Proving that the show must go on, albeit with dignity, Milan Fashion Week
saw Donatella Versace pay homage to Prince, who’s iconic soundtrack flooded
the Versace catwalk with a series of classics and unreleased tracks by the
late artist. The brand issued a statement which read: “Donatella would like
to use this special occasion as an opportunity to share this incredible
music from a dear, and much missed friend.”
Marrying sportswear with ready-to-wear, Donatella opted for lightness for
spring summer 2017. Silks, nylons, second-skin leather and fine gauge knits
dominated the catwalk. Sporty leggings and shorts put the focus on
outerwear, which was unfussy with the just the right amount of utilitarian
detailing. A supple suede coat and black nylon parka, both lighter than
light, were just two of the hero pieces.
The cropped candy apple red velvet trousers that opened Dame Vivienne’s
show proved this designer plays by her own rules. What followed were
equally sartorial challenges, such as an asymmetric cape with a neckerchief
tie and pony skin shorts, suiting trousers with mis-matching stripes and
men in gender-blurring dresses.
Dame Vivienne often uses her catwalk time to relay her political messages.
This season it was a video about Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder who
has been in hiding in the embassy of Ecuador for the past five years.
As is so often with politics, it can easily overpower the catwalk message,
and Dame Vivienne, often referred to as the queen of punk, never shies away
from delivering a bold message, even if her anti-establishment views come
at the expense of her presentations. While the jumble of styling shown on
the runway are more than just thrown together looks – there is plenty of
integrity here if they are dissected – there wasn’t any iconic fashion of
similar ilk to her now classic bondage trousers or pirate boots.
If there is a seventies vibe to be had, Neil Barrett took it on board for
his spring summer 2017 collections. All shades of brown were seen, from
caramel trousers to beige knitwear to patched mocha leather jackets, peanut
colored shirting and a cedar-colored biker pant with paneled inserts.
If that sounds like overkill, it wasn’t. Even if there was a Starsky &
Hutch moment, Barrett knows how to cut garments and keep his fabric choices
modern. He’s also commercially astute and takes retail seriously, so much
so that his business has reportedly seen it’s best year since he started.
Rodolfo Paglialunga has a difficult task at hand after filling the shoes of
so many revered creative directors at Jil Sander that the house, which has
also changed ownership several times, has somewhat lost its standing.
Paglialunga didn’t let himself be distracted from its history, and instead
kept to the codes of minimalist purism. Lines were clean, as seen on the
opening trench with dropped sleeves and exaggerated proportions. A beige
shirt suit with a flat front closure brought back memories of Sander’s
approach of elegant simplicity. The technical prowess of the Jil Sander
atelier is highly impressive, but artisan capability aside, the clothes
should be as aspirational as they are luxe, giving reasons to buy to
a customer who has everything at this disposal, especially choice.
FashionUnited will focus on the menswear catwalk season during the month of June, by featuring exclusive and in-depth coverage on Men’s Fashion Weeks. More on Pitti: . For all reads, click .
Photos: jilsander.com, versace.com, Neil Barrett SS17