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

All change! So could be the motto of the S/S 2026 season, which heralded the arrival of 15 new creative directors at fashion’s major houses – from Dior to Chanel.

It led to a sweeping feeling of freshness and renewal that would define the season, one that Wallpaper* captures in a new series of images by photographer Nicole Maria Winkler and Wallpaper* fashion & creative director Jason Hughes.

S/S 2026’s standount looks in the fitting room

Originally featured in our March 2026 Style Issue, they capture model Valerija Kelava dressing up in a series of S/S 2026’s standout looks – whether the rising Belgian design Julie Kegels’ collaged layers (she said she wanted the collection to feel like it had a life of its own) or a sweeping white gown from Jonathan Anderson’s first Dior collection, delicately edged with flowers.

The setting is a surreal imagining of a fitting room by set designer Kim Harding, Winkler’s longtime collaborator. Within it, we explore the transformative power of a new season of looks. Keep scrolling to shop the story.

Model: Valerija Kelava at Oui Management. Casting: Esther Boiteux at EB Agency. Hair: Moe Mukai using Oribe. Make-up: Sunao Takahashi at Saint Luke using Byredo. Set design: Kim Harding Studio. Digi tech: Anna-Sophia John. Photography assistants: Josh Rea, Elliot Humbles. Set design assistant: Austeja Gokaite. Fashion assistant: Lucy Proctor. Production assistant: Danielle Quigley.

A version of this story appears in the March 2026 Style Issue of Wallpaper*, available on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News + now. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

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And so concludes another Milan Fashion Week, a season marked by its debuts: across the week, Maria Grazia Chiuri presented her opening vision for Fendi as the house’s first sole creative director, young Belgian designer Meryll Rogge made an expressive debut at Marni, and Demna hosted his first runway show for Gucci – a virile mediation on sex and the body which had everybody in fashion talking. Meanwhile at Giorgio Armani, Silvana Armani – the niece of the late eponymous designer – made her ready-to-wear debut at the house. Though true to Mr Armani’s well-established codes, she said this was ‘a new perspective on the Armani style’ – light, fluid and purposely ‘imperfect’.

Alongside, there were standout shows from Prada – in a feat of quick changes and expert layering, 15 models wore 60 looks without pause – and Bottega Veneta, where Louise Trotter conjured Maria Callas and Pier Paolo Pasolini in a riot of colour and texture. While at Jil Sander, Simone Bellotti found new freedom in his sophomore runway show after the rigour and restraint of his debut.

Here, reported by Wallpaper* fashion & beauty features director Jack Moss and contributing writer India Jarvis, the 14 standout shows which defined the week.

Fendi

‘Less I, More Us,’ was the mantra Italian designer Maria Grazia Chiuri chose for her debut as sole creative director for Fendi, emblazoning it across the runway which stretched the length of the house’s Milanese HQ on Via Solari. Chiuri is fond of such mission statements: for her debut collection as the first female creative director of Dior in 2016, she printed the title of Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s book-length essay ‘We Should All Be Feminists’ across a T-shirt. Over the nine years which followed, she would champion numerous women artists and collaborators.

Her mantra at Fendi is perhaps a feminist one too, despite the fact that Chiuri also showed menswear on the runway (and will be equally in charge of the house’s mens- and womenswear lines). It was, in part, a reference to the collective force of the formidable Fendi sisters: Alda, Carla, Paola, Franca and Anna Fendi, who took over from their parents, house founders Edoardo and Adele Fendi, in 1946. Speaking before the show, she said that people speak too often of Karl Lagerfeld’s influence – the designer was creative director of the house for 54 years – and not enough of the sisters, who employed him and would work alongside him until the company was sold to LVMH in 1999. ‘I would like people to remember all that they created at Fendi,’ she asserted.

Chiuri, who began her career at Fendi in 1989, working with the sisters until her own departure in 1999, said she credits her working ethic to them: ‘They were my mentors. They gave me my career. And I felt part of their teamwork.’ In the show, the idea of collaboration came through projects with women artists SAGG Napoli (colourful football-like scarves were created alongside the Naples-born artist) and the estate of Mirella Bentivoglio, whose slogan-like works appeared across garments. But the idea of a collective ‘us’ stretched to dissolving the divide between mens- and womenswear, too, the designer said: ‘Feminine and masculine cease to be categories of opposition and become adjectives used to describe shared qualities,’ envisioning not two separate collections but ‘one wardrobe’.

