Men’s clothing packs in drama and nostalgia at Milan Fashion Week

Milan is ready to party, with menswear shows for next spring and winter focused on nighttime tailoring with playful accents. Think sparkles and shimmers, fun silhouettes that invite a shadow dance, and peeks of skin with tailoring tricks once reserved for women’s wardrobes.

Here are some highlights from this weekend’s Milan Fashion Week shows.

Dolce & Gabbana returns to black

If you just looked at the color, Dolce & Gabbana went back to basics: the entire collection for next winter was mostly black and white, which is better for nighttime play. Gray and white monochromatic colors played a secondary role.

Although it was lightweight, the look was anything but basic. Designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana created a collection built around tailoring, with late-night syncopated club beats in mind.

Long coats or dramatic capes will get you to the door of the club. Inside, the men’s corset, both belts and waist belts cinch the waist, a silhouette that is mimicked in the dramatic hourglass cut of coats and jackets with rounded waists and broad shoulders. The strobe picks up the sparkle and shine on the garments, while sheer tops and muscular knits show off the physique.

Machine Gun Kelly and Italian singer Blanco were among the guests in the front rows of the designer duo.

Fly away with Emporio Armani

Giorgio Armani has been on the world fashion map for more than four decades. His latest collection for Emporio Armani drew a literal map of his adopted Milan, with models walking the perimeter of the circular runway giving a bird’s-eye view of the map of the fashion capital’s historic center.

The collection was inspired by aviation, and there were also traces of tailoring from the golden era of flying, when hotties like Charles Lindbergh made history by crossing the Atlantic solo.

A gray jumpsuit with a belt and a fur collar, an aviator cap and thick boots set the tone. Once it lands, there are muted plaid suits with trousers cut just above the boot – the invention of the season. Equipment is stored in bags and nautical bags.

Comfortable knitwear in combination with leather pants and a jacket, some of which have vintage finishes, creates an adventurous silhouette. But the true hunk comes out in colorful daywear, including a gorgeous coat in an elegant camel color, velvet jackets in deep hues, and silk shirts worn with fringes in bright hues like magenta, purple, and violet.

Leather belts and utility belts added an edge. Purses are strapped to the top of the boots. Mirrored aviator glasses complete the look.

Armani (88) was in a good mood and picked up the handbag that fell from the model while greeting the crowd at the end of the show.

Fendi flashes some skin

Next winter’s Fendi collection shines with leather in ways once reserved for women.

One-shoulder tops — both knit and button-up — bare skin for a dramatic look. The knit was super sheer, barely there. A bit of layering brought back some modesty for the office, but could easily be undone for an evening transition.

Long coats included a wraparound asymmetric cape, a tailoring trick mimicked in trousers with a skirt wrapped to one side. The effect was pleasant and enveloping, offering a cocoon as we returned to the world.

Fendi whims were fully displayed in knitted hats: one in the form of a cool cartoon wig with a charming flap or another hat with a fringe on the back. Capes, coats and scarves were also decorated with fringes. Bombers had an old, worn feel. The color palette was mostly modest tones of gray, oatmeal and burning umber combined with purple and lavender. Graphite beads caught the light of evening looks.

K-Way celebrates Parisian heritage

Franco-Italian activewear brand K-Way imported a piece of its Parisian birthplace as a backdrop to showcase a new collection that marks the transition to a lifestyle brand.

K-Way’s trademark packable raincoats were inspired when brand founder Leon-Claude Duhamel saw two children wearing red nylon raincoats while sitting at Cafe de la Paix on a rainy day in 1965. To honor that heritage , the Italian owners borrowed the original cafe tables and wicker seating from the Parisian landmark. Duhamel himself, now in his eighties, joined the fashion crowd munching on cream cakes in a recreated cafe.

Sales VP Lorenzo Boglione, whose family controls parent company BasicNet, is helping the company transition the brand, with plans to produce technical gear for sailing and skiing.

“We really want to remember where we come from and celebrate that moment. We have to remember where we come from to know where to go,” Boglione said. “We want to be colorful, we want to be functional, we want to be modern.”

This means you don’t just focus on outerwear. The new collection included cropped puffer jackets with tight accordion pleats, Yeti-style short coats with matching boots layered over skinny suits or quilted shorts and tops. Long puffer coats, which were also wrapped like a sleeping bag, were paired with detachable hoods or fur collars. The brand’s signature zipper acts as a logo, providing accents alongside function. The palette leans towards the traditional K-Way orange and blue, with some white and green.

Updated: January 15, 2023, 6:40 am