A languid elegance defines S/S 2026’s most desirable menswear, where lines between the ornamental and the utilitarian are blurred, and perfection is eschewed in favour of the effortless and the undone.

A series of these looks are captured in the pages of the May 2026 Design Issue of Wallpaper* (on newsstands now), photographed by London and Paris-based image-maker Ana Garcia and Italian stylist Nicola Neri amid the serene interiors of Ed’s Shed, a wooden Adjaye Associates-designed home in London’s De Beauvoir neighbourhood (it takes its name from owner Ed Reeve, an architectural photographer).

Each captures a juxtaposition between the functional and the dressed up – whether the voluminous line of a pair of Dior cargo pants, their layered back inspired by a Winter 1948 haute couture ‘Delft’ dress, or the purposely creased texture of a Zegna suit, its surface covered in safari jacket-style pockets.

Elsewhere, the mood is conjured through intriguing layering: a Loro Piano jacket slung around the waist, a cardigan emerging from the neck of a Loewe jacket. Other pieces simply capture the effortless elegance of the S/S 2026 season, like a JW Anderson wool coat, worn here with a decorative Dries Van Noten necklace, and nothing underneath.

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Models: Amedeo Mancini at The Claw, Vincent Rockins at Kate Moss Agency. Casting: Monika Domarke. Grooming: Lachlan Mackie using Sam McKnight. Set stylist: Haruka Kogure. Photography assistant: Ricardo Muñoz Carter. Fashion assistant: Olivia Renouf. Production assistants: Danielle Quigley, Archie Thomson, Indy Davy. Set assistant: Cedrick Jison. Photographed on location at Ed’s Shed, London N1, edsshed.co.uk

A freewheeling mood took over this season‘s menswear shows, seeing designers embrace the ‘irrational’ and the eccentric with colourful, experimental collections which in the heat of Florence, Milan and Paris captured summer’s uplifting energy. Indeed, designers from Rick Owens to Rei Kawakubo, Sabato De Sarno to Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons, spoke of a shift towards hope and optimism, albeit tentative. ’I want to hope for some light, even if very small,’ said Kawakubo, while Owens called his hundreds-strong runway cast his ’white satin army of love’. Meanwhile, the looming Paris Olympics – and its message of global unity and personal tenacity – was unavoidable, seeing preparations transform the city as a backdrop to both the menswear and haute couture shows which followed.

After the shift in recent seasons towards quiet, understated luxury – and the undeniably safe collections this often yielded – it felt like a refreshing re-emergence of men’s fashion month, which thanks to blockbuster shows from the likes of Pharrell Williams at Louis Vuitton is shaking off any suggestion of its demise. Here, we unpack the S/S 2025 menswear shows – from ’irrational’ clothing to couture-level craft and eclectic new takes on tailoring.

Nothing was what it seemed

‘Truth and pretence, the real and the unreal.’ So began a Prada collection which saw Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons urge the viewer to look closer, ‘to question the actuality of what we perceive, to reconsider, to look at things closer’. Staged amid a ‘fairytale ravescape’ – whereby models emerged from a vertiginous white cabin, which before the show had been blaring techno music – this was a collection of illusions, from belts that were in-set into trousers to trompe l’oeil Breton striped T-shirts, or trousers which appeared to be made from tailoring wool but were actually printed cotton. Elsewhere, shirts under sweaters or cardigans were constructed as a singular garment. ‘Viewed from afar, pieces can pretend to be other,’ said the designers. ‘Details may seem simplistic, naïve, but up-close, physically, perceptions transform.’ It was disorientating fashion, for disorientating times, where even the appearance of reality is no guarantee (just prior to men’s fashion month, Meta introduced a label for Instagram and Facebook which tagged images that had been ‘made with AI’). And trompe l’oeil would appear throughout the season: at Acne Studios, denim was adorned with plastic chains, stacks of belts or printed rips and tears, while at Loewe, what looked like a cable-knit sweater was actually hand-painted fabric. ‘Things are not what they seem,’ said creative director Jonathan Anderson.

Designers embraced the ‘irrational’

Indeed, earlier in the month in Milan, the Northern Irish designer presented an equally illusory collection for his eponymous label JW Anderson. ‘Irrational clothing’, he described, noting that he was inspired by the free association of hypnotherapy (‘Inhale. Exhale. Are you feeling dreamy? Maybe a little delirious?’ read the accompanying notes). It made for a typically idiosyncratic outing – from enormous knitted house coats to Guinness-adorned knits and protrusions of coloured fabrics – which in part drew its liberated mood from viewing young people at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound festival. ‘The experimentation with clothing among younger generations is incredible,’ he said. ‘The eye has changed within menswear and within womenswear. People want something that is really challenging.’

This desire was echoed across the season, as menswear designers eschewed any notion of ’quiet luxury’. Martine Rose, who showed for the first time in Milan this season, adorned her stomping cast with prosthetic noses and tangled wigs, while at Rick Owens – undoubtedly a highlight of the season – the designer staged a Hollywood epic on the forecourt of Palais de Tokyo. There, his hundreds-strong ‘white satin army of love’ marched out in an arresting array of looks, from monastic hooded gowns and laddered jersey bodysuits to sculptural capes made from tarnished gold Japanese denim (‘megacrust’ is how Owens playfully described the technique). The showstopping spectacle was a celebration of fashion’s liberatory spirit, one which Owens likened to escaping his hometown of Porterville, California and running away to Hollywood. ‘[It was] the boulevard of vice I gleefully ran to to find my people, [the] weirdos and freaks.’

Craft was couture level

At a preview for his latest Dior Men collection – which was inspired by the South African ceramicist Hylton Nel – Kim Jones noted a growing desire from his consumers to have something entirely one-of-a-kind. ’People want something that nobody else has got,’ he said. It was part of the reason he introduced his first dedicated couture collection for men last season and, while his S/S 2025 show in Paris did not have any official couture pieces – he has said he will create a couture collection only once each year – one particular jacket took over 600 hours of hand-embroidery to complete. A similar veneration of craft came at Loewe, where intricate tabard-style tops were crafted from woven metal or delicate shards of shell, an echo of the extraordinary 'caviar' beaded pieces from his A/W 2024 womenswear collection where each of the thousands of tiny beads were embroidered by hand. Equally seductive was the simplicity of Norbert Stumpfl’s latest Brioni collection, shown in the serene gardens of Milan’s 18th-century Palazzo Borromeo d'Adda. There, his ongoing quest for lightness – a signature of his tenure at the Italian house – was formulated in the collection’s fabrications, which spanned featherweight wools, supple perforated leather and airy vicuña knits. Most spectacular, though, was the eveningwear, where one double-breasted dinner jacket was embroidered with 10,000 baguette beads, each one hand-knotted in silk thread.

But there was still a slice of reality, too

If the enthusiasm for ‘quiet luxury’ has tempered in recent months, there nonetheless remained an appetite for the particular pleasure of real clothes – perhaps best epitomised in Paris by Auralee, Ryota Iwai’s Tokyo-based label which celebrates ten years in business this year. In its relative normality – there were no tricks here, just sweaters, jeans, and the like – it was impossibly desirable, the type of collection which makes you want to throw out your entire wardrobe and start again. It is down to Iwai’s exacting but uncomplicated approach, where tactile, meticulously sourced fabrics (Peruvian Alpaca, Mongolian cashmere, New Zealand wool, Indian cotton) meet a sensitive, considered palette (this season: pale green, red, buttercup yellow) which makes it anything but boring. ‘People put a lot of pressure onto their clothing, perhaps hoping to make a huge statement but I’m more interested in how smaller changes can highlight something about the wearer,’ Iwai told Wallpaper* prior to the show.

There is nothing normal about Hermès – and yet, despite Veronique Nichanian’s dedication to painstaking craft and truly luxurious fabrications, her collections end up feeling entirely effortless, and even thrown on. This season, she said she wanted to evoke ’a sweet summer’, and as ever there were plenty of real-world clothes here: breezy Oxford shirts, blouson jackets and bowling-style knits – in a palette of blues and pale pink – would fit into any man’s wardrobe. The same goes for Dries Van Noten, who has made a career of instilling the quotidian with a louche romance. His final show – earlier this year Van Noten announced he would be leaving his namesake label after 38 years – was a celebration of this, presenting a final collection which captured the designer’s distinct eye for colour and tactility. For this, he will be missed. ’This is my 129th show; like the previous ones, it looks ahead. Tonight is many things, but it is not a grand finale,’ he said. ‘Creating is about leaving something that lives on.’

The suit is still ripe for reinvention

Each season, it feels like there is a diktat on the suit: it is double- or single-breasted, narrow or full, cropped at the ankle or pinched at the waist (as such, it often deemed emblematic of the season’s mood). For S/S 2025, though, there was little consensus, except that the suit remains ripe for reinvention, as designers across the board riffed on the garment in differing and distinctive ways. At Loewe, the show opened with razor-sharp black tailoring, evocative of the uniforms of security guards or gallery attendants. ‘This is my own interpretation of precision,’ said the designer, who noted inspiration from the ‘singular’ creative vision of figures like Paul Thek, Peter Hujar and Susan Sontag, whose work populated the show space. But there was illusion at play here, too: the fabric, a woven silk mohair, was designed to hold its shape with an almost-spongey finish. ‘These are things [that] are incredibly difficult to do but that which when you see them it feels effortless,’ he said.

There was experimentation of a different kind at Junya Watanabe, where the Japanese designer’s paean to denim included classic wool tailoring spliced with the fabric for an intriguing hybrid. Meanwhile at fellow Japanese label Comme des Garçons, Rei Kawakubo’s Homme Plus collection contained plenty of tailoring cut in the designer’s cerebral manner, whether sliced-apart tailored jackets adorned with ruffle-like collars, or those out of which flashes of vividly coloured lining emerged. Colours were equally vivid at Issey Miyake Homme Plissé, where double-breasted blazers, waistcoats and ties were crafted from the brand’s signature lightweight knife pleats in crisp shades of green, orange and blue. Entirely crease-resistant, and undeniably easy in their roomy, stretchy silhouettes, they will prove a useful companion next summer. And, for the brave, so too will Gucci’s super-abbreviated tailored short shorts, part of a youthful S/S 2025 collection which creative director Sabato De Sarno said was inspired by the ’freedom, energy [and] community’ of surfing.

Sportswear was given an Olympics boost

Even for the most sports-averse, it was near-impossible to avoid the looming summer of sporting events ahead on menswear’s European tour – whether the Euros (which Emporio Armani hosted screenings of in both Milan and Paris), or the Olympics. The latter, taking place in Paris later this month, felt particularly prescient, not least because Parisian luxury goods conglomerate LVMH is one of the event’s principal sponsors. Unsurprisingly, then, Pharrell Williams evoked the Olympic spirit at his third menswear show at Louis Vuitton, which was held at Maison l’Unesco and made a plea for global unity and community (in fact, if you squinted, you could see the Olympic rings adorning the Eiffel Tower in the distance). ‘[It is] the celebration of human athletic prowess,’ said the designer, who featured several football kits adorned with ‘LVFC’. Meanwhile, at Wales Bonner, the British designer continued her successful collaboration with Adidas Originals, which here featured a shimmering sequinned version of the brand’s Samba sneaker, alongside slouchy basketball shorts and hoodies, striped polos and – most memorably – a pair of three-stripe swim trunks. And at Gucci, Sabato De Sarno’s surfing inspirations made for a collection of sleek, graphic menswear in sporty, luminous tones – including one of the season’s most covetable accessories: sunglasses on fluoro straps, worn like chokers around the neck.