As such, the A/W 2026 outing – which eschewed theatrics in favour of a more pragmatic approach – moved between sleek, elongated tailoring and flourishes of romance, from layers of sheer tulle and lace (some evocative of her work at Dior). Meanwhile fur – the founding material of the house – came back to the fore, with Chiuri introducing the ‘Echo of Love’ project whereby clients can have their old furs transformed in an act of circularity. Across vivid two-tone chubby fur coats and patchworked fur handbags, all the materials had been sourced from leftovers in the house’s fur department – another act of practicality over spectacle. ‘Fashion is not entertainment. Fashion is a job. I am that kind of designer,’ she said. Jack Moss

READ: ‘Less I, more us’: Maria Grazia Chiuri lays out her vision for Fendi in Milan

Jil Sander

After a brilliant debut last season, Simone Bellotti continued to cleverly hone his vision for Jil Sander with a sophomore collection which he said was inspired by the idea of ‘home’. Presented in the house’s stark Milanese HQ – this season, warmth was added by the addition of a rust-coloured carpet which had been installed the length of the upper floor – the former Bally designer said he was thinking about home as an ‘an emotional space where one lives, feels safe and belongs to’, leading to a collection which diverted from restraint and rigour of last season towards something freer, more eclectic. Indeed, the designer said this was a collection about ‘flow, flou [and] movement’, with Bellotti imagining garments imbued with a life of their own through an intriguing use of pattern cutting – whether raised shoulder lines, curving seams, folded waistlines, or intentionally puckered tailoring (the slashes through garments also returned from his debut). Meanwhile evocative moments of colour and pattern added visual richness: flashes of electric blue and leopard print met fabrics evocative of interiors – a nod, Bellotti elucidated, to his father’s career as an upholsterer. ‘The question this season is whether abandon can convey restraint,’ he said of this newly liberated approach. Jack Moss

MM6 Maison Margiela

One of life’s great pleasures is watching other people, and what better place to sit and do it than a train terminal? It’s a pleasure that MM6 Maison Margiela tapped into for its A/W 2026 show – one designed around the comings and goings of passengers in an ‘archetypal train station’, in this case Milano Centrale. An archetype is a recurrent, even constant, principle, whereas a station is innately transient – how do the two meet? At MM6 it was with ‘a veritable spectrum of individuality’, and ‘sartorial actions rooted in the genuine appreciation for garments as they are, looking for ways to see them anew, which is where the fun lingers.’

What does that look like? It looks like pea coats with bunched and scrunched hems, loosely tacked to reveal quilted or flannel linings. Clashing stripes with check – something you might serendipitously pair when hurrying to get dressed. Backless khaki trench coats and skirts. And lots of tucking: hair tucked into jumpers, jumpers tucked into jeans, jeans tucked into high-gloss Wellington-style boots.

There was a strong equine theme too – afterall, 2026 is the year of the firehorse, a symbol of forward movement and independence that is characteristically MM6 – from horse motifs printed on oversized T-shirts and teddy fleeces, to full cotton flounced skirts with a decidedly American frontier feel. A train station welcomes all kinds of people going all kinds of places, after all. India Jarvis

Prada

This season, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons played a clever runway trick: instead of the usual 40-or-so models cast in a given season, the pair chose just 15 to walk the A/W 2026 show. In an impressive act of timing, they wore 60 looks in total, walking the runway four times each in quick succession, achieved through removing a layer of clothing during each quick change. When you realised the conceit (for me, I wondered if Bella Hadid had a doppelganger or secret twin after what seemed like an impossibly quick reappearance on the runway), it made for one of the most thrilling Prada shows of recent times – there was a near-breathless energy to the spectacle. (Indeed, chatting to one of the models backstage, she said she had never sweated so much, or walked so far, in a runway show during her career.)

