Philipp Plein's fashion shows have become Milan's most hard-working exercises in excess. Before the clothes even hit the runway, guests had already been exposed to 10 synchronized swimmers flapping like dolphins in an Olympic-sized pool, four lifeguards posing on impossibly tall chairs, blasts of techno-music from behind shark billboards, and finally, cowboy-hat-wearing rapper Theophilus London mounted a wave runner and began singing live as he was dragged across the pool. When the clothes finally appeared, it was hard to even notice them, as all eyes were still locked on the water baby rapper. Plein's fashion tastes run as varied as his entertainment choices. There was a whole lot going on there, including military medallions scattered like broken mosaic patches over jeans, jackets, sweaters and even bathrobes, and studs covering almost every trim. If that weren't enough, Plein ended the proceedings with two tuxedo-clad acrobats, who literally flipped over their wave runners like a Las Vegas circus act.
Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
