The spread of a new round of the epidemic on the European continent has led to the announcement of the cancellation of the physical fashion show at this season's Milan Men's Wear Week, which is undoubtedly a worse thing for Milan Men's Week, which is already facing an existential crisis such as declining influence, the departure of local big names and the lack of cutting-edge design power.
First, designer Giorgio Armani announced the cancellation of the Emporio Armani and Giorgio Armani Autumn 2022 Menswear Show scheduled for Milan on January 15 and 17, followed by JW Anderson's announcement on January 10 that it would cancel the physical fashion show and instead show it online for this season's Men's Week. The Pitti Uomo Men's Wear Show in Florence, held a few days before Milan Men's Wear Week, also saw a collective cancellation of fashion activities by brands due to the epidemic.
Ann Demeulemeester, which became Pitti Uomo's guest guest brand this year, announced the cancellation of a fashion event scheduled for January 12 at the old railway plant in Florence, Stazione Leopolda, due to the pandemic. Brunello Cucinelli retained the events of Milan Men's Week and cancelled the activity plan at Pitti Uomo.
Brunello Cucinelli's Fall/Winter 2022 collection
Although the absence of these brands has reduced the volume and attention of Milan Men's Wear Week to a certain extent, it has not made the entire fashion week flat. On the contrary, after more than a year of digital fashion shows, brands have figured out how to make fashion the focus of attention again and how to make fashion re-evoke people's desires.
As far as this season's Milan Men's Wear Week is concerned, people can still experience the psychological comfort that fashion can bring. Although the epidemic continues, in the face of the overall recovery trend around the world, designers have realized that they should let optimism and positive emotions dominate their designs. Over the past year or so, because of home work and social distancing, many brands have used "comfort" as an "excuse", abandoning the most charming sense of standardization and ceremony in menswear, and using the comfortable and concise style of "laziness" to summarize the men's clothing style in the post-epidemic era.
Tod's Fall/Winter 2022 menswear collection
However, the return of physical fashion shows and the scheduled fashion week have brought the external connections established through online live broadcasting in the past two years back to reality, and many brands have suddenly realized that it is time to step out of the comfort zone of "nesting for more than a year". Escapism is not advisable, and it is feasible to fight back against reality with the "horse-catching" fashion that returns to neoclassicism.
So, witty humor, standards blending individuality, classical elegance and modern contemporary neoclassical style throughout the Fall/Winter 2022 Milan Men's Week. Around neoclassicism, designers racked their brains on tailoring, silhouettes, colours and combinations, trying to reinvent the contemporary look of menswear after the overflowing street sports and minimalist style. They reinterpret the classics, pay homage to the classics again, look back at the past and look to the future.
Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons named Prada's Fall/Winter 202 menswear collection "Working Body" and used uniform-style designs related to work characters to show real-life conditions. Long-time partner AMO re-established the Prada Foundation Deposito Hall into a highly realistic performance stage, followed by Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Asa Butterfield, Jeff Goldblum, Damson Idris, Kyle MacLachlan, Tom Mercier, Jaden Michael, and Louis Partridge, Ashton Sanders and Filippo Scotti, ten well-known Hollywood stars, were invited to appear in turn, as if recreating the classic scene on the fall/winter 2012 menswear series runway a decade ago.
Prada's Fall/Winter 2022 menswear collection
As the brand wrote in the press release, "Realistic symbol elements open a dialogue with elegant and refined imagery, celebrating the real everyday", Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons offered a new style for menswear styles, that is, a combination of pragmatism and functionality. Oversized bomber jackets, leather trench coats and parka coats are Raf Simons' "bootleggers" and self-expression of careful thinking, while mohair trims, glossy patent leather, sporty and technological fabric fusion cuts are in line with Miuccia Prada's consistent approach to recreating the classic. Whether it's the rigid silhouette or the design of modern work uniforms with industrial coldness, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons consciously or unconsciously show the sense of power behind menswear, calling people back to the classic era of menswear that had not yet been invaded by street trends.
