Menswear Spring/Summer 2012 - Monday June 20

Day Three - Milano

Monday June 20

Versace

Monday night's big story may have been Versace's star-studded front row - which included Glee's Darren Criss, Gossip Girl's Chace Crawford, True Blood's Ryan Kwanten, Zachary Quinto from Star Trek and NBA players Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade - but the clothes were equally impressive. Versace's collection was all about flamboyant colour, from blues and greens to pinks and reds.

Put on your sunglasses the old in-your-face Versace is back — and, boy its back with vengeance. The show was bright as the sun, with the traditional abundance of leather jackets and printed silk shirts — reminiscent of Gianni Versace’s in the 1990s. Showstoppers were the shrinking bathers and flamboyant beachwear and another Versace feature - intricate gold studding. “It’s all here. It’s a celebration of what I feel,” Donatella Versace told WWD, who just signed on with H&M to do a heritage-themed collection out this Christmas.

Alexander McQueen

McQueen gave us more than what we bargained for – BUT – this time it was in a good way. Velvet jackets in yellows and reds and well-tailored suiting, featuring clashing stripes and checks. It was obviously a collection designed for the night-time lovers of Milan. Sarah Burton obviously was inspired by David Bowie and Mick Jagger as her jackets were in bold tablecloth checks and peacock shades. Burton looked back at England in the 1960s and 1970s, which offered rich references for the London-based house, but she did lack the signature McQueen edge. You saw glimpses of it in the form of a flame-print evening jacket and white greatcoat with bold red bands that seemed applied with spray paint – But that was about it...

Gucci – Gucci – Gucci – Frida – Frida – Frida

 Frida’s men exuded elegance on the catwalk as her daywear incorporated fitted jackets, excellent knits and cuffed trousers and finished with refined lace-up shoes, while evening looks included two-piece suits, every so often finished with checks or a sheen finish.

“An English gentleman — the rugged sort who doesn’t mind galloping across sodden fields in a storm — was the inspiration behind this handsome collection. I was thinking about a gentlemen’s club, but a very relaxed one with a sporty attitude,” creative director Frida Giannini told WWD backstage before the show. “We haven’t used any ties or socks.”

Giannini featured classic knits like hound’s-tooth, chevron, Prince of Wales, and Glen plaid checks. Sport was also a feature in Frida’s collection with touches suede detailing on jacket pockets. Although Giannini tapped into many of the season’s key trends, she avoided the longer and looser tailoring that is emerging and made sure her Gucci man was traditional at heart with a futuristic twist.

 

 

 Day Three was as if Gianni had come back from the dead whilst Giannini was looking into the future. BEYOND BRILLIANT!

Now on to day four... 

Un bacione xoxo