From a rare glimpse inside the V&A’s extraordinary Chanel archive with Oriole Cullen, to conversations with some of the world’s finest designers and creative directors – among them Margaret Howell, Martine Rose, Véronique Nichanian, Julien Dossena and Lucie and Luke Meier, as well as on-the-rise names, like Willy Chavarria and Aaron Esh, who are reimagining the fashion landscape – I’ve chosen these interviews for the way they reveal the stories behind the figures who have defined the year in style. 

Top 10 fashion interviews of 2023

01. Julien Dossena on the evolution of Rabanne

‘I can feel the evolution,’ Rabanne creative director Julien Dossena told me of his ten-year tenure at the French house in a wide-ranging conversation taken from the September 2023 Style Issue of Wallpaper*. Following founder Paco Rabanne’s death earlier in 2023, he spoke of keeping the pioneering couturier’s spirit alive (‘he left behind so much, all those radical moments of modernity’) while forging his own path forward. ’When you wear Rabanne chainmail, it’s really a feeling,’ he says. ‘There is a sensation between the garment and the skin,’

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02. Oriole Cullen takes Wallpaper* inside the V&A’s extraordinary Chanel archive

Taken from the November 2023 Issue of Wallpaper*, V&A senior curator of fashion and textiles Oriole Cullen granted us a rare look inside the institution’s extraordinary Chanel archive just prior to the opening of ‘Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto’, its latest blockbuster fashion exhibition. ’It’s about chic, simple clothing, looking at movement and the body,’ Cullen says of the French couturier, whose designs set the template for the modern woman’s wardrobe, while also setting a blueprint for the contemporary designer with astute branding and self-promotion. ’She was happy to be front and centre.’ 

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03. Véronique Nichanian talks seeking pleasure and perfection as artistic director of Hermès’ men’s universe

‘We are always thinking: what is the classic of tomorrow?’ said Hermès’ Véronique Nichanian, artistic director of Hermès’ men’s universe, of how she approaches her celebrated menswear collections for the house in our March 2023 Style Issue. Inviting me into her Paris studio, the designer – who has been at the French house for three decades – talked about seeking pleasure and perfection in her clothing, and never looking back. ‘I want to bring happiness to people – in the sensuality of the fabric, or the colour, or something that makes you say “wow”.’

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04. At home with Margaret Howell

As part of our ongoing ‘At Home With’ series, cult British designer gave Wallpaper* a glimpse inside her domestic life – which is split between south-east London and a holiday home on the Suffolk coast – in our March 2023 Style Issue. Accompanied by her own iPhone photographs, Howell talked to me about her treasured objects, finding inspiration and her favourite place to spend a rare spare moment: ‘relaxing in my little bathtub with a view of the setting sun on a summer’s evening, listening to In Tune Mixtape on BBC Radio 3.’

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05. Norbert Stumpfl of Brioni is making clothes to feel good in

In Wallpaper’s November issue, Brioni creative director Norbert Stumpfl opened up about his creative process and design philosophy, which centres on creating truly luxurious menswear that’s a pleasure to wear – and has gained him a legion of high-profile fans during his five-year tenure, from Brad Pitt to Jude Law. ‘[I’m drawn towards] reduction, the desire to make something more simple, but still leave a powerful image,’ he told me. ’In collection fittings, we put on a lot of details to try things out. Then we take things off until we arrive at the place where [the garment] speaks for itself.’

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06. American designer Willy Chavarria on his lifelong love of Dickies

Selected as part of the ‘Wallpaper* USA 300: A Guide to Creative America’, the award-winning designer Willy Chavarria – whose distinct approach sees him infuse his collections with references to his Mexican-American heritage and the melting pot of cultures he witnesses in his home city of New York – spoke in August about his collaboration with Dickies. Talking utilitarian design, authenticity, and buying his first pair of Dickies at Kmart, it’s a collection which gets to the heart of his lifelong fascinations. ‘It’s very special to get to design a collection for a brand that I have grown up wearing and admiring,’ he says. ‘To me, the most elegant look will always be a clean, pressed pair of Dickies pants worn with a crisp white T-shirt.’

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07. Lucie and Luke Meier’s eclectic new vision for Jil Sander

Speaking in the run-up to their A/W 2023 show for Jil Sander, wife-and-husband duo Lucie and Luke Meier talked to Scarlett Conlon about their latest collection, which began with the pair looking back to the 1990s music scene. ‘It's quite unexpected,’ they said at the time of the heady, freewheeling collection, presented in Milan in February. ‘We’re always evolving as people and our ideas are always progressing are always changing,’ said Luke. ‘Fashion is exhilarating because it’s a dialogue with what's going on in the world.’

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08. Sofia Prantera introduces a new chapter (and address) for her cult streetwear brand Aries

Just prior to its opening, Aries founder Sofia Prantera invited me into the brand’s first-ever store in Soho as the label completed its evolution from niche streetwear brand to cultural ubiquity – all the while retaining its DIY roots. ‘I think what I picked up from skateboarding is this DIY attitude to things – you don’t need everything to make something work, you just need an energy,’ she said. ‘When people say ”the death of streetwear”, it’s just the death of a kind of streetwear – the type replicated by mass production. But it’s not the death of the spirit of streetwear.’

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09. Aaron Esh takes us behind-the-scenes of his debut London Fashion Week show

British designer Aaron Esh – a recent Central Saint Martins graduate – invited Wallpaper* beauty and grooming editor Hannah Tindle into his London studio in the run-up to his much-anticipated debut show at London Fashion Week. Taking place on one of the upper floors of Tate Modern’s Blavatnik Building, with expansive views of the city beyond, the assured debut cemented him as a young designer to watch. ‘It’s the clothes that I see when I’m at a house party; or the clothes someone would wear to do an off-license run,’ he said. ’There’s an authenticity and realness to the clothes, mixed with beautiful tailoring and amazing craftsmanship. That’s what we’re trying to achieve.’

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10. ‘I wanted sexiness, and cheekiness, and fun’: Martine Rose on her Italo-disco-inspired show at Pitti Uomo

Early in 2023, Martine Rose decamped from London to Florence to show her A/W 2023 collection as part of the city’s historic menswear fair Pitti Uomo. Choosing Florence’s outdoor Mercato Nuovo and transforming into a shag pile-carpeted, mirror-walled nightspot for an ode to Italo-disco that merged ‘Italy and London together’. ‘I wanted sexiness, and cheekiness, and fun,’ she told me after the show, which captured the feeling of letting yourself loose on the dancefloor – all in the designer’s unique, idiosyncratic style. 

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To describe the design philosophy behind his collections at Italian menswear label Brioni, Norbert Stumpfl evokes the work of Swiss architect Valerio Olgiati. In particular, his Villa Além in rural Portugal, a monolithic modernist home inspired by the 14th-century Court of the Myrtles in Granada’s historic Alhambra Palace. Slanted walls around the exterior give the appearance that the home is opening ‘like a shoe box’, as Stumpfl describes, while the Court of the Myrtles’ rectangular reflecting pond is replaced with an elongated swimming pool embedded into a stark concrete courtyard. Olgiati said he wanted a place he and his wife could feel ‘abandoned’.

‘It’s so reduced, it’s so powerful,’ says Stumpfl from his own sparse, white-walled office in Brioni’s headquarters on Piazza di San Bernardo, a small square on Rome’s historic Quirinal Hill. ‘It’s always something I go towards: this kind of reduction, the desire to make something more simple, but still leave a powerful image. In collection fittings, we put on a lot of details to try things out. Then we take things off until we arrive at the place where [the garment] speaks for itself.’

It’s an approach that in part derives from Stumpfl’s reverence for Brioni’s fabled archive of fabrics, which currently numbers around 800 and has been at the heart of the Roman house since its founding by master tailor Nazareno Fonticoli and business partner Gaetano Savini in 1945. Stumpfl says that the starting point of his collections ‘is always the fabrics’ (largely created in Italy, with a handful made in British and Japanese mills), which he hopes have a guise of simplicity, their ease-of-wear belying the hours of work such materials take to produce.

The evolution of Brioni

For this, he chooses a metaphor close to home: Italian cuisine. Having lived in the country since 2019 – just after his appointment in September 2018 – Austria-born Stumpfl is well-versed in the country’s philosophy of not tampering with good ingredients. ‘Brioni is like an Italian dish,’ he smiles. ‘You have the most incredible ingredients, you do very little to them, and then you have something amazing.’

When Stumpfl began his tenure, Brioni was a house in flux, having gone through three creative directors in a short five-year period. Among them was Justin O’Shea, a former fashion director of German e-retailer Mytheresa, who – despite having no formal design experience – undertook a radical transformation of the house in 2016, reimagining the house’s logo in a gothic font and hiring Metallica as brand ambassadors. He would last just six months in the role. His successor, Nina-Maria Nitsche, an in-house hire, was also out after less than a year.

Then known to few outside of a small number of industry insiders, Stumpfl nonetheless came to the role with more than a decade of design-team experience from a roll-call of Parisian fashion houses. Beginning his career on the fashion master’s degree at London’s Central Saint Martins under then course leader Louise Wilson – where he met his wife Daphne Karras, who collaborates with Stumpfl on Brioni’s recently introduced womenswear collections – he would go on to work in Lanvin’s menswear department under Lucas Ossendrijver for more than eight years, before undertaking roles at Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton and Berluti.

Stumpfl’s tenure at Brioni has seen the designer strike an astute balance between the house’s roots in tailoring – ‘we have to be very careful with existing lines because some of the customers have been clients for 15, 20 years so are very loyal to the brand’ – and a sense of modernity defined by precise, minimal designs and a physical lightness and ease (much of his tailoring is unstructured and without shoulder pads). For a heritage house, there is little stuffiness. ‘It’s a bit more open, a bit more modern. We know the rules, but we are able to break them.’

Most of the inspiration behind his collections comes from observing the way that men dress in Milan and on his travels (‘I’m always a bit of a spectator,’ he says), as well as his interactions with clients, ‘listening to what they’re looking for, what’s missing from the collection’. He is also close to Brioni’s high-profile roster of ambassadors, including Jude Law and his son Raff Law, and Brad Pitt. ‘I have a lot of conversations with them because I want them to feel good. Brad Pitt gave me this tip about dressing all in one colour – if you don’t know what to wear, wear a single colour. It’s such an easy trick and something I didn’t have at Brioni before: a matching blue suit, blue shirt, blue knitwear. It just looks fresh again.’

Eveningwear, Stumpfl says, has become more ‘eccentric’ during his tenure, a place for him to play out vivid expressions of menswear inspired by the house’s roots in the Italian jet set of the 1950s and 1960s. ‘In the 1950s, Brioni was really an avant-garde label,’ he says. ‘When men were only able to wear black, navy or ivory [eveningwear], Brioni would come out with fuchsia, or canary yellow, or would use womenswear haute couture fabrics, or create a tuxedo from lace. That’s how Brioni was born, there was always this feeling of eccentricity.’ In 2021, Stumpfl designed a gilded tuxedo and matching shirt for Leslie Odom Jr to wear to the Oscars, crafted from a fabric woven from golden silk and 24kt-gold thread (a version is now available via Brioni’s made-to-order service).

‘Just ten years ago, people were saying a suit could only be worn with a shirt or tie,’ he says. ‘There’s still a customer who has to dress up in a very traditional way, but generally there is a change in menswear: the tie is gone, the shirt is replaced by a beautiful cashmere silk polo shirt. On a summer day, I just wear a jacket over a T-shirt or tank top and it just looks so fresh. In the collections, we sometimes put a suit with a white sock. It’s all these slight changes that make things look a bit more interesting, and move tailoring forward, too.

Stumpfl, who himself has a humble, understated demeanour, is determined that his collections do not overpower their wearer, but instead instil them with quiet confidence. ‘It’s a bit of a break from the past, where Brioni could feel a bit untouchable. I want people to put on the garment and feel completely themselves,’ he says. ‘Clothes that make you feel a little bit better than you ever expected.’

