This week, Wallpaper’s Nick Vinson will be reporting from the men’s shows in Milan, exclusively on Wallpaper.com, not only highlighting styles from the catwalks but also giving us the inside track on the fashion pack's comings and goings. Day 3: Nick checks out collections by Pringle, Valentino and Gucci and highlights some key looks from Bally, Church’s and Jil Sander.
Pringle of Scotland
With just a little over a year at the creative helm, it’s already clear that Claire Waight Keller is very focused in her vision for Pringle. She proudly showed off the 150-year-old Scottish label’s new graphic identity, developed with Fabien Baron (who is also working with her on the new generation of Pringle stores, slated to open later this year). Tailoring and knits, mainly in monochromatic black, white and grey, were clean, graphic and unembellished. Keller’s looks started with layering a shirt over a high roll neck and finished off with great blazers, Norfolk jackets or suits in British milled cloths, like slick mohair, specially developed for Pringle. There was plenty of great outerwear, notably her boxy pea coat with dark metallic buttons, and woollen overcoats with beaver collars (a man’s fur, if ever there was one). Her chunky sweaters in 16-ply cashmere will be on many a wish list come Christmas.
Valentino
Milan's Borsa (Stock Exchange) was the venue for the Valentino show, which seemed a good place to present elegant suiting in Prince of Wales check, tweed and herringbone, that was both super chic (as you would expect) and surprisingly youthful. Of the suits, the two-button double-breasted were the best, shown with the two Milan essentials, a slim short pant and a lace-up ankle boot.
Gucci
Gucci’s show venue is a former cinema. This week it was transformed (with no expense spared) into a kind of modern European ski resort, complete with a towering open fire in the lobby, plush cream carpet underfoot, a runway built out of slabs of grey slate, and benches upholstered in grey goat skin. Designer Frida Giannini called the collection ‘Snow Glam’. That meant trekking boots emblazoned with a historical Guccio Gucci crest from the 1950s, belts with deer antler buckles and fur – a material that has appeared on most of the runways, but none more than Gucci, where it appeared in at least every other exit and in every form, from tiny fox scarves tucked into shirts and cardigans to full on fur coats. Most wanted were the hand knits that opened the show in Gucci’s trademark forest green or dark red, worn under super slim tweed suits with fox collars.
Bally
Pants in Milan on the whole have been slim and cropped, perfect to show off the shoe of the season, which is actually an ankle boot, either laced or side zippered like this one from Bally. Flat with an elongated toe and right on trend, this benefits from a flex sole, so pliable you can bend it back on its self, giving extra comfort.
Church’s
The Prada Group recently acquired the remaining capital in Church’s English Shoes. Despite having its historical base in Northampton, they present their collections in Milan where they have two stores and a showroom. The latest offerings are hardly directional, but with the help of Prada’s refined eye, the proportions of the lasts have been tweaked just enough, which for classic shoes makes all the difference. This Redhill now comes with a storm-welted sole, which gives it a wider look.
Jil Sander bag
Nylon and leather – wadded, padded or quilted – have made an appearance on most of the runways, in coats (green leather parka’s at Burberry and today at Gucci), jackets (at Neil Barrett) and even pants (at Emporio Armani). At Jil Sander, Raf Simons used wadded stretch baby calf for this manbag.
INFORMATION
Milan Fashion Week is not just about the shows. Here’s Nick’s guide to the hottest spot, eatery and style of the day.
Spot: Smeraldo Theatre
The opening night of Aeros at the Smeraldo Theatre, to see the Missoni Sport costumes for the cast of Roman athletes.
Eatery: Gold
A lot of the visiting fashionistas took a moment to check out Gold, the new bistro, restaurant, bar and café opened recently by Dolce e Gabbana.
Style
The roll-neck, first spotted neat and precise at Jil Sander, and today shown under shirts at Pringle and at Gucci where silk roll necks replaced dress shirts for the evening.