In the context of turbulent reality, people inevitably have a sense of escapism, so exerting subjective initiative to go back to the past in fashion design is a good way to use fashion to construct a spiritual utopia. Silvia Venturini Fendi has apparently found the best cut in this season. In Fendi's Fall/Winter 2022 menswear collection, Silvia Venturini Fendi infuses the elegance of the Old World into the thriving 1920s with timeless classics.
Fendi's Fall/Winter 2022 menswear collection
The ultra-short double-breasted jacket, oversized formal pants, Marjorgee Brogues with strap design elements and the matching tuxedo reflect the Roman elegance of Fendi's veins. The cape, culottes, the models' exposed shoulders, draped shoulders and shawl sleeves are a direct expression of Silvia Venturini Fendi's masculinity in classicism. Ruffled patent-leather O'Lock loafers and two-tone Brock Chelsea boots maximise the collection's nostalgic vibe. After completing the contemporary reinvention of classical aesthetics and the romantic reproduction of masculinity, Silvia Venturini Fendi's feedback to reality is the core elements of the neoclassical menswear style - elegance and complexity, for which it is important for Silvia Venturini To continue to change the dress code for men.
Also in Zagna's Fall/Winter 2022 collection, group artistic director Alessandro Sartori once again emphasizes the importance of exquisite tailoring for menswear with a "four or two thousand pounds" breeze and brings neoclassicism to a more practical level that is more in line with real life. After completing brand actions such as going public in the U.S., consolidating the brand's product line, launching a new brand logo, and co-branding with Fear of God, Zegna has embarked on a new journey. Perhaps because of the beginning of a new journey, Alessandro Sartori did not give this new collection too much baggage.
Alessandro Sartori recreates the classic men's wardrobe concept and redefines traditional formal dress, emphasizing the seamless interface between indoor and outdoor living. The multi-layered layering, as well as the fusion of different styles and functions, run through the theme of this season's design. The flowing yet neat overall silhouette provides the flexibility to adapt to real life, while cloaked coats and jackets, cargo coats, parka coats, cotton coats, pullovers, narrow leg pants, and detailing at the neckline and pockets meet the most basic practical principles of men's dress code.
Zagna's Fall/Winter 2022 collection
On the other hand, Jonathan Anderson may not have intended to "compete" with Silvia Venturini Fendi, but the two discussed masculinity. Jonathan anderson focuses on redefining the silhouette of masculinity in the collection, and his designs are inspired by gorgeous party extravaganzas, creating a shared wardrobe for young boys and girls in a clearly genderless design. At the same time, he also regained the youthful vitality of the party of yesteryear, with silver or sequin-embellished leggings, colorful knitted sweaters woven into coarse cloth, two-tone patchwork short jackets, filled animal-type handbags of various shapes, and all kinds of fragments from real life to add childlike innocence to this wardrobe, which is dedicated to young people who linger on the dance floor and can only be relieved by revelry.
A meticulous look at life allows Jonathan Anderson to always blend the ordinary into unusual silhouettes in unexpected ways. Isn't this playful expression of reality and the precise deconstruction of classical silhouettes exactly what we expect him to be?
JW Anderson's Fall/Winter 2022 menswear collection
In my opinion, Etro presented the best runway of Milan Men's Week this season.
For Kean Etro, it's important for young people to keep dreaming, so he kicked off Etro's Fall/Winter 2022 menswear show with a set of timeless and subtle pocket books. The books are connected by common threads full of deep meaning, and the contents are different, but no matter how thin or heavy, they can be placed in the pocket and accompany the reader on an emotional and intellectual journey. From here, young people embark on a long and unknown journey to seemingly distant but reachable destinations.
Etro's Fall/Winter 2022 menswear collection
Thanks to the bookish atmosphere brought by the pocket book, Kean Etro was able to present a troubadour-like romance in the series. The gentle and crisp silhouette is complemented by a variety of full-bodied colours arranged in monochromatic colours, cool grey and cobalt blue, intense purple, forest green and orange yellow, bright red, electric blue and a little mustard, complemented by a black and white motif, while the fabric is made of delicate and tactile materials, with wool, velvet, jacquard silk and rubber interweaving the brand's classic paisley motif. This new collection with a strong bohemian style, like a dose of adrenaline, brings kean Etro's "optimism" at the same time, but also allows us to see the confrontation and collision of men from adolescence to adulthood.