But this was no gimmick: post-show, the co-creative directors said the collection was a reflection of the way that women wear clothing on a given day – the removal of a coat to reveal a cocktail dress, the addition of a scarf. ‘It’s about life, and how you dress each day with the clothes you have,’ said Simons. ‘About real, human people.’ The garments themselves were infused with Prada-isms: purposeful marks of wear (some appeared stained or creased; others saw layers of fabric torn away to reveal another beneath) met an insouciant, bourgeois-inflected glamour in embroidered stockings, feathered and beaded footwear and a use of satin and organza. A feeling of utility, meanwhile, came in uniform-style tailoring and riffs on classic outerwear styles, from the parka jacket to the raincoat. ‘As a woman, your life is layered – each day demands not only a shifting of clothes, but a richness of identities within yourself,’ said Mrs Prada. ‘You make choices, you decide who you want to be.’ Jack Moss

Max Mara

Is a growing interest in the history and aesthetics of the Middle Ages a reaction to the hyper-digitised, blue-lit world of today? An idealised fantasy of a pre-capitalist society? Or perhaps a byproduct of the popularity of the romantasy genre? Whatever the answer, for Max Mara’s Ian Griffiths​, whose unlikely seasonal muse was the 11th-century diplomat and military commander Matilde di Canossa, ‘there is something so strikingly of the now about so-called Dark Age design’.

Griffiths’ interpretation of pre-enlightenment era clothing saw tunics in luxurious, butter-soft suede, ankle-skimming cashmere coats and hooded garments reminiscent of the coif shapes worn by Di Canossa and her contemporaries. Standout pieces included a caramel-coloured bias-cut silk gown with a mohair, funnel-necked yoke; a suede muff worn belted around the waist; and a taupe wool playsuit accessorised with the gathered suede, elbow-length opera gloves that were seen throughout the show. Griffiths has been with the house since graduating from London’s RCA in 1987, and over the four decades which have followed, there is nobody who knows the Max Mara woman better than he. The A/W 2026 collection offered new-yet-medieval twists on the tried and tested house codes, which keep this woman returning to the brand, season after season. India Jarvis

Emporio Armani

Following the death of its eponymous founder in the autumn of 2025, Emporio Armani took an understandable hiatus from showing at menswear week in January, but returned for A/W 2026 with a combined men’s and women’s runway outing. ‘Maestro’, as the collection was titled, was not only a narrative device, but an ode to Mr Armani himself – the eminent composer, conductor, and virtuoso of fashion symphonies for almost 50 years.

The imaginative backdrop for the season was, according to show notes, a music school, and the maestro – and maestra, for this is a co-ed conservatoire – who stepped out in Leo Dell’Orco and Silvana Armani’s first jointly developed collection wore loosely tailored overcoats and baggy denim, and student-y accessories including baker boy caps, backpacks, and ties just visible beneath oversized striped knits. Leg warmers styled over patent leather pumps evoked the chill of a rehearsal auditorium, whereas the show’s second act saw rather more performance-ready pieces in the form of draped velvet, wide-lapelled tuxedo jackets, and starched white collars (a recurring motif in Milan this season: most notably in Maria Grazia Chiuri’s riff on Claudine à l'école at Fendi).

For the finale – the crescendo, if you like – the models turned out in Lydia Tár-esque monochrome. Tight leggings or flowing slacks on the bottom, white dress shirts on top, each with a different button, brooch, pin, collar, or embroidered flourish. ‘A simple and rigorous statement – now more than ever rebellious – of modernity and self-awareness,’ that could only be Armani. India Jarvis

Marni

The Belgian designer Meryll Rogge chose to collaborate with Formafantasma on the runway set for her debut show as creative director of Marni. Transforming the house’s Milanese headquarters with wood-effect panelling and fabric-covered benches – recalling a banal office space, or entranceway to a Milanese apartment block – the space was punctuated with mirrored panels which had been painted with ‘fragments drawn from quotidian life’, from office chairs to cigarette lighters. ‘The structure of the set suggests a bourgeois interior wooden frame, hints of domestic architecture – but fragmented, slightly taken apart. It feels familiar yet unsettled, as if a room has been carefully disassembled and reassembled in another order,’ Formafantasma’s Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin told Wallpaper*.

It linked with Rogge’s vision for her tenure at the Italian house: to create something which felt both familiar and contemporary, evoking Marni’s founding principles with her own distinctive twists. ‘I have a very personal connection to Marni,’ she said. ‘It’s a brand that shaped my design sensibility during my formative years, and through the show I wanted to acknowledge that sense of familiarity.’ It made for an astute opening outing: there was the irreverent spirit of founder Consuelo Castiglioni in its eclectic combinations, not only in its amalgam of nostalgic prints, swinging paillettes and boldly graphic jewellery, but also in the way a sweater might be worn with a cocktail dress, or a colourful sporty parka over a suit and tie. Rogge’s own twist on the Marni protagonist was a newfound toughness, figured in some great leather trousers and skirts, some with Western-inspired detailing. In their slung-on sensuality – imbued with a certain 1980s nostalgia – they might well fill a gap for those who are already missing Dario Vitale’s Versace. Jack Moss