Brioni’s A/W 2023 collection is available from Harrods.

brioni.com

A version of this story appeared in the December 2023 Entertaining Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print from 9 November, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today!

‘We started by thinking about what our connection is to Florence,’ said husband and wife creative duo Luke and Lucie Meier, after presenting Jil Sander’s A/W 2020 show at the historic Santa Maria Novella Piazza. Connection is a suitable synonym to sum up brands' thinking at this year’s Pitti Uomo 97, which mused on our relationship to fabrication, handcraft, the cultural climate and the natural world we inhabit.

Join the sartorial dots behind menswear’s autumnal unveiling...

Jil Sander

Jil Sander creative directors Luke and Lucie Meier met in 2001 as fashion students at Polimoda in Florence. Since taking the reigns of the famed Germany-founded Milan-based house in 2017, the duo have cultivated a timeless, materiality and handcraft-focused aesthetic that chimes with the artful heritage of the city. ‘Our discovery of making and craft started here,’ the duo said backstage. ‘It’s so important to have the hand touch.’ It’s a prescient message amidst the frenetic whirl of the Pitti Uomo trade fair, that hosts hundreds of brands each menswear season.

At the brand’s majestic show space at the historic Santa Maria Novella, piles of vibrant orange marigolds lined the runway, a reference not just to the desert flowers the Meiers discovered when exploring South West America, but also to the medicinal properties of botanical-inspired products found at the nearby Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy, the world’s oldest (and most resplendent) of its kind. Here, models strode to Bjork’s Hidden Place in impeccably cut cashmere coats and capes, shirts with abstract watercolour splashes and soft mohair tabards. There has always been a push and pull behind the duo’s aesthetic, which unites minimalism with maximalism and the artisanal with the futuristic, and there was a softness bought to the more pared back shapes with fringed shawls, orb shape hammered-metal jewellery and tasselled shoulder bags. ‘We just do what we think feels right,’ they added. It’s an intuition that is spot on. 

Herno

The 72-year old Lesa-based company is a leader in highly performing, technically expert outerwear, and now Herno fans can also put their best outdoors-focused foot forward with its first sneaker. The label has teamed up with fellow Italian mountaineering shoe brand S.C.A.R.P.A. on Herno Laminar Assoluto, a technical trail running-inspired shoe in five colourways, ranging from black to reflective silver. True to Herno’s performance focused heritage, the style is anything but a fashion sneaker, and is constructed using waterproof, windproof and breathable Gore-Tex, and features a Vibram Megagrip sole. The ultra lightweight style weighs merely 320g, and is the ultimate accompaniment for wood, mountain or desert hiking, or simply sauntering to the office.

Armani Exchange

Armani bought a sense of fairground fun to Pitti Uomo’s tradefair terrain, setting up an Armani Exchange-themed funfair, complete with high striker and water pistol games. The brand’s accompanying A/W 2020 collection featured a cacophony of casual and sportswear essentials, ranging from chunky sole sneakers, AX logo backpacks and puffer jackets. Game on!

Woolrich

At the end of 2019, Woolrich opened its Snow Experience Room at its Manhattan flagship space, allowing customers to try out its protective parkas at glacial temperatures dropping to -20° Celsius. For it’s A/W 2020 presentation, it also had something Arctic in mind. On entrance to the brand’s hangar-size presentation space, guests were asked to layer waterproof rubber socks over their shoes, before stepping into an icy snowscape lined with powder-topped trees, with snowflakes falling from the air. The snow globe-like set up celebrated the 190th anniversary of the American outerwear label’s signature Arctic Parka, which has been redesigned for autumn in three different categories: Luxe, Tech and Eco.

Brunello Cucinelli

It’s no surprise Brunello Cucinelli threw a luxurious banquet dinner to kick of Pitti Uomo 97, the Italian label’s business grew an impressive 20 per cent in 2019. Luxuriousness lies at the heart of the Solomeo-based company and it’s A/W 2020 ‘Town about Man’ collection was comprised of sumptuous pieces, including a cashmere pinstripe tracksuit and impossibly soft vicuña overcoat. Burnt tones abounded in the offering, which included sporty puffer jackets with houndstooth panels, cord jackets and rubber toed hiking boots. Cucinelli’s strength lies in its ability to blend clothing categories, and a cream cord tuxedo jacket was particularly contemporary. Now we just need another banquet to wear it to.

Margaret Howell

The British label celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and at an in-store Pitti cocktail party its guests made a toast to its A/W 2020 MHL collection. These are clothes that will travel timelessly not just into the next decade but into the next half century too, including colour blocked scarves, suede walking boots, fishing hats, stripe shirts and duffle coats. Cheers!

Telfar

The Renaissance splendour of Florence is palpable, and at Pitti Uomo guests gather in gilded and fresco-lined palazzos, at times pondering the raucous festivities and high jinks that once took place in their splendid chambers. For Telfar’s show at the Palazzo Corsini, guests entered into a post-banquet scene: a circular dining table laden with leftover-inspired cuisine designed by Spiral Theory Test Kitchen, like littered bone marrow and juicy pomegranates, grapes and half swigged bottles of wine. Baths were filled with punch, table cloths were stained, floral arrangements drooped and partly made double beds and poufs provided seating.

For A/W 2020, renegade designer Telfar Clemens (who counted Solange, Michèle Lamy and Grace Wales Bonner in his audience), bought baroque tropes to his idiosyncratic take on Americana, and to an energetic live performance provided by hip hop group Standing By the Corner and Carrie Stacks, models sashayed and wiggled across the brand’s dining table stage, sporting Telfar logo varsity hoodies, flared denim and colour blocked puffer jackets, paired with striped plus fours, slouchy crushed velvet tracksuit bottoms, laced medieval shirting, densely ruched elastic tops, dandyish pussy bow blousons and ‘T’ logo riding boots. Clemens has long explored sartorial homogeneity and the nature of wardrobe archetypes in his designs – his brand’s affordable ‘T' logo shopping bag, has become a cult hit and is a democratic take on the It bag. Here, the banal was imbued with the baroque in a truly modern take on the Renaissance man.

Brioni

There was a sense of symphonic celebration behind the brand’s 75th anniversary presentation – after all the Roman tailoring house was the first menswear label to stage a runway show at Palazzo Pitti in 1952. For its septuagenarian send up, the label opened up the Renaissance rooms of the astonishing Palazzo Gerini, where framed by gilded cornices, intricate frescoes and jaw dropping chandeliers, members of the world’s most talented Philarmonic orchestras, from Berlin to New Zealand, performed wearing soft Brioni tailoring, in deerskin, washed silk, embroidered silks and glittering jacquards. ‘I wanted to create a kind of haunted house mis-en-scene’ explained design director Norbert Stumpfl of the space, which was festooned with ghostly swathes of fabric. In one resplendent room, father and son cellist duo Andreas Brantelid and Ingemar Brantelid performed Tchaikovsky’s ‘Variations on a Roccoco theme for two cellos’ amidst two banqueting tables which were eerily draped with gauzy white linen and illuminated by candlelight.

Valstar

Street style supremo The Sartorialist could be seen outside Pitti Uomo’s Fortessa Da Basso location, patiently waiting to snap its most sprezzatura-encapsulating attendees. Inside its space, Scott Schuman also made his menswear mark, debuting his varsity-focused capsule collection with Italian label Valstar, pioneers of the Valstarino, a sporty take on the A-1 flight jacket, first designed in 1935. Here, this signature jacket was reinterpreted in soft suede and with a hood, and styled with relaxed hoodies and pocket detail t-shirts, embroidered with the calligraphic letter ‘V’.

Random Identities

Since 2017, ex-Yves Saint Laurent and Ermenegildo Zegna creative director Stefano Pilati has been operating his SSENSE-stocked label Random Identities from Berlin. Stepping into the brand’s debut catwalk show space inside Florence’s old Leopolda station – a vast interior illuminated with red light and smoke – you’d have been forgiven for thinking you’d been transported to a vast industrial hangar of one of the city’s notoriously hedonistic night clubs.

Berlin is emblematic of freedom and fluidity, and these tenets are essential to Random Identities, which since its launch has been framed around Pilati’s own archival wardrobe signatures. On the runway, a gender fluid mix of Pilati's friends sported looks that mediated between evening wear and tailoring, sportswear and streetwear. Like an executive black suit and white shirt layered with a twinkling rhinestone embellished bra, camouflage parkas paired with light up trainers designed in collaboration with Li-Ning, oddly proportioned tuxedo jackets paired with chunky thigh high boots, and graphic intarsia knits swathed around the body. The mood was one of individuality, sensuality and triumph, and at the show's climax, Pilati himself took a turn on the runway clad in a camel cashmere coat and stompy riding boots, giving the audience a final peace sign before disappearing into the darkness of the venue.

Piquadro

The Italian leather goods company had us mentally reevaluating our luggage leanings, with its latest range of sleek brushed stainless steel aluminium suitcases. Available in a range of sizes, including handy carry-on proportions, the styles feature brown grain leather details, silent swiveling double wheels and TSA locks. For the more multihued minded, the label’s ‘Pop Collection’ also presented a series of lightweight polycarbonate styles in sunburst yellow and postbox red.

Brooksfield

There was a sustainable sensibility behind the Italian label’s latest offering. ‘The Green Project,’ sees its denim, knitwear and signature polo shirt reimagined in eco-friendly fabrics and dyes. Soft wool jumpers are knitted in delectable shades of bright orange, petrol blue and grassy green, coloured using dyes found in the food industry. Elsewhere a series of light hearted slogan knits had an environmentally-aware élan, emblazoned with the phrases ‘Done is better than perfect’ and ‘Urban forest not concrete jungle’.

Canali

The Italian label turns 85 this year, and unveiled three diverse and celebratory collections inside Florence’s Odeon Cinema, ‘Black’, ‘Exclusive’ and ‘Canali 1934’. Its sportier ‘Black’ range, unveiled last season, has a more urban focus, featuring hybrid puffer jackets, backpacks and sleek knitewear in shades of black, grey and neon green. Elsewhere, its premium ‘Exclusive’ line sees the introduction of a new suit style, featuring jackets with wide lapels and gathered shoulder seams and trousers with a high waist.

INFORMATION

pittimmagine.com

Konstantin Grcic may be the pre-eminent, certainly the most prolific, industrial designer of the era. But what he is not – by his own admission – is a fashion designer. In fact, of all the premier-league designers, Grcic, synonymous with the engineered and re-engineered, might seem the most ill-suited to the swish and swagger and seasonal flimflam of the fashion world. Patricia Urquiola and Marcel Wanders maybe; Grcic, no way.

But when we approached Grcic to be part of this year’s Handmade project – and of course we had to – working with a tailor was one of the first ideas he threw at us. And immediately it started to make sense. Quite the quiet dandy on the side, Grcic, it turns out, has long had an interest in the soft engineering of the bespoke and made-to-measure suit – the complex mechanics of cut and padding, and structure and compensation.

‘I have been fascinated by tailoring for a long time. I had a girlfriend who was a tailor,’ Grcic explains. ‘I appreciate the beauty of working with fabrics, how they become three-dimensional, and also the beauty of cutting into a piece of fabric.’ Grcic knew enough about tailoring, and the skills required, to leave well alone, though. ‘It was one of those things that I thought was fascinating, but didn’t really want to do myself.’

However, when we threw the Handmade challenge at him, he thought it might finally be time to take it on. Initially, his idea was to come to London. ‘When we started talking about the project I thought about Savile Row,’ he says. But we thought it made far more sense to put Grcic together with Brioni, the standard bearer of bespoke Italian tailoring, and see if they could come up with a centerpiece for our Handmade exhibition in Milan.