DSquared2 embarks on a journey to rediscover the world in the series. Rope-detailed coats, rubber parka coats, rubber camouflage pants, technology fabrics and rucksacks and other outdoor design elements make the collection full of deliberate noise. Although it is not so much in line with neoclassicism, if we disassemble it carefully, we can still see the classics hidden in the details, which are mixed in, blurring the boundaries between different styles and allowing people to experience the playful humor of neoclassicism.
DSquared2 Fall/Winter 2022 Menswear Collection
In the 1017 Alyx 9SM, Matthew Williams continues to show the sharpness and indifference of fashion. Masculinity and femininity create a sharp contrast over the silhouette of the garment, and even though the technological futurism still creates most of the flashes of the collection, Matthew Williams has re-embraced authenticity and practicality with restrained tailoring.
The 1017 Alyx 9SM Fall/Winter 2022 menswear collection
The discussion among the biggest names is still going on, and rookies from China, Japan and India have left their mark on milan menswear week this season.
KB Hong is now presenting its new collection digitally at Milan Fashion Week for the third year. Like previous seasons, KB Hong's exploration of oriental aesthetics begins with timeless classic elements in men's wardrobes, such as bespoke suits and long coats, but through futuristic elements such as cascading designs and metallic fabrics, the collections are also given a rigorous and elegant men's look.
Unlike other brands that were born out of Japanese street culture, designer Hideaki Shikama has built a complete cultural community of skateboarders, street dancers and hip-hop stars. Through the deconstruction and reinvention of Vintage clothing, Hideaki Shikama creates a recognizable menswear aesthetic with vintage collages, military elements, and traditional Japanese prints.
Children of the Discordance Fall/Winter 2022 Menswear Collection
Dhruv Kapoor from India continues his exploration of the pop aesthetic of the future in his latest AW22 collection. Geometrically patterned leggings, ribbed knitted backshirts, military-inspired coats with psychedelic swirling patterns, geometrically embroidered truck jackets and furry bucket hats are reminiscent of cool '90s party attire. In the midst of the hyperboyant future imagination and retro nostalgia, Dhruv Kapoor also maintains a focus on real-world social issues. It is reported that 40% of the clothing ingredients in this collection are made from recycled fabric waste, and the designers also help the Hothur Foundation foundation to create jobs for survivors of sulfuric acid attacks in Indian society.
Dhruv Kapoor's Fall/Winter 2022 collection
While neoclassical menswear and brick-and-mortar fashion shows have returned, the digital technology that has helped brands maintain a continuous dialogue with the public and the outside world during the pandemic has not been abandoned by brands, but rather has become an auxiliary tool and the primary way for brands to complement the integrity of their narratives. During this season, designers continue to experiment in both the real and virtual worlds: JW Anderson unveils NFT creations; Fendi partners with crypto hardware wallet Ledger to release a collection of crypto hardware wallet accessories designed by Silvia Venturini Fendi; Alessandro Sartori shoots a video of the new series at Oasi Zegna, with models walking through a snow forest. Sweep away the haze of the real world.
Fendi has partnered with Crypto Hardware Wallet Ledger to launch a series of crypto hardware wallet accessories
The combination of reality and digital technology has brought new ways of presenting fashion. While the coldness and untouchability of digital technology is undeniable, the megatrends have proven that virtual digital technologies will be more integrated with fashion in the future, and the fact that the two coexist and promote each other is almost a foregone conclusion.
This was a situation that people did not expect before the epidemic, but now it has become a new normal. Now designers are responding to reality with fashion again, they travel through different time and space fields, find inspiration from the classics of the past and the reality of the present, use cut, craftsmanship, silhouette and color to pull the neoclassical aesthetic back to the men's world that has been "dormant" for more than a year, and once again inject authenticity into menswear. Thanks to these designers, we were able to see the return of menswear authenticity. WWD
Written by Karlie
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