Milan Fashion Week: menswear

Prada, Spring/Summer ‘09 (scroll down to read the review)
Prada
It was back to basics at Prada. Well almost. Classic pieces from a chap’s wardrobe - and an important part of Prada’s repertoire - like the trench, blazer, shirt, sweater and polo were re-worked and re-proposed in new variations.

The trench, in signature Prada nylon gazar, was worn hung off the shoulders, kept in place by a strap that looked like it came from a Prada backpack. A simple tug down the front and you have a straightforward trench - no doubt how they will be sold, come spring.

Most of the tailoring, in classic Prada tech mohair and wool as well as denim, had been perma-pressed, so it resembled garments fresh from the suitcase. This is a development of a technique Prada introduced last year. Pant hems were longer than of late, trousers resting on the military style shoes finished with natural rubber bands, a material also shown in its natural yellowish tone as outerwear.

Prada introduced new proportions, the higher waist on the pant, a much shorter almost cropped length for knits and some jackets, and the much longer: in the case of polo shirts which finished at the knee (yes the knee). Often short was shown over long, and jacket cuffs were turned back exposing more than the shirt cuff beneath. There were also plays on volumes, especially with the shorter pieces, sometimes inserted into the back to push the off-the-shoulder look further.