Grcic was perhaps more familiar with the English tailoring tradition – essentially the evolutionary jump from uniform making and still about creating a sort of civilian armour – than the looser, more fluid and more fashionable swing of the Italian suit. ‘I didn’t really make the connection with Brioni at first,’ he admits. But as soon as we did it for him, it’s fair to say he was as excited by the prospect as one can imagine a designer of his standing and experience could be.

Grcic’s MO has always been to understand the possible first, to look at how things are made, and then see if he can make them better, or at least make them in a different, perhaps better way. And so it was with the Brioni project.

Grcic found his way from Munich, where he is based, to Penne in the Abruzzo area of Italy to meet Angelo Petrucci, Brioni’s master tailor. Brioni was founded in 1945 when Nazareno Fonticoli, a tailor based in Penne, and his partner Gaetano Savini, opened the first Brioni tailor shop on via Barberini in Rome. But it is in Penne where Brioni’s suits are still made, where the company’s heart beats and where a Brioni tailoring school ensures there is always a new supply of master craftsmen to hand-make its suits.

‘Meeting Angelo was a crash course in that sort of tailoring,’ explains Grcic. ‘In the afternoon, after seeing all the making and the way they worked, he took my measurements. It is fascinating what information they use. Angelo is always observing, watching how you move, whether you move a lot, whether you make quite small, controlled movements, how much you stand still and what you do with your hands when you stand still.’

The pair, despite coming from very different traditions, developed an instant rapport. ‘We got on very well,’ says Petrucci. ‘Konstantin is an extraordinary person with respect to sensitivity, to being practical and to creativity. I was struck by his way of working – he considered everything just like a real “master tailor” and this is what struck me most. He immediately understood everything regarding the aesthetic level. Naturally, for the technical part, years of training are necessary’.

‘It was a really beautiful experience,’ enthuses Grcic. ‘Of course, your part of the process is making choices, and there are all these options. But someone like Angelo is not just an amazing tailor, he is also an amazing communicator, guiding you to make the right choices.’

But if Grcic was going to take on tailoring, it wasn’t going to be by reinventing the bespoke suit. He has too much respect for the years of training, the skills passed down from generation to generation, and the finely tuned intuition of the master tailor to walk in and try to un-seam it.

Looking through some of the archive material in Angelo’s office, Grcic came across an image of a young man wearing a cape and fell in love with the idea of a suit that reworked that idea and offered the wearer something like a personal environment, a two-piece suit with domestic powers of comfort.

Grcic returned to Munich and set to work on the sewing machine in his studio, mocking up a cape he could take back to Penne and let Petrucci and the team work their magic.

The challenge for Petrucci and Grcic was to produce a suit that from the outside was all about an elegant drape, about fluidity and movement, but that from the inside had the reassuring architecture of a made-to-measure suit, the security of a proper fit. ‘A good tailor really gives you a better body, makes you a better man. I really think there is a psychological aspect to it,’ says Grcic. ‘Tightening all those buttons on a military jacket makes you feel strong, make you feel like a superman.’

For Grcic, though, the appeal of the project was less about creating a new generation of caped superheroes or revolutionising contemporary menswear than getting to grips with a particular model of contemporary craftsmanship, a way of keeping hand-made relevant and practical on a commercial scale.

Brioni employs over 1,000 people at Penne, 400 of them tailors. And demand to enter the company’s tailoring school and join their ranks is intense. But what Brioni has at Penne is a factory. The stages of putting together a made-to-measure suit, and there are hundreds, are broken down and given to different craftsmen. It is, as Grcic describes it, a ‘human chain’. This is craftsmanship on an industrial scale, but also a company culture that is intimately tied to its original location and traditional skills.

And for Grcic, a designer who writes the story of production into each of his designs, this was a very good story. 

As originally featured in the August 2011 issue of Wallpaper* (W*149)

INFORMATION

konstantin-grcic.com; brioni.com

At Wallpaper*, we approach fashion with the same furrow-browed seriousness as we do architecture. And we like nothing better than bringing these twin passions together in a single project. So when the idea emerged for a work to celebrate our ‘Wallpaper* Handmade…in Italy’ exhibition, held at Milan’s Brioni house in April and previewing many of the unique works in this issue – we jumped at it.

We asked architects Carmody Groarke to build us an installation inspired by the perfect Brioni suit. The duo took their cue from the 12,000 stitches required to hand-stitch a Brioni dinner jacket. The result is a dramatic box framed by a lattice of 12,000 red threads pierced with white lights.

Tod's: Set in the grounds of the grand Villa Necchi Campiglio, Tod's presented a collection of fine menswear staples, giving each a luxury makeover. The collection was titled 'The Ride' and consisted of pieces fit for a man who travels but also likes the exhilarating high driving a classic sports car gives when hitting top speed. A classic biker came in super soft tan leather with contesting racing stripes racing down its front, while a field jacket and vest came with multiple pockets making them perfect utility travel companion. Elsewhere, a tech fabric printed with graphic geological map lines was used for windbreakers and board shorts, and a car coat cane in lightweight suede. As always footwear was key – the classic Gommino was updated with an espadrille sole and sneakers appeared with suped-up soles reminiscent of the sleek lines of a sports car.

Versace: The alerting refrain to The Prodigy’s Firestarter announced the start of Donatella Versace’s tribute to Keith Flint, the band's eccentric frontman who died this year. Models aggressively strode around a black rotating sports car covered in flowers by artist Andy Dixon in classic Versace ensembles. The opening section paid homage to the codes Gianni dabbled with in the early 1990s – fringed biker jackets were worn over T-shirts printed with vintage Versace fragrance ads, while narrow leather trousers came with laces up their sides. Elsewhere, sharply cut blazers were spliced together – one side black, the other great, and lurex track pants looked fierce in leopard. The tempo revved up further in a series of pieces that featured a car motif printed on denim jackets and outlined in crystal on shirts.

Bally: The brand took us on a fashionable hike this season, tapping into its Swiss heritage. A neat boxy cut jacket was printed with motifs from the Bally archive, while a silk shirt bloomed with mountain flora and fauna. Elsewhere, a minimalistic navy trench came with suede belt fastening cuffs and bright orange bomber carried multiple 3-D pockets reminiscent of a foraging vest. An innovative pleated leather technique developed by the brand was used to startling effect on an overcoat, tee and pair of shorts.

Church’s: Stepping out at Church's this season is an update of the brand's classic ‘Shannon’, this time appearing in a vintage guise with an artistically worn toe. Elsewhere, a women’s leather cross strap sandal was reworked for men with tiny silvers studs outlining the sole. These were shown alongside debut styles including a retro sneaker in nylon and suede, a British military inspired boot in canvas and leather deck shoe.

Alexander McQueen: Sarah Burton was in a reflective mood for S/S 2020, reminiscing on the frequent trips the team, lead by the late Lee McQueen, made to Japan in the Nineties. She was also thinking of how to translate the reconstructed, cut up and pieced together technique used in her women's A/W 2019 collection to menswear. Magnified flowers blossomed over sharply tailored suits, while crystal and metal embroidered birds sat regally on jacket fronts. Mystical dragon printed silk back panels added an exoticism. Elsewhere, a beige cotton gabardine trench appeared with silk bomber sleeves, and a frock coats lower half entirely constructed from shredded strips of insider fabrics from previous seasons.

Valextra: In an ongoing series of yearly interior overhauls, Valextra's Milan flagship store has been reimagined by architect John Pawson for its third incarnation. A pristine concrete space made up of graphic lines showcasing the brand's kaleidoscopic bag range. S/S 2020 sees a new collaboration with Moncler on a collection of three bag styles – a boxy utility satchel on a nylon fluffy pillow strap, a weekend bag and an oversized tote. Finally, a new customising service will launch allowing customers to have their initials made into a repeated pattern that can then be printed onto a bag base.

Canali / Black Edition: This season sees the debut of Black Edition, a 31 look apparel collection that will run alongside the tailoring-focused main brand. Relaxed cut jersey blazers were teamed with matching track pants, while zip up anoraks in tech fabrics and fine gauge knitted polos continued the sportswear theme. For the main collection suits in lightweight fabrics exuded an easy elegance.

Brunello Cucinelli: Spending time with Silicone Valley’s tech giants, Cucinelli was struck by their casual, laid back style. The designer is known for his smart, elegant clothes but for S/S 2020 the codes were relaxed and less formal. The collection was based on comfort, inspired by men who do not wear suits to get big business done. Suiting was more deconstructed in linen fabrications, trousers had a sportier fit, lightweight nylon jackets were cut with a lapel. The classic Cucinelli camel cable knit worn underneath suit jackets was swapped for a ‘Be courageous’ logo Tee.

Santoni: The Italian accessories label has never followed presentation convention and this season was no exception, with the brand holding an exclusive Cineclub in the grand setting of Palazzo Gallarati Scotti. Guests were invited to sit back and watch four short films, each of which had inspired the collection. Derby and loafer styles came in soft nubuck, while desert boots appeared in unlined suede. Elsewhere, deck shoes with an ultra-light sole, cross strap sandals and espadrilles carried handmade details and the brand's trademark double buckle. A new retro sneaker style with a gum sole completed the collection.

CP Company: For S/S20, the brand is looking back to look forward. Downstairs in the recently opened Milan flagship, archival styles including a rare battered tan suede down jacket from 1979 are on display alongside a mini lab, which hosts a special custom dyeing process. The season marks the start of an ongoing project with Too Hot Limited; customers can bring in their own pieces to be valued and swapped for credit to spend on something new. Urban sportswear with no nonsense and high-performance.

Etro: An X-wing starfighter was casually parked at the entrance to Etro’s S/S20 show. Framed by a set of the Italian house’s iconic patterned luggage, it marked the arrival of an exclusive collaboration with Walt Disney Pictures’ Lucasfilm. In anticipation of the ninth episode of the Star Wars saga, The Rise of Skywalker, motifs taken from the films’ history were printed onto the front of genderless staples. Hoodies, sweatshirts and a bomber featured graphics from 1977’s A New Hope. Blue striped shirting popped with familiar pictures of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and R2D2. A Star Wars logo t-shirt was worn beneath an exquisite bejewelled paisley blazer in an otherwise quintessentially elegant, nomadic collection.

Brioni: The Brioni S/S20 collection explored off-duty formality. Design director Norbert Stumpfl ushered in a down-time, relaxed attitude but still with impeccable style. ‘I wanted our guy to go on a rendezvous, a dinner,’ he said. ‘He’s out of the office.’ We know the Brioni man in the office, but what about other scenarios? The look was effortless, easy and expertly finished. A grey, washed silk trench was trimmed with leather. ‘If this is normally in the hands of somebody who doesn’t know what they’re doing it’ll look like a hot mess,’ he said. Track pants were in tailoring fabrics, t-shirts finished with aloe-vera. Double face blazers had the lightness of pocket square. ‘It’s like air,’ Stumpfl smiled.

Ralph Lauren Purple Label: Ralph Lauren took to the sea in a nautical inspired collection for S/S 2020. Seafaring troupes were updated in bold, graphic colour combinations – a wind sheeter came emblazoned with spliced together yacht flags inspired by an archive scarf print, while a lightweight intarsia knit jumper carried the motif of a lighthouse and ship. Eveningwear suits appeared in a riot of vibrant hues cut from decedent silk shantung, contrasting fine-gauge turtlenecks offered an air of ease. The seasonal ‘Ralph Suit’, inspired directly by the designers personal take on tailoring – a broad shouldered double-breasted jacket with neat waistline fastening at the bottom button – looked Italian Riviera ready in pale grey.

Giuseppe Zanotti: The distinctive blabber sneaker morphed into fresh iterations for S/S 20 – starting from minimalist black and taupe suede (with a clear rubber sole) all the way up to bright metallic gold. It came studded and in pearlescent leather too, for that extra Zanotti flourish. New for the season was a tie-dye story; Chelsea boots, moccasins and low-top sneakers in patterned canvas.

