In Pictures: Milan Men’s Fashion Week, the key collections

Milan Men’s Fashion Week made a star-studded return to the fashion capital with a jam-packed schedule of 66 appointments, including 25 fashion shows, many of which had guests sitting in sweltering 34 degree heat to view collection’s for the coming year. However, the soaring temperatures didn’t sway the fashion crowd, who still came out in hoards to get a glimpse of what to expect for the spring/summer 2023 menswear season.

This edition’s calendar was filled to the brim with brand’s either returning to the schedule or celebrating a particular landmark. Versace and Gucci were among those making their return, while the event also boasted a selection of first-timers, including the likes of JW Anderson, Indian designer Dhruv Kapoor and English brand Charles Jeffrey Loverboy.

FashionUnited has selected some of the key collections shown during the event, with everything ranging from bold activewear to elevated tailoring.

Moschino

In a homage to Tony Viramontes, Moschino’s SS23 menswear collection featured bright, popping colours and painterly illustrations that referenced the late artist’s work. In fact, part of the line was made in a collaboration between the fashion house’s creative director Jeremy Scott and the Viramontes’ estate, with many of the linear prints and motifs replicating the fashion illustrator’s work. “I wanted to shine a light on this brilliant creator,” Scott said, in a release. “He may not be a household name, but Tony Viramontes is a force.”

The bold aesthetic was carried throughout the collection via abstract visages and expressive strokes present on everything from sharply tailored suits to pleated skirts and sarongs. The range of formalwear contrasted that of sport coats and combat boots, bringing a modern twist to the expressive line.

Etro

This season marked Kean Etro’s last collection as the label’s menswear creative director and, with it, he celebrated today’s utopian view on poetry. Formulated around the power words have of igniting moods and sensations, the collection aimed to capture poetry’s way of “shaping inner chaos”, a press release read, shown through flowing, delicate garments such as caftans and kimonos.

Male models sported t-shirts and shirts adorned with broderie anglaise as well as crushed satin suits that juxtaposed linens and silks, each with the intention of encapsulating a sense of sensuality.

Billionaire

Designer Philipp Plein returned to the Milan Fashion Week calendar for this season with Billionaire, presenting a collection shown at the terrace of the Four Seasons Hotel. For the presentation, a group of gentlemen stood on low podiums in front of a mirrored wall, each donning tailored looks from the elevated line. Alongside brightly coloured suits, models also wore silk robes and pyjamas designed to fit a luxury holiday aesthetic. The garments were styled next to a series of leather travel accessories, sharp coloured hats and a range of sneakers and slip-on loafers, completing the summer time fits.

44 Label Group

For its Milan Men’s Fashion Week physical debut, 44 Label Group presented its ‘Full of Fire’ collection, a product of German techno artist and producer Max Kobosil. The designer’s creative background was evident in the collection’s concept, which revolved around the refusal to be labelled by others and the forming of new paths made through positive emotions.

This could be seen in the disassembled, raw-edged and layered garments that ran through the entire line of genderless silhouettes. The t-shirt, considered the core force for the brand, was at the centre, and stood alongside trousers, shorts and skirts each in conflicting materials. Many pieces drew inspiration from a utilitarian attitude, contrasting torn details, over-dyed printing and 3D embroidery.

Emporio Armani

For SS23, Giorgio Armani looked to subtly touch on uniformism for Emporio Armani’s new collection, albeit with skin-revealing cuts and lightweight details. A series of co-ords took centre stage during the presentation, many of which came complete with deconstructed shirts with vertical openings and slits. Soft, pleated trousers and shorts, some of which bore a rope waist fastening, were paired with more tailored jackets utilising the same prints, while other looks took on a more casual appeal, such as palm tree printed hoodies and tracksuits.

Plein Sport

Plein Sport also returned to the fashion week calendar for this season, with a presentation showcased in an industrial location in Milan. Activewear styles, designed in the Plein Sports Lab, aim to advance stamina and boost execution, the label said in a release, with this particular collection centred around a ‘Tigers’ concept. Styles include scratches, thunder strokes and tiger-influenced embroidery and prints used in t-shirts, biker shorts, hoodies, joggers and trainers. Next to the collection, the brand debuted its new mobile store concept, ‘Plein Sport Truck’, which is set to travel to several European cities.

Dsquared2

Dsquared2’s collection drew inspiration from the life of a Jamaican surfer, with prints, crochet and knits all influenced by a laid back, easy-going lifestyle. A selection of outerwear, bags and t-shirts displayed prints and patches that paid homage to the Bob Marley Foundation, whilst other pieces came complete with a Honda logo, as part of the brand’s collaboration with the motorcycle company.

Flared denim, oversized tailoring, relaxed fits and pieces with the Jamaican flag colours – yellow, black and green –, all in line with the theme, were layered together in a mismatched manner, again mirroring the mellow lifestyle the Italian brand aimed to capture.

Fendi

Fendi’s bohemia-like collection drew inspiration from the natural world around us, with a colour scheme reflecting the earth, sea and sky – ochre, cornflower blue and silver grey – and prints reminiscent of weather patterns that were displayed alongside cowhide motifs and psychedelic logo use. Accessories included in the line pointed towards a typical summer holiday, with souvenir tropes like beaded daisy chains, baguette bags, friendship bracelets and bucket hats each playing a prominent role on the runway.