Small gems were to be found tucked away behind all the glamour and glory at Milan Men’s Fashion Week.
Jewel colours
Soft neutrals are always expected for spring/summer, so imagine our surprise to see pops of rich, vibrant peacock shades appear in among the beige. Glistening deep teals, shimmering berry tones and iridescent greens made brief and glorious appearances. Etro offered a deep turquoise leather jacket and shorts combo, while Salvatore Ferragamo’s emerald silk suit made us green with envy.
Graphic designs
Hectic graphic patterns were a big little trend. Merrily clashing decades, Marni gave us a 1970s floral shirt covered in a 1930s, Sonia Delauney-esque motif. Dolce & Gabbana went for a Chinese-inspired repetitive pattern, mixed with heavy, embroidered flowers. Ferragamo stayed with surfer-style T-shirts, while Fendi went all out with graffiti-inspired patterns.
Stripes
Stripes are never far from menswear (most suits are pinstripe, after all), but it is always interesting to see a fresh approach each season. Prada went for bold, knitted, horizontal stripes that peeked out from under block-coloured layers. Ferragamo had the most fun, however, embracing the full wonder of it all with vertical snakeskin stripes in sunshine yellow, turquoise and oxblood.
Distressed surfaces
Amid the polish and finesse, there is always a place for artful distressing. Diesel Black Gold had jeans that were ripped, stitched, laced and crinkled. Tod’s had leather and canvas jackets that looked like an artist had taken a broad brush to them, while Dolce went for gentle pre-ageing. The brand’s leather pilot jackets had dirtied seams and a constructed patina, as if they had lived a full life already.
Laces
Whether as fastenings on clothes, detailing on jackets, or a way to keep one’s shoes firmly in place, laces are a big thing this season. Hiking boots with bright yellow tie-ups screamed the point home at Bottega Veneta, while Gucci gave us dainty lace-up Monarch Ghillies, the favoured shoe of Scottish dancers. Z Zegna took a more nautical route with suit shirts that required lashing up.