Trussardi Archive + Now3: Now in its third instalment, Trussardi's project Archive + Now invites creatives to reinterpret and evolve the brand's house codes in a seasonal collection. This time round designer Giorgio Di Salvo of streetwear brand United Standard was in the driving seat. Trousers and shirts were cut in butter soft leather giving a fluid feel, while a waistcoat was given multiple pockets. Elsewhere, sweatshirts and t-shirts were adorned with the brand's synonymous greyhound motif. Images and a film by cult artist Cali Thornhill DeWitt showcased the collection.

Serapian: For S/S 2020 Italian leather specialist Serapian launch its special 'Mosaico - Signed by our Artisans' collection of bags. Each item uses a unique technique developed by the brand's founder, Stefano Serapian, that involves braiding soft nappa stripes by hand to create geometric patterns reminiscent of Byzantine mosaics and Japanese origami. Oversized totes, compact crossbody and clutch bags find there signature monochromatic surfaces interrupted by coloured stripes woven in by the brand's master artisans.

Tom Ford: Tom Ford took a more minimalist approach this season in a pared down collection that played with classic silhouettes in subversive fabric combinations. Sharply tailored jackets were teamed with torso skimming shirts and fine gauge roll necks, while oversized coats where nonchalantly thrown over lean cut suits to emphasise the slim silhouette. Black leather was key – a neat biker and longer length blazer embossed in alligator added a touch of danger, while a classic sportswear zip up and track pants were given a luxurious makeover in perforated leather. Elsewhere, a series of pop coloured evening wear jackets came in a glistening leopard and zebra jacquard fabric. Bags in exotic skins came with concealed zips and robust hardware, angular sunglasses and a new square toed ankle boot expanded Ford's accessories range.

Armani/Silos Fabula Charles Fréger: Milan Fashion Week Men’s allowed editors the chance to catch Armani/Silos’ exhibition of the work of Charles Fréger. The photographer is famed for capturing different global communities, rituals and dress codes, and the showcase features over 250 retrospective images, from Steps, Fréger’s portraits of the Finnish ice-skating team, to the famed series Wilder Mann, a series dedicated to pagan figures, which crosses 18 European countries. The exhibition is on view until 24 March 2019.

Kiton: There was an air of expedition behind Kiton’s A/W 2019 offering, one crafted to cater to its on-the-go tailoring and travel obsessed customer. Suiting has taken on an ease, unstructured and more casual, with heritage houndstooth and Prince of Wales check taking on a renewed relaxation. The collection also introduces a range of outdoors worthy pieces new to Kiton’s canon, including luxurious parkas lined with fur and cosy sheepskin jackets.

Versace: RuPaul’s commanding refrain ’Shante you stay, Sashay away’ announced the start of Donatella Versace’s A/W 2019 show. The opening section paid homage to the bondage codes Gianni dabbled with in the early 1990s - harness printed T-shirts were teamed up with see through plastic trousers, while backless tailored jackets held together with straps where worn over baroque silk shirts. Elsewhere, sharply cut grey suits were given a high octane boost with floro lace linings and feather boa trims. The tempo revved up further in a collaboration with Ford. The automotive giants iconic logo was emblazoned over jeans and shirts. An update of the brand’s souped-up Chain Reaction sneaker came in leopard and an array of ultra brights.

Andrea Pompilio: The designer continued to evolve his unique approach to producing playful updates on wardrobe staples. He looked to rave culture and the early morning post club journey home for inspiration. Big and baggy proportions were key, with Pompilio turning up the volume on a plaid duffle, while elongated shirts appeared from under boxy blazers. Elsewhere, a macro-check wool overcoat had the ease of a dressing gown and jumbo cord trousers were teamed with plus-size sneakers. Other highlights included a down jacket and parka in mismatched heritage fabrics and tech nylon, and an anorak  emblazoned with leopard print.

Church’s: This season Church’s took a leisurely stroll around the streets of West London. Presented against a photographic backdrop of houses and front doors, styles were displayed on Church’s logo emblazoned door mats. The brands classic Shannon style appeared with a creeper sole and a bold silver buckle side fastening, while their Pembrey penny loafers were given a punk makeover and covered in flat studs. Elsewhere, the cobbler expanded its St. James’s collection with new bag styles and an elegant double buckle monk in soft grain leather.

Bed J.W Ford: Self-taught designer Shinpei Yamagishi was feeling reflective ahead of his Milan Fashion Week debut. Since 2010, his label – pronounced ‘Bedford’ – has become known for its street slouchy tailoring and play on gender codes. For A/W 2019 the duality was illustrated in thick wools paired with elegant satins, soft leather with nylon. There were fringed shawl collars on wool trench coats. Rolled velvet collars. Dusty jewelled tones of rust, amethyst and red. It is a languid eclecticism favoured by Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester and Haider Ackermann. New for the season was a capsule made with Adidas Originals. The sportswear brand’s iconic three stripes are brought inside the leg on purple velvet track pants. Sock boot sneakers had gently spiked soles.

Brioni: Newly appointed executive design director Norbert Stumpfl presented his quietly confident debut collection for Brioni in a velvet lined room. The sumptuous surroundings showcased a collection of considered pieces that focused on effortless tailoring with luxurious details. A formal coat hides a shaved beaver lining, while a softly cut blazer came with an astrakhan collar. Elsewhere, a field jacket was given an exotic makeover in crocodile and a trench appeared in butter soft leather. As always tailoring was key – blazers in knitted jersey and cashmere had an easy elegance. The collection also introduced the Primo suit, a new slender fit silhouette and minimal construction making it the perfect day to night uniform.

Brunello Cucinelli: The brand loosened things up this season in a collection that turned up the volume while staying true to the brand’s classic silhouettes. Generously cut caban jackets and roomy cable knit cardigans were effortlessly thrown over single and double-breasted blazers. A suit in Bordeaux cashmere moleskin had a casual gentlemanly elegance about it, while the easy yet luxurious feel continued with a series of corduroy tuxedos. Elsewhere, fine v-neck knits appeared from under shirts, and relaxed fit jeans came in premium Japanese denim. Brown leather trekking boots and suede Derbies with rubber soles added a rugged sensibility.

Dondup: The Italian label is known for its subtle detailing and sure-fire wearability. For the coming season, the modish, understated outfitter pushed an outerwear message with the warmest, urban chicest style; a trench in wool plaid had a generous volume. Sleeves on slim cashmere knits were extra long. A nylon parka had fuzzy, teddy bear lining. Standout were custom parachute patchwork cargo pants – a canvas of velvet, corduroy, ultra light nylon, silk and heavy cotton. They had a modern, military rhythm.

Giuseppe Zanotti: The glamour and glitz of the label’s namesake founder was front and centre with splashy, sparkling leathers and glimmering textures on its classic styles. Standout was the Blabber capsule of sneakers, a development from S/S 2019’s Urchin style. This elegant new shape for the brand has a double tongue and double silver eyelets, lending it a lo-fi, 1990s Japanese insouciance. Covered in 3D printed vinyl spikes, it’s still packed with Zannotti’s seductive joie de vivre.

Miaoran: The Chinese-born designer Miao Ran moved to Italy to study at the Politecnico di Milano and has a Masters from Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, where he teaches today. After some time working with Missoni, Ran launched his namesake brand in 2015 in Milan. He referred to his A/W 2019 show as a love letter to Milan – ‘seen through foreign eyes’. Earlier in the week Alessandro Sartori talked of the diversity and transience of the city; Ran’s approach is to remix its sartorial codes. From the clergymen to the Carabinieri and pizzaioli, the clothes had a monastic line. Washed denim was in workwear shapes. Fine-wool suiting had formal uniform details lined in hot-pink piping. Trousers were ruched at the waist. The clothes had a sombreness that felt local yet unknown.

Missoni: Angela Missoni presented the brands A/W 2019 collection in an installation created by artist Anton Alvarez. Mannequins stood amongst a series of colourful cylindrical sculptures dressed in a more minimalist Missoni attire. Striped unstructured blazers, grandfather style cardigans and chunky jumpers came in a refined colour palette of soft gradients - shades of camel fluidly morphed into ochre; crimson red into bright orange; and deep wine into electric blue. Texture was also key with different knit techniques often being layered over each other for tactile effect. In a special collaboration with Alvarez, two distinctive cable knit dégradé sweaters came with whirling relief patterns embroidered by hand.

Etro: There was a pinch of A Midsummer Night’s Dream’s playful Puck in Etro’s A/W 2019 collection, one designed to take wearers on a fantastical pastoral voyage, through verdant forests and across flowering fields. The offering abounded with medieval style tapestries, patchwork motifs, foliage prints, the house’s signature paisley and alchemical gold thread details, and featured sumptuous smoking jackets, bold suits, puffer jackets and shearling coats. Excellent finery for escapades in enchanted forests.

Ralph Lauren Purple: This season Ralph Lauren mounted his horse and channeled his deep affinity for riding in a collection rich with equestrian tropes. A soft suede bomber emblazoned with laser cut ridding motifs taken from archival scarf looked polo ready, while a gabardine raincoat featured the same scarf print as a lining. A generously cut wool overcoat closed with buckles was inspired by the RL Stirrup Watch, this also appeared on belts and sneakers with a strap fastening. Wool-cashmere turtlenecks, and Fair Isle sweaters were tucked into high-waisted trousers reminiscent of jodhpurs. A touch of fun came in the form of a coat made of Steiff teddy fur.

Santoni: The accessories house has never followed convention and this season was no exception, with the brand holding a mock auction to present their A/W 2019 collection. Guests were invited to bid on pairs of shoes, each lot being humourlessly introduced by the auctioneer. The brand’s classic double buckle monk appeared in shiny ebony leather with a slightly squared toe, while an ankle boot with eliminated seams looked super sleek. The brand’s signature lace-up mountain boots came in a high-top version with soft ankle padding and para rubber sole, alongside a low cut walking style. Elsewhere, loafers in exotic crocodile were toughened up with a chunky tread, and brogues came with untreated heals and soles. A range of running shoes using the brand’s unique artisanal approach and finest leather completed the collection.

Tod’s: Set in the grounds of the grand Villa Necchi Campiglio, Tod’s presented a collection of fine menswear staples, giving each a luxury makeover. A classic puffer came in super soft chocolate brown leather, while a utility jacket in pale grey suede had an easy elegance. These were teamed with fine cashmere roll necks and basket weave knitted jumpers. Elsewhere, neat bombers and overcoats were made in eco-sustainable fabric. As always footwear was key – pull-on boots came with a new toecap embossed with the Gommino pattern, the classic Tod’s moccasin got a sporty update with a neoprene inner sock; and sneakers appeared in brushed calfskin with a Velcro fastening.

Tom Ford: The designer took a more minimalist approach this season in a pared down collection that played with volume, while staying true to the brand’s sleek silhouettes. The focus was high voltage outerwear - a blown up black parka revealed a cosy duvet lining, while a super lightweight puffer in copper came with a double-breasted zip fastening. The protective yet luxurious feel continued with nylon jackets and matching trousers that could be worn uniform-like. Elsewhere, a black leather suit with pronounced topstitching along its seams added a touch of danger, and an arctic white cashmere zip-up hoodie looked après ready. Bags in exotic skins came with concealed zips and robust hardware, and a new more sturdy monk strap ankle boot expanded Ford’s accessories range.

