No 21 S/S 2019 Milan Fashion Week Men's

Mood board: There’s a crisis of masculinity being explored by designers in Milan. Muccia Prada riffed on ‘sexy’ with her neat, boyish clothes and short shorts, whilst Francesco Risso at Marni focused on body positivity and a new athleticism, adding high-resolution crops of erotic photography by artist Florian Hetz. The sensuality of masculinity is a new niggle for designers working right now; norms are being reset. At No 21, Alessandro Dell’Acqua started looking at the desire for light and warmth. ‘I envisioned Cuba consisting of sunsets, colours, cocktails and palm trees,’ he said, transferring this to a collection of clean, natural simplicity. Sensuality is represented here in the sci-fi glare of red PVC trench coats, paired with crisp, natural cotton boxers; grey mohair shorts worn with sandals and nude socks.
Best in show: The clothes riff on the warmth of the body against the chill of virtual culture. The body is exposed in multiple, diverse ways. A single sleeve is peeled off close-fitting knits to reveal a bare arm, pyjama collar shirts are worn nonchalantly open and pulled low at the back of the neck. A classic loopback jersey sweatshirt in grey marl is turned inside out – a tiny gash runs along the collarbone. Backstage photographs from the label’s last show are inserted into clear PVC chest pockets on shirts and printed on the back of coats.
Team work: A good raincoat is a summer staple. Dell’Acqua collaborated with the Swedish brand Stutterheim, adding signature white stripe detail to classic fisherman slickers. Alexander Stutterheim launched the label after discovering his grandfather's old fishing coat hanging in an abandoned family barn on the coast near Stockholm in 2010. The get-together of his serviceable, well-constructed outerwear and Dell'Acqua’s preoccupation with the primly perverse is surreal and sleek.
No 21 S/S 2019. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
No 21 S/S 2019. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
No 21 S/S 2019. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
No 21 S/S 2019. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
London based writer Dal Chodha is editor-in-chief of Archivist Addendum — a publishing project that explores the gap between fashion editorial and academe. He writes for various international titles and journals on fashion, art and culture and is a contributing editor at Wallpaper*. Chodha has been working in academic institutions for more than a decade and is Stage 1 Leader of the BA Fashion Communication and Promotion course at Central Saint Martins. In 2020 he published his first book SHOW NOTES, an original hybrid of journalism, poetry and provocation.
-
A24 just opened a restaurant in New York and it’s as cinematic as you’d expect
In the West Village, Wild Cherry pairs a moody, arthouse sensibility with a supper-style menu devised by the team behind Frenchette
-
Yinka Ilori’s new foundation is dedicated to play and joy: ‘Play gave me freedom to dream’
Today, artist and designer Yinka Ilori announced the launch of a non-profit organisation that debuts with a playscape in Nigeria
-
Benjamin Moore's 2026 colour of the year is here — and it's a perfect balance of 'comfortable and chic'
Silhouette AF-655, a soft mocha-charcoal hue, draws inspiration from classical suiting and timeless interiors
-
The story behind Gian Paolo Barbieri’s cinematic fashion photography, which helped define the 1990s
A new Milan exhibition explores the legacy of Gian Paolo Barbieri, a photographer who would shape a vision of Italian style alongside collaborators Versace, Armani and Valentino
-
The key takeaways from the S/S 2026 shows: freedom, colour and romance define fashion’s new chapter
We unpack the trends and takeaways from the S/S 2026 season, which saw fashion embrace a fresh start with free-spirited collections and a bold exploration of colour and form
-
The independent designers you might have missed from fashion month S/S 2026
Amid a tidal wave of big-house debuts, we take you through the independent displays that may have slipped through the cracks – from beautiful imagery to bookshop takeovers, museum displays and moves across the pond
-
From wearable skincare to scented runways, unpacking the unconventional beauty moments of fashion month S/S 2026
The S/S 2026 season featured everything from probiotic-lined athleisure to fragranced runways – and those Maison Margiela mouthguards
-
In Milan, the fashion world gathers to say goodbye to Giorgio Armani at his final show
Originally planned to mark the 50th anniversary of Giorgio Armani’s eponymous house, Sunday evening’s runway show at Milan’s Pinacoteca di Brera would prove to be the last from the designer, who passed away earlier this month aged 91
-
Dario Vitale makes sexually-charged debut for Versace, inspired by the ‘bold attitude’ of Gianni Versace
Succeeding Donatella Versace, the ex-Miu Miu design director is the first to helm the brand outside of the Versace family. His debut last night in Milan was staged within the opulent rooms of Pinacoteca Ambrosiana
-
The standout shows of Milan Fashion Week S/S 2026
This season in Milan, the city is enjoying a wave of creative director debuts, from Demna at Gucci to Louise Trotter at Bottega Veneta. Here are the Wallpaper* highlights so far
-
Milan Fashion Week S/S 2026: live updates from the Wallpaper* team
From 23-29 September, Milan Fashion Week takes place in Italy’s fashion capital. Follow along for a first look at the shows, presentations and other style happenings, as seen by the Wallpaper* style editors