Mood board: It was a high tech punk heaven as Philipp Plein delivered his latest blockbuster show in Milan that set man against machine – or, to be more precise, robot against woman. Plein’s woman is a fierce, fearless one who is a warrior on the streets as well as the nightclubs – she’s thrown out her high heels for spiked flat boots and studded up platforms and she’s got enough leather and silver to fill up a band of high-end Harley’s Angels.
Scene setting: An enormous conveyor belt was set up inside a huge warehouse on the outskirts of Milan where models were ‘assembled’ like packaged goods by gigantic swinging machines, as if at a car manufacturer. If that weren’t enough Plein also stationed a robot band called CompressorHead, a musical group of non-humans whose metal heads bounced back and forth as they punched on drums and hammered on their guitars. Next? A screaming live concert by none other than Courtney Love. It was unreal, as usual, and setting the bar ever higher for master showman Plein.
Best in show: Plein has never met a silver stud he doesn’t love and this season – dubbed #PleinPunk could not have been any different. Though the oversized vintage men’s jackets looked great with rows of pyramids and triangles, it was really the finale of dresses and bib necklaces that were covered in a densely tangled web of silver metal nails, spikes, studs, and pins that looked the coolest.
INFORMATION
Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
-
Jeweller Ara Vartanian and rapper Swizz Beatz team up on a fusion of spiky silhouettes, sculptural forms and seductive gemsA pairing that's been in the works since 2019 – and finally we get to see the results
-
The new CLA brings Mercedes's all-electric know-how to a new market sectorMixing high tech moves with tremendous tactile qualities, the buttery smooth new Mercedes-Benz CLA is an electric winner. Wallpaper* drives across Denmark in a triumphant new car with a three-pointed star
-
Collagerie and Zara Home debut perfectly imperfect furniture and accessoriesLucinda Chambers’ Collagerie collaborates with Zara Home on a collection that is an ode to the everyday
-
With an ode to Italy, Homme Plissé Issey Miyake brings its brand of fashion magic to Florence’s Pitti UomoMarking the start of a new nomadic way of showing for the Japanese label, Homme Plissé Issey Miyake held its S/S 2026 show at Florence’s Villa Medicea della Petraia as part of Pitti Uomo last night (18 June) with a collection inspired by the colours and textures of Italy
-
Milan exhibition celebrates 20 years of Armani Privé: ‘Haute couture is fashion when it becomes art’Hosted at the Tadao Ando-designed Armani/Silos, ‘Giorgio Armani Privé 2005-2025, Twenty Years of Haute Couture’ displays an expansive collection of the Italian designer’s showstopping haute couture creations
-
Milan Fashion Week Men’s S/S 2023: Fendi to PradaFrom Prada’s exploration of archetypal menswear garments to JW Anderson’s much-anticipated debut in the city, the best of Milan Fashion Week Men’s S/S 2023, as it happens
-
Milan Fashion Week A/W 2022: Prada to Bottega VenetaIn this extended report, Scarlett Conlon reports live from the Milan Fashion Week A/W 2022 shows, with rolling coverage as they take place on the runway
-
The filmic vision of Paris’ virtual men’s fashion weekTake an in-depth look at the trends of Paris' fashion week for Spring/Summer 2021, where brands turned to the moving image to express their collections virtually
-
Giorgio Armani A/W 2020 Milan Fashion Week Women's -
Bottega Veneta A/W 2020 Milan Fashion Week Women's -
Ports 1961 A/W 2020 Milan Fashion Week Women's