Jimmy Choo: A statement hybrid sneaker/trainer/shoe is the footwear of today; Jimmy Choo’s A/W 2019 collection explored a retro vision of the future. A millennial penchant for the glamorous and bold encouraged creative director Sandra Choi to new limits. The Diamond style sneaker which premiered last season returned, but amped up. Based on a crafted racing shoe, its chunky, semi-transparent octahedron sole is designed to look as if you’re about to step into a brilliant gemstone. It is a nod to Cinderella’s slipper via rock-infused, sportswear-inspired 1960s Americana and the ergonomic metallic sheen of the mid-century space race. Fantasy and the final frontier.

After a year of design work and preparation, Italian menswear brand Brioni has opened the doors to its new David Chipperfield-designed store on Paris’ label-laden Rue Saint-Honoré.

Conceived as both a ‘gallery of clothes’ and a ‘destination point’, David Chipperfield Architects Milan set out to create a store concept that intertwines Brioni’s Roman roots and tailoring traditions with a new vision for its future set out by newly-appointed creative director Justin O’Shea. Following his appointment in April, O’Shea wasted no time in making his mark by revamping Brioni’s historical logo with a gothic-style font and hiring Metallica to star in the A/W 2016 ad campaign.

Architecturally, this fusion of past and present translates into classic materials such as grey travertine floors and walls – a reference to ancient Rome – being placed alongside more experimental elements such as a series of transparent metal mesh partitions and fixtures that generate a sensation of openness.

Spread across two floors linked by a giant stage-like staircase, the studio has created three zones within the 590 sq m space – the main store space, the VIP area and the changing rooms – all of which are defined by the change of experience and ritual rather than by the change of materials. ‘The idea behind the store display furnishing is that it should be adaptable and flexible, positioned in such a way that the store architecture becomes the background of the products,’ explain the architects, citing Mies van der Rohe as a key influence.

O’Shea affectionately describes the new concept as ‘a cool mix between branding, design and retail… and definitely one of the most beautiful stores I have ever seen.’

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Brioni website

Photography: © Kristen Pelou

ADDRESS

Brioni
370 Rue Saint Honoré
75001

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

Mood board: Brendan Mullane said he was bringing his Brioni man on a voyage 'up in the mountains, escaping in a forest as a storm advances,' but let's face it, Brioni's clothes are made to cut like wildfire through the urban sidewalk. In glowing shades of navy, forest green, charcoal and black, Mullane created another perfect wardrobe of fine suiting and his signature outerwear inspired by his traditional menswear fabrications.

Best in show: There were certainly some striking pieces influenced by Mullane's voyage theme, such as a sweatshirt cut like a tunic from uber fine cashmere, but we loved Brioni's basic suiting more, perfected this season with a slim trouser and cropped, double breasted jacket with two perfect front pockets.

Finishing touches: The accessories will work just as well on forrest hike as they will in a swampy city street. Stiff alpine boots were worn with formal suits along with oversized totes and backpacks with an array of shoulder strap contraptions.

INFORMATION

Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans

Scene setting: Though creative director Brendan Mullane name-checked architect Carlo Scarpa and referenced Venetian glass paintings as a source of inspiration, it was really the enormous horizontal box (the size of a giant truck) sitting in the center of the Brioni show space that most closely tied in with his spring collection. The same rectangles that were sliced out of the box's body to create negative space were recreated using brush strokes in the clothing. The wonderful graphic accents transformed silk suiting from the ordinary to the exceptional.

Best in show: Mullane proves that sophisticated sartorial clothing need not be snooze worthy. He treated us to formal wool jackets in grey green tones with brown suede pockets, fluttering silk shirts and high tech Japanese nylon anoraks that billowed like sails.

Finishing touches: No matter how formal things got – and formal they were; tuxedos, after all, remain Brioni’s bread and butter – everything looked cool thanks to the simple two strap sandals (without socks, finally!) that were worn with every look.

Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans

Pringle of Scotland: In a continuation of the Scottish house's 200th anniversary celebrations, Michael Clark Company dancers performed live to an intimate crowd at Corso Como wearing heritage Pringle of Scotland knitwear from as early as 1915, combined with the brand's new S/S16 knitwear pieces

Brioni: This season Brioni drew inspiration from architect Carlo Scarpa, whose work was sensitive to the changes of time, seasons and history. Models breezed in and out of a concrete structure in elegant steel grey suits worn with parkas made from high-tech parachute-thin Japanese nylon that billowed with movement

Piquadro: The Italian accessory brand focused on remodelling the backpack this season. The graphics of a 'motherboard', a symbol of modern technology and the Eighties' idea of the future, was reworked to camouflage effect in brilliant colours

Diesel Black Gold: The denim titan pushed outerwear into a realm that was quite simply out-of-this-world for S/S 2016.

Salvatore Ferragamo: One of our favourite design gallerists, Claudio Loria of Leclettico, designed the brand's jungle-inspired S/S 2016 set, packed with real plants and design pieces from Gabriella Crespi, for Ferragamo this season

Bally: The Bally man took to the mountains this season in a collection inspired by the great outdoors. Jackets came with multi pockets while hiking boots and a Swiss Army inspired backpack were given a luxe overhaul in python skin

MSGM: Swedish artist Anton Alvarez of graffiti 'Yarn Bombing' fame inspired in a new era of knitting at MSGM.

Sportmax: During men's week in Milan, several women's brands got in on the fashion action like Sportmax who unveiled its latest artist collaboration with LA-based illustrator Langley Fox Hemingway

Facetasm: Showing at the Armani Teatro, Hiromichi Ochiai of Facetasm presented a collection of oversized shapes with an architectural edge that merged a street style swagger with a sartorial elegance.

Z Zegna: For spring Z Zegna fused city tailoring with the energetic world of kite surfing in a collection of weightless silhouettes with flighty kite-inspired shapes paired with sharp formal attire

Ports 1961: Marble skateboards took us back to our youth at Ports 1961

Missoni: The house of the zig-zag checked into the season's plaid trend for S/S 2016.

Calvin Klein Collection: Italo Zucchelli took to America's west coast in a collection inspired by Ed Ruscha's photographs of Palm trees and the surf culture of the area

Santoni: In addition to the footwear brand's superb S/S 2016 collection of new elegant sandals and formal shoes, the brand collaborated with Patrick Kinmonth and Antonio Monfreda on its latest Milan presentation. The duo created hand-cut collages that were used on shoe pillows, a film and a giant book that was over two feet tall and all presented within Palazzo Bocconi that had been transformed into a summer garden to celebrate its 40th birthday. Here's a peak at the video

Santoni: The new Santoni colour card for spring 2016

Kiton: Naples in the 1940s and the distinct style of Neapolitan men inspired luxury tailoring brand Kiton's S/S collection. Once again fabric innovation was key with the development of a super light micro wool appeared as elegant double-breasted jackets in bright Mediterranean shades.

Caruso: The house paid tribute to International Yoga Day at its presentation of the finest men's tailoring

Fratelli Rossetti: A sea of plastic shoe models bobbed along the floor at Fratelli Rossetti's men's presentation

Tod's: Craftsmanship was key at Tod's with hand painted details on military inspired leather jackets and knitwear

Emporio Armani: Claw tooth lace-up shoes and wool beanie berets were the quirky extras to an otherwise sober and very cool Emporio Armani show.

Giorgio Armani: The award for best bathrooms during Milan fashion week goes to Giorgio Armani in his Tadao Ando designed theatre

Neil Barrett: This coral reef, puzzle-piece camouflage print climbed all over the floors and clothes at the Neil Barrett show

Neil Barrett: On the runway, three button jackets gave off a slightly Nineties vibe.

Andrea Pompilio: Part biker, part jogger, part boxer, part snowboarder, Andrea Pompilio's man for next spring is wholly eccentric and completely convincing. Showing outdoors in the back yard of Milan's Pinacoteca was the perfect foil for these male peacocks

No 21: Milan's Palazzo del Conservatorio was the site of Alessandro dell'Acqua’s spring collection for No 21

Brunello Cucinelli: There is nothing quite as soothing on the eyes as a Brunello Cucinelli presentation and this season it was all about the pleated and tapered pant

Corneliani: Milan fashion week started with a bang inside the richly frescoed interior of Palazzo Litta, site of the Corneliani show

Mood board: In celebration of Brioni's 70th anniversary, creative director Brendan Mullane took to the runway for the first time in Milan's impressive Castello Sforzesco, plucking patrician elements from storied Spanish riding schools as well as the early 20th century Wiener Werkstätte artistic movement.

Best in show: Our favourite pieces were the long, lean belted officer's coats that had a buttoned up, regimental feel to them. But kudos go to the creative director for the sumptuous knits that came dusted in real 24 carat gold.

Finishing touches: Shaved mink scarves, cut flat like cross-cross paper in two tone navy and burgundy, were the perfect toppers for sleek coats and cropped cashmere jackets.

Ermenegildo Zegna Couture: Hollow, geometric blocks created a thought-provoking backdrop for Stefano Pilati's heavily industrial show interior, conceived to reflect the designer's take on architecture and space. American lighting designer AJ Weissbard then cemented the scene's raw feel by adding a misty, sullen lighting set-up that further enhanced the season's graphic, linear silhouettes and muted colour combinations

Moncler Gamme Bleu: Designer Thom Browne staged the next instalment of his legendary sporting events for Moncler Gamme Bleu within Milan's Palazzo del Senato. For S/S, it took the form of a boxing match. Dressed in patriotic brand colours, the sparring ring delivered a knockout fashion fight if ever there was one

Dior Homme: All eyes were initially on the floor at Dior Homme's Tennis Club de Paris presentation, where colour-blocked horizontal and vertical lines met at the runway's central cross-junction. Bold primary strips interjected the floor's sandy wooden boards, reflecting the bold stripes and hyper-hued scribbles that were drawn across Kris Van Assche's S/S collection

Brioni: For S/S 2015 we watched Brendan Mullane's Los Angeles inspiration come to life in grand cinematic form. The surrounding walls of his presentation space screened films by American artist Collier Schorr, depicting scenes from the Brioni man's LA life. As a direct reflection of this image, the show's models stood on black podium structures, replicating open-plan Californian homes, looking out across the twinkling city skyline

Cerruti 1881: Lighting aficionado Thierry Dreyfus once again set the scene for Aldo Maria Camillo's menswear show. Flashing stadium-style spotlights highlighted the venue's patch-worked wooden flooring, creating a warm glow over the simple setting

Dsquared2: The Caten twins took us to the inception of their creative process for S/S 2015, setting their show within a working artist's studio. The space's theatrically hazy skylights, aged walls and half completed paintings offered the perfect canvas for their Pop art inspired collection

Dunhill: The sophisticated surrounds of John Ray's salon style S/S 2015 presentation at One Horse Guards in London allowed the Dunhill man to feel right at home. French doors flooded the space with natural sunlight, which bounced off the venue's white surrounds - from ecru ottomans to bleached wooden floorboards

Salvatore Ferragamo: A simple, rectangular blonde wood catwalk framed Ferragamo's spot-lit show space in Milan. Similar basic benches were installed for the audience, while the setting was backed by an installation of hanging wooden beams, saturated in glowing blue light

Paul Smith: This season Sir Paul returned to Paris' Bourse de Commerce to present his bohemia tinged S/S 2015 offering. Under the building's classic domed ceiling, Smith's boys were surrounded by a terracotta-potted garden of succulents and cacti that also showed up in his prints

Gucci: Frida Giannini extended a little feminine subtlety to her creamy S/S 2015 setting in the house's traditional Milanese location, directing the focus towards the show's watery digital backdrop. The predominately beige seating was also perfectly matched with the polished ecru flooring

Maison Martin Margiela: The stark grey wood and metal features of Paris' Pierre-and-Marie-Curie University provided an aptly institutional backdrop for the house's schoolboy-inspired collection

