Menswear Spring/Summer 2012 - Tuesday June 21

Day Four - Milan

DSquared2

DSquared2 – oh how I love thee – both designers Dean and Dan Caten never fail to impress. This season they were inspired by the American tourist in Europe – with hiking boots and navy trenches for the adventurer and for the sunny Greek isles the DSquared2 Men wore tiny Speedos and board shorts.  Whilst touring Italy the traveller wore slim-fitting trousers and blazers, before finishing up in London - where they took on punk looks.

Dean and Dan are my favourite Canadian twins who are now adopted Italians and who are known for being racy and unusual but that is what I love about them. They even mixed a few female models in the mix to keep the crowd interested.Their backdrop was reminiscent of stops in Florence, a Scandinavian fishing port, a London rock concert and the Greek island of Mykonos. The show’s highlight was when four male dancers made their way down the runway in high heels, spray-on leather and sequins. Slightly shocking but it certainly woke the crowd up during the 9:30 a.m. show.

Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani rounded up the Milan shows with streamlined silhouette and a muted colour palette. Giorgio Armani had the media talking after his show on Tuesday; Armani was quoted by WWD saying that brands such as Prada and Dolce & Gabbana make men look ridiculous. He blamed bad menswear on the fact that "fashion today is in the hands of the banks and of the stock market and not of their owners". He added that his company is independent and doesn't have debts, and that his clothes make men look more handsome and elegant, reports WWD. This collection, as light as a spring breeze in Positano, was soft and easy jackets that will take the Armani man from his morning espresso straight through to his after-dinner digestivo. Like Gucci, Armani showed an interest in chevron, check, hound’s tooth and pinstripe. Armani was traditional as he aimed was to “elongate and streamline” the male silhouette with the use of print on shirts and trousers.

To be honest - YES - the collection was lovely but it didnt WOW me... It was more suited for my 50 year old dad than the mid 30s men I like to dress.

 

 

Now it is time to say Arrivederci to Milano and Bon Jour to Paris....

Men's Fashion Week moves to Paris on Wednesday....

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