Milan Fashion Week: Valentino challenges masculine views

MILAN –

Howls from adoring fans filled the air as stars like actor Jacob Elordi and Italian singer Elodie arrived for the Valentino show, which opened Milan Fashion Week menswear previews on Friday.

Milan’s menswear calendar was missing some mainstays, but the return of Valentino’s menswear for this season kicked off the week with a lot of energy. The American artist d4vd provided a live soundtrack from the central stage and pumped music into the colonnade of Milan’s state university.

Students, taking a break from their regular class schedule, watched from under the colonnade as the fashion crowd in tents displayed notes on their heads for protection from the scorching sun – many regret dressing in black.

The show was something of a homecoming for the French-owned Italian brand: the fashion house’s founder, Valentino Garavani, staged his first menswear catwalk show in Italy’s fashion capital in 1985 and regularly showed menswear in Milan until his retirement in 2008.

Some highlights from Friday’s show featuring mostly menswear previews for next spring and summer:

VALENTINO ELEVATORS LOOKS WITH FLORAL DETAILS

Valentino creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli’s collection for next summer is rooted in tailoring with some feminine flair, seen in softening colors and flowing shapes. But it was the floral details that took the collection to the next level.

The suit is the basic look, starting with monochromes in white: jacket, shirt, tie and thigh-revealing Bermuda shorts. Black shoes, socks and accessories provided the urban edge.

The shorts were sometimes transformed into a skirt. And tailored bottoms – shorts, slacks or skirts – can be paired with a shirt, boxy top or silk V-neck with contrasting ties that flutter in the welcome breeze.

Floral notes elevate the looks, as eternal boutonnieres bring life to garments with sequins, appliqué, embroidery and graphic prints — never the same. From white and then black, the color palette exploded into fuchsia and pink, red and royal blue, with shades of gray, always in clean, studied monochromes.

The fashion house announced a donation to the university for scholarships for the next academic year. It also said it is working with a company that recycles, reuses or resells runway material, and is planting trees in Milan’s public gardens, close to Valentino’s Milan offices.

PREP MEETS PORN ON DSQUARED2

Dean and Dan Caten, the Canadian twins behind the DSquared2 label, unapologetically mixed ’80s teen innocence with a pornographic twist for their own take on risky business.

The designers took preppy schooly features like argyle knits, sports jerseys and basketball shorts and enchanted them with crystals, sequins and lace, for him or her.

Summer was reflected in the skin-bare ultra-mini skirts and shorts were mini, while T-shirts were short and sometimes shredded.

The casting summed up the collection’s bold ambitions: Italian porn star and director Rocco Siffredi flashed the photo risers, opening his jeans to reveal briefs with an X-rated image. Actress and model Julia Fox wore a white slip dress with a pretty ruffled hem and a large shell necklace. A lobster clasp tied a tight black dress that showed off the legs and torso of Spanish supermodel Esther Canada.

“If you like hotness on your menu, you’re at DSquared,” said Dean Caten gleefully after the show.

PLEIN’S BILLIONAIRE BRAND OFFERS LOOKS FROM JET TO BOARDROOM

People are back out and enjoying themselves “even more than before” in the post-pandemic world, said German designer Philipp Plein.

From the pinnacle of his three-brand group of 100 stores worldwide, Plein says the post-pandemic boom dipped slightly in May and concluded: “People are spending more on travel and enjoying life than on clothing.”

Plein fits into a trend that includes a full calendar of events. He hosted an Oscar party at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and a slew of invitation-only fashion events, confirming that the luxury customer generally wants to be courted with real experiences.

Billionaire, Plein’s luxury menswear brand, unveiled its latest collection at Milan Fashion Week, featuring novelties including a 24-hour jersey suit, allowing the well-traveled man to emerge fresh and meeting-ready from a soft double-face silhouette. Plein also included two denim looks, confirming a trend towards familiar comfort.

“They don’t get treated, washed, or destroyed,” Plein said, adding that his super-luxe consumer isn’t super-adventurous and looking for classic looks with a new twist.