Philipp Plein: This German designer's summer pool party at via Carlo Botta was a far cry from the backyard gathering that its name usually implies. Sharks were cast as mega mascots with Plein's PP monogram proudly inscribed between the toothy critters, before all matter of water sports began. Cue synchronised swimmers and suited jet skiers thrashing through this adult water park

Kris Van Assche: The Belgium designer explored the idea of a never-ending runway for this season's set up at the Halle Freyssinet. Referencing the show's title 'Illusion', the basic surroundings of the warehouse space were heightened by an artwork at the end of the runway, featuring continuous opening doors that the models started and ended their walk through

Raf Simons: Lighting took centre stage a Raf Simons' S/S Espace Vendome show space, which was otherwise left raw and unembellished - an aesthetic that was accentuated by the omission of seating. Spotlights cast a moody red and green glow over the scene, including the standing audience, as the models weaved their way through them

Prada: The outdoors were brought inside at this season's AMO-designed Prada show space, with Mrs Prada's boys circling a striking cobalt blue pool. Surrounded by a contrasting suede brown seating gradient, the collection was poetically reflected in the azure-hued water

Versace: Donatella Versace strung up everything but the kitchen sink on the arches of her S/S 2015 men's runway in the house's Via Gesù HQ. The church-like set offered up the full weight of the brand's homewares collection. Versace bed sheets draped the walls, which were then covered in all manner of Medusa-logoed chairs, cushions, plates and lamps - no doubt an offering to the Gods of living large

Kenzo: Paris' ornate Pont Alexandre III offered a fitting backdrop to Kenzo's S/S 2015 show, which embraced the city's key icons both as a show venue and later seen through the collection's Tour Eiffel patchworks

Kenzo: With the help of Villa Eugenie, Humberto Leon and Carol Lim walked their colourful collection over the historically elaborate landmark, while the audience sat out of the rain on blocky, pale green benches

Wooyoungmi: The South Korean brand's newly appointed co-creative director Katie Chung presented an eerie, sci-fi inspired centrepiece for S/S 2015. In the show's closing sequence, draped transparencies separated the audience from the clothes, which were mystically lit by Eyesight Productions, offering a moody finale to the presentation

Y-3: A world away from last season's cleanly graphic setting, we hit the waves at Yohji Yamamoto's summer surf shack. The Couvent des Cordeliers venue's 'wooden lodge' was plastered with paint and posters decrying 'surf now, apocalypse later'

Saint Laurent: Hedi Slimane likes a light show and this season's cube-shaped, concert-style light installation doubled as a fiery runway backdrop. Gleaming and flashing in alternate increments, the set illuminated the tiled, cubic catwalk within the Marais' Carreau du Temple

Fashion week, nowadays, is about much more than just the collections. Showmanship is the name of the game, and in the meticulously executed sartorial extravaganzas, the sound space is an element that no producer or designer can afford to overlook. Music royalty - past, present and future - is enlisted to ensure a full assault on the senses. Here, we bring you Milan Fashion Week's catwalk mega-mix from the S/S 2015 menswear collections.

SATURDAY 21/06

Ermenegildo Zegna
'The Creator Has a Master Plan' by Pharoah Sanders
Music production: James Murphy

Neil Barrett
'Bounce It' by Juicy J; 'Drunk In Love (a cappella)' by Beyoncé feat Jay Z; 'Trophies' by Drake; 'Sage the Gemini - Don't You (Joe Kay's Slowed Edit)' by Drake; 'Collard Greens' by Schoolboy Q; 'Blood On the Leaves' by Kanye West; 'Sanctified (Instrumental)' by Rick Ross; 'Bounce It French' by Juicy J; 'Pop That' by Montana feat Rick Ross, Drake and Lil Wayne

Brioni
'Your Love' by Frankie Knuckles; Instrumental by J.a.y.c.e.; 'Follow Me' by Aly-us; 'Can You Feel It' by Mr Fingers; 'Every Now and Then' by Ralph Falcon; 'Tears (Instrumental Mix) by Frankie Knuckles; 'Watcha Gonna Do with My Lovin' by Inner City

Versace
'Showroom Dummies' by Señor Coconut; 'Cumbia 8 (La La Macho)' by JD Twitch; 'The Robots' by Señor Coconut; 'Berimbau' by DJ Sandrinho; 'Source of Uncertainty' by Kink; 'Cumbia 8 + Jorge Ben - Taj Mahal' by JD Twitch
Music production: Simon Halsberghe

Philipp Plein
'Superpower' by Beyonce ft Frank Ocean; 'Tribe (Live)' by Theophilus London; 'Black Skinhead' by Kanye West; 'Hustlin' (Prince of Ballard remix)' by Rick Ross; 'Wut' by Leif

SUNDAY 22/06

Salvatore Ferragamo
'So Far So Real' by Gray; 'Aguirre (Fango remix)' by Batongo; 'Sombra da Lua' by Ninos du Brasil

Calvin Klein Collection
'Urania' by Pan Sonic; 'It's a Fire' by Portishead; 'The Box (Part One)' by Orbital;  'The Box (Part Two)' by Orbital; 'Music for Steamed Rocks' by Oneohtrix Point Never

Prada
'Trussed' by Psychic TV & PTV3; 'The Alien Brain' by Psychic TV & PTV3; 'Kiss Me (Maggot Brain) (Edit)' by Psychic TV & PTV3; 'Urgentissimo - Like Everything this Summer' by John Barry

Moncler Gamme Bleu
'Rocky Balboa Theme (Rico South vs Baltimore Bootleg)' by Bill Conti; 'Gonna Fly Now' by Ferrante & Teicher; HBO Boxing Theme; 'Going the Distance' by Bill Conti; 'Mama Said Knock You Out' by LL Cool J
Music production: Michel Gaubert

MONDAY 23/06

Emporio Armani
'Mopedbart' by Hubbabubbaklubb; 'Power' by Pompeya; 'Sentiment Acide (Jennifer Cardini Remix)' by David Shaw and the Beat; 'A Source of Light' by the Naked and Famous & Kids of 88; 'Clangour and Flutes' by Sin Fang Bous; 'Trust' by Sin Cos Tan

Ports 1961
'Chin Achin (Mononome remix)' by Cayetano; 'Red Alert' by Ben Klock

Gucci
'Sun Structure' by Temples; 'Feel' by TY Segall; 'Home' by Wooden Shjips; 'Colours To Life' by Temples
Music production: Michel Gaubert

Fendi
'Paid in Full (Seven Minutes of Madness the Coldcut Remix)' by Eric B and Rakim; 'Regiment' by Brian Eno and David Byrne; 'The Jezebel Spirit' by Brian Eno and David Byrne; 'Voices Inside My Head (a cappella)' by the Police; 'Voices Inside My Head (Roger S Classic Mix)' by the Police
Music production: Michel Gaubert

TUESDAY 24/06

Dsquared2
'A Walk on the Wild Side (Blutch remix)' by Lou Reed; 'Nowhere to Run (Bobby Cooper ReMedit)' by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas; 'Don't Bring Me Down (Nari e Milani Radio Cut)' by Electric Light Orchestra; 'Don't Bring Me Down' by Electric Light Orchestra; 'Don't Bring Me Down (Voices in Your Head edit)' Electric Light Orchestra; 'I'm Ready (short version)' by Kano; 'Native Love (Step by Step)' by Divine; 'Fame (Mojo Fitler Incognito Dub)' by David Bowie; 'Can You Feel It (Thomas Blaster remix 2014)' by the Jackson Five 

Giorgio Armani
'Late Night Session' by Ceccarini; 'Sold Out' by Just a Night; 'Feather on the Clyde (Stefan Biniak Private Edit)' by Passenger; 'I Can See Clearly Now' by Fennec & Wolf vs Johnny Nash; 'HereNow' by Phon.o; 'Let the Music Do the Talking' by Laid Back

Brioni may be rooted in hyper classical menswear, but creative director Brendan Mullane is shaking up its rich traditions. For spring, the designer collaborated with Los Angeles-based artist James Welling, who created a triple exposed floral print that was showered over zip front collared jackets, short sleeved silk shirts and even impeccably crafted Prince of Wales check suits. The zany blooms enlivened silhouettes borrowed from 1950s Italy and America: fresh, clean, precisely cropped and squared off with a retro edge. But Mullane then mixed things up further by taking Brioni's finely crafted suits, which require hundreds of microscopic steps in order to make, and cut them from brilliant shades of grape and emerald. The collection resonated beautifully in a glass house-esque structure, surrounded by a series of eight videos shot by Artist Collier Schorr.

Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans

Brioni's latest store opening - a magnificent new Milanese flagship that sits in the luxury brand's historical home in Via Gesù - was celebrated over the weekend with an installation created by Greek designer Michael Anastassiades in conjunction with Brioni creative director Brendan Mullane.

Wallpaper* acted as matchmaker for the pair, fusing the two creatives for the magazine's annual Handmade project during the Salone del Mobile. The fruits of that teaser project are now revealed on the ground floor of the store (until 12 July), housed inside the very same building that hosted our Handmade exhibition three years in a row.

Entitled 'Blue Hour', the installation (also documented in our July issue, W* 184) features two chairs, a table and lamp contained inside a 3.2 metre tall, 2.5 metre wide cube. Every square inch of the walls, ceiling, floors and the furniture is covered in Brioni's hand-brushed 150 super fine wool flannel in midnight blue.
 
'The fabric is very dark, very light-absorbing, and very matte,' remarks Anastassiades, who flew in for the opening of the store.  'There is no sheen or reflective surfaces to it so when you first look at it, you can hardly understand what is going on.'

Indeed, a quick first glance at 'Blue Hour' registers nothing more than a two dimensional flat black sheet. Then slowly, as the eye adjusts, one begins to make out the sharp lines of the furniture and the three dimensionality of the space. 'And when the layers start unveiling themselves, you notice how beautifully tailored each object is,' Anastassiades adds.

The entire installation was painstakingly upholstered in fine suiting wool inside Brioni's factory in Penne, Italy - a high-end laboratory that has only, up until now, produced clothing. The cone shaped lamp is covered in a cotton normally reserved for men's shirting. 'We've given a su misura experience to the [installation] and tailored a beautiful, almost second-skin suit to its realisation,' says Mullane.
 
In line with Wallpaper's Handmade mission, the project reveals what can happen when talent and know-how is cross-pollinated across various disciplines. 'What was most interesting was that both Brendan and I share the same philosophy and approach even though he comes from fashion and I from design,' says Anastassiades. 'We both have the same appreciation for high quality.'

An obsession for high quality dominates the 1,200 sq m store. Designed by local architectural firm Studio Park Associati, all three floors of the space are wrapped in bronzed brass trimmings, 'cannucciato' ribbed Bahia wood, Eramosa marble and Navona travertine floors. Furniture includes Poltrona Frau armchairs and Ruckstuhl rugs, along with chairs and lamps designed by Studio Park and produced exclusively by Driade.

Six full-time tailors are employed inside the space to offer bespoke services using traditional, hand-crafted techniques. At the same time, Brioni has jumped into the high-speed digital world by launching Virtual Mirror, a technology system that allows Brioni clients to simulate and visualise suits in thousands of fabric and colour variations on a virtual mannequin. Rolling out in three phases, the platform will eventually allow clients to actually view their own image in a 3D mirror, wearing the clothes themselves.

ADDRESS

Brioni
Via Gesù, 2-4
 20121, Milan, Italy

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

Brioni's latest store opening takes the form of a magnificent new Milanese flagship that sits in the luxury brand's historical home in Via Gesu. Inside, creative director Brendan Mullane's obsession with quality dominates the 1,200 sq m space. Designed by local architectural firm Studio Park Associati, all three floors of the space are wrapped in bronzed brass trimmings, 'cannucciato' ribbed Bahia wood, Eramosa marble and Navona travertine floors. Furniture includes Poltrona Frau armchairs and Ruckstuhl rugs, along with chairs and lamps designed by Studio Park and produced exclusively by Driade.

