memorable paintings in knitted garments, collaborating with artist Christine Kubrick (Stanley Kubrick’s widow.) The invitation was a drawing of the aforementioned artist and her son playing. Fully immersed in a set that looked like a big black box, we dove into a modern, theatrical, and emotional environment, accompanied by Pascalmoscheni’s music. Three of the knitted dresses created with Christine, which included renditions of her paintings, were among my favorite items. On the other hand, oversized sweaters carried copies of her plant paintings, while her dear cat Polly was the star of several other designs. Velvet blazers were made with exaggerated shoulders, while shirts also had gigantic sleeves. Shoes were adorned with tassels and loafers were exceptionally oversized. Translucent stockings, for both men and women, were present in almost every look, combined with maxi sweaters and a green patent leather jacket. The color palette was expansive, and it included shades such as dark green and lilac, in addition to the vibrant red that dominated in the line.

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