Six full time tailors are employed inside the space to offer bespoke services using traditional, painstaking, hand-crafted techniques. At the same time, Brioni has jumped into the high-speed digital world by launching Virtual Mirror, a virtual technology system that allows Brioni clients to simulate and visualise suits in thousands of fabric and colour variations on a virtual mannequin. Rolling out in three phases, the platform will eventually allow clients to actually view his own image in a 3D mirror, wearing the clothes himself. The launch of the new store was celebrated with a special temporary installation by designer Michael Anastassiades, in conjunction with Mullane, originally conceived as part of Wallpaper* Handmade.

ADDRESS

Brioni
Via Gesù, 2-4
20121, Milan
Italy

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

The era of Brendan Mullane is beginning to come very clearly into focus and we are increasingly enamoured of the view. Brioni is about traditional tailoring - after all, no one in the business turns a better bespoke wheel than they do. But up until now, they haven't always led menswear trends. Now that classic clothing is cool again, the time could not be more right and Mullane is ploughing perfect rows for this brand to plant their contemporary sartorial seeds. His latest collection, inspired by the trip Brioni founder Gaetano Salvini took to Japan in the 1960s, beautifully fused past and present, tradition and modernity. Displayed in a killer Japanese setting with digital cherry blossoms blowing overhead and walls built from traditional wood and paper, the collection was presented as if in a jewelled bento box. Best of the clothing lot were the sharply cut suits in the finest quality wool - spun and condensed to an inch of its life - that sat on the body like a silken second skin.

Photography: Anna Stokland/Jason Lloyd-Evans

Fashion week, nowadays, is about much more than just the collections. Showmanship is the name of game, and in the meticulously executed sartorial extravaganzas, the sound space is an element that no producer or designer can afford to overlook. Music royalty - past, present and future - is enlisted to ensure a full assault on the senses. Here, we bring you Milan Fashion Week's catwalk mega mix from the A/W 2014 menswear collections.

SATURDAY 11/01

Ermenegildo Zegna
This original sound track incorporates the 'sounds of the universe' including 'Galaxy UGC 6697' by University of California; 'Saturn, Jupiter, Titan and Enceladus Moons' by NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory; 'Our Sun' by Stanford University; 'Quasars 3C 120' by Florida International University; 'Black Hole GRS 1915+105' by Massachusetts Institute of Technology; 'Big Bang' by University of Virginia; 'Earth Magnetosphere' by University of Iowa; 'HD49933 and HD181420 star' by Corot's France Space Agency and European Space Agency Satellite; 'Vela, Crab and Pulsar B0329+54' by Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics University of Manchester, U.K; 'The Seasons, Autumn Song - Op. 37b' by Tchaikovsky

Jil Sander
'Saturn V v2 (SEML remix)' by Beckenbauer; 'She's Gone' by Tindersticks; 'Sound and Vision' by David Bowie

Neil Barrett
'Grindn'' by Clipse; 'Sock It 2 Me (Kaytranada Remix)' by Missy Elliot; 'Hide Me' by Flying Lotus; 'Long Live A$AP' by A$AP ROCKY; 'Me & U' by Cassie; 'Underneath The Dancefloor' by Pye Corner Audio
Music production: Pascal Moscheni

Versace
'Soul Reprise' by Dave.i.d; 'Lazer Beams' by Green Velvet & Harvard Bass; 'Zulu Bash' by Dave.i.d; 'Bigger Than Prince (Hot Since 82 Remix)' by Green Velvet; 'Do Ya Wanna Funk' by Sylvester & Patrick Cowley
 Music production: Moiré Productions

SUNDAY 12/01

Bottega Veneta
'Superpower' by Beyoncé (feat. Frank Ocean); 'Out of Line' by Gesaffelstein; 'The Fall' by Rhye, 'Bromance' by Mike Patton
Music production: Sebastien Perrin

Salvatore Ferragamo
'Feeling called Love' by Pulp; 'This is Hardcore' by Pulp; 'This is Hardcore (End of Line Mix)' by Pulp

Calvin Klein Collection
'Living in the Future' by Vex Ruffin; 'Vienna' by Ultravox; 'Aliens Theme' by Tsukerman, Hutchinson and Smith

Prada
'The Ballad of Sexual Obsession' by Nina Hagen; 'Ben Frost's Peter Venkman Pt. 1', remixed by Gluteus Maximus; 'Live exclusive lyrics', adapted and performed by concert group L'Usignolo; 'Pieces taken from Pina Bausch shows side by side with transcriptions' by Kurt Weill
Music production: Frédéric Sanchez

Moncler
'A Thousand Times Goodnight' by Abel Korzeniowski; 'Bach Cello suites #1 in G Prélude' by Yo-Yo Ma‚ 'Bach Cello suites #1 in G Prélude' by Yo-Yo Ma; 'Bach Cello suites #1 in G Prélude' by Yo-Yo Ma; 'Bach Cello suites #1 in G Prélude' by Yo-Yo Ma; 'Shakespeare Sonnets' by Jayne Mansfield; 'The Duchess' by Rachel Portman
Music production: Michel Gaubert

Emporio Armani
'18 Yellow Roses' by Bobby Darin; 'Sleeping Ute (Nicolas Jaar Remix)' by Grizzly Bear & Nicolas Jaar; 'Lennon' by Leonie; 'There Was a Bar' by Capey Cash; 'Beyond The Cherry Moon' by WhoMadeWho; 'I Won't Be Long' by Beck; 'Pride Is Weaker Than Love' by Michael Mayer; 'La Foret' by Lescop

Ports 1961
'Last Stand' by Kwabs; 'Retrograde' by James Blake
Music production: Sergio Tavelli

MONDAY 13/01

Gucci
'Easy Easy' by King Krule; 'How Soon Is Now (remix)' by The Smiths

Canali
'Uno' by Ludovico Einaudi; 'Tu Sei' by Ludovico Einaudi; 'Nuvole Bianche' by Ludovico Einaudi

Fendi
'Suite for Toy Piano' by John Cage; 
'Crystals' by
Clams Casino; 'Brand New Cadillac' by Pascal Comelade; 'Bird Call (Mac Miller
Instrumental)' by Clams Casino; 'Besame Mucho' by Pascal Comelade; 'Cry For Me' by Clams Casino; 'Hellifornia' by Gesaffelstein
Music production: Michel Gaubert

Brioni
'Kyoko's House (stage blood is not enough)' by Philip Glass (Mishima); 'Runaway Horses (poetry written with a splash of blood)' by Philip Glass Mishima); '1957: Award Montage' by Philip Glass (Mishima); 'Mishima/Closing' by Philip Glass (Mishima), 'Corner' by Actress (Ghettoville); 'Gentlemen Take Polaroids' by Japan Exorcising Ghosts; 'Bamboo Houses' by David Sylvian (A Victim Of Stars 1982-2012); 'Our' by Actress (Ghettoville); 'The Sheltering Sky' by Ryuichi Sakamoto (Playing the Piano)            

Dsquared2
'Celebrate Your Death' by Glamour To Kill; 'Krank Im Hirn' by T.Raumschmiere; 'My Life' by Billy Joel; 'Insane in the Brain' by Richard Cheese; 'Insane in the Brain' by Cypress Hill; 'Insane' by Eminem; 'Yalla' by Bruder & Kronstädta; 'Domo 23' by Tyler

TUESDAY 14/01

Giorgio Armani
'A1' by Darkside; 'Paper Trails' by Darkside; 'Personal Jesus (Alex Metric Remix Edit)' by Depeche Mode; 'Shower Scene'  by Alex Burkat; 'Silikron (Jurgen Paape Remix)' by Kron; 'Anagrama' by Tempel Rytmik; 'Klinsmann' by Axel Boman; 'Home (Tim Green Remix)' by M.A.N.D.Y. & Booka Shade

Z Zegna
'Evidence' by Carlos Giffoni; 'Cheval D'Orgueil' revisited by Donoval di Arnaud Rebotini

Roberto Cavalli
'Rough Steez' by Fuck Buttons; 'Countdown' by Uppermost; 'Destinations' by Gesaffelstein; 'Parenthesis' by Tricky; 'No Need for a Leader' by Unknown Mortal Orchestra; 'Love Undone' (feat. Taylor O'Donnell) by Lost Midas; 'Btstu' by Jai Paul; 'Crosses' by Jose González; 'Christian Sands' by Tricky; 'We B Luvin' by Kailo; 'Normal Person' by Arcade Fire; 'Airboy' by Matt Van Schie; 'Society' by Paul Woolford; 'Jasmine' by Jai Paul; 'Water Me' by FKA Twigs; 'Easy' by Son Lux; 'Truant' by Burial; 'New Ruin' by Meursault; 'Takk…' by Sigur Ros
Music production: Christian Mayer

As far as pop-up shops go, we've definitely seen our fair share. A pop-up gallery in a shop, however, is something to note. To coincide with the art frenzy of Frieze and Pavillion of Art & Design that descends on our hometown this week, Brioni has invited interior/furniture designer Francis Sultana to give its London flagship boutique a temporary make over.

Sultana has transformed Brioni's space, a sprawling Georgian townhouse on Mayfair's Bruton Street, into a design centric salon in ode to the British gentleman. Its first and second floors now showcase a selection of Sultana's own work, while recognisable design art pieces from Fredrikson Stallard, Zaha Hadid and Andre Dubreuil are peppered throughout the space.

Sultana has also curated a collection of contemporary art, including work by Francesco Clemente, Noble & Webster, and Mat Collishaw, that will certainly evoke new reactions being viewed in such a sumptuous setting. The pop-up will run for four weeks. 

The combination of art and furniture cuts a dash against the classic elegance of the Italian suitmaker's wares. Itself no stranger to artistic flair and collaboration, Brioni's own creative pursuits are also on full display. Adding to the celebration of the kindred union of creative craftsmanship and individuality, the store is hosting a special screening of the 'Handmade' film by the Dutch duo Lernert & Sander, Brioni and White Lodge, commissioned for our Handmade exhibition earlier this year at Brioni HQ in Milan. 

ADDRESS

Brioni
32 Bruton Street
London
W1J 6QT

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

Dutch artists Lernert & Sander's idea for this stills and video series for Wallpaper* Handmade 2012, shown in a specially-designed outdoor cinema at our exhibition in Brioni HQ last week, arose naturally from the marriage of Brioni's bespoke craftsmanship and Wallpaper's Handmade theme. 'We like to be playful and have fun, so there is an element of mischief about this film,' they say. 'What better way to showcase the abilities of Brioni's master tailors than to set them the ultimate test of skill with a particularly exacting customer?'

About the collaborators...
 
Lernert & Sander
Amsterdam-based artists Lernert Engelberts and Sander Plug have been creating commercials, documentaries and installations since 2007. Their aim is to produce works that bring down the barriers between contemporary art and commercial projects; their highly aesthetic and humorous pieces are often aimed at challenging their viewers. www.lernertandsander.com
 
Brioni
Brioni was founded in Rome in 1945 and its clothes have since become a byword for cosmopolitan, sophisticated elegance. Twice voted the most prestigious luxury men's fashion brand in the United States by The Luxury Institute, it continues to guarantee excellence in tailoring that makes its wearers 'one of a kind'.
www.brioni.com
 
White Lodge
London-based production company White Lodge is a dedicated division of Blink Productions focusing on creating high-end fashion content for leading brands. It helps connect fashion experts and film directors to produce truly innovative and engaging fashion films, installations and events.
www.whitelodge.tv

To see more unique creations for Wallpaper* Handmade 2012 - from Jouin Manku's atelier on wheels to David Rockwell's Lazy Susan - you'll have to wait till our August issue...