READ: Formafantasma created the ‘familiar yet unsettled’ show set for Meryll Rogge’s Marni debut

Sportmax

If there are a few thematic ideas that inevitably crop up and play out in different ways by different brands in any one season, then for A/W 2026 one such example could be travel. At Loro Piana and MM6 Maison Margiela the vehicle of choice was a train; at Sportmax, the journey seemed to be taken by air. ‘Dynamism’ was the word they used, but ‘aerodynamism’ may be just as apt – as the brand itself puts it: ‘There is no clutter weighing the Sportmax woman down.’

Dresses were close-fitting and body-skimming but with movement in the draping, worn with long wraps which fell backwards over the shoulder like wings. Some of the weightier outerwear nodded to aviator-style jackets with their gargantuan lapels and collars, and contrasting textures and fabrics. Clutches were spheroid, almost discus-shaped; one could imagine them flying through the air with ease. Flashes of skin were visible beneath a kind of jumbo mesh effect leather, used for tops which were worn as a base layer beneath more autumn-winter suitable coats and gilets. Speed and movement were the defining characteristics of the collection – even the show itself was a particularly fast-paced affair – as the show notes said, the Sportmax woman has ‘places to go’. India Jarvis

Gucci

Prior to his debut runway show for Gucci, the mononymous Georgian designer Demna said he had been searching for the ‘Gucciness of Gucci’, a trip which took him to the Tuscan city of Florence, where the house was founded as a leather goods company in 1921. There, he visited factories and the archive, though it was stood in front of Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus at the Uffizi Gallery – just a few hundred metres from the Palazzo Gucci on Piazza della Signoria – that Demna had his lightbulb moment. ‘Standing in front of it, I felt overwhelmed,’ he wrote in a letter distributed before the show. ‘The beauty in it was unconditional; it was absolute. It made me realise how deeply the Italian Renaissance shaped everything I understand about art, about proportion, about desire, and about beauty. When I left the museum and stepped into Piazza della Signoria, the first thing I saw was Palazzo Gucci. In that moment, I understood the place Gucci holds within Italian culture.’

It was part of the reason why he staged the A/W 2026 collection amid an imagined museum constructed in Milan’s Palazzo delle Scintille, clad in marble and populated with plaster recreations of ancient sculptures (the vast statues had been 3D-scanned and crafted by Tuscan artisans to appear as if hewn from marble). This was a veneration of Gucci as an expression of Italian style and insouciance: after the show, he said this opening act was simply about capturing a feeling, rather than anything more intellectually overwrought. ‘I hope I made you feel Gucci today,’ he said, expressing a desire for Gucci to become an ‘adjective’. ‘That was my main purpose with this show.’

The essence of ‘Gucci-ness’ that Demna landed on was one of unbridled sensuality, a morning-after-the-night before glamour which borrowed from Tom Ford’s transformative tenure at the house in the 1990s (all the way down to a recreation of his 1997 double-G G-string, which here appeared as an in-built thong in a gown worn by Kate Moss to close the show). Other garments had been constructed without seams or with curved hemlines in order to emphasise the relationship between body and garment, while muscled male models burst out of skin-tight T-shirts and jeans. Slung on jackets, lean tailoring, and a final flurry of shimmering evening gowns completed the look. ‘[I think] it’s because of my relationship with myself, to my own body, to the way I want to see myself,’ he said. ‘I want to feel like that. I want to feel sexy.’ Jack Moss

Tod’s

It takes deft craftsmanship to imbue leather with real lightness – after all, leather is better known as a material of protection and toughness. But Tod’s’ A/W 2026 ready-to-wear was characterised by a levity of touch that could only be the handiwork of a house that makes an art out of leather (and a designer who’s got pedigree when it comes to this particular material).

In Matteo Tamburini’s latest, leather may have been the protagonist, but the plot itself was all about artisanal excellence – a fact reinforced by the real craftspeople stitching, folding, or carving objects in the entryway to the venue at Padiglione d'Arte Contemporanea – cherry-picked by the brand for their impressive skill. Amongst these were brothers Vincenzo and Manuel Aucella, coral artisans and cameo carvers who represent the fourth generation of a family tradition that began in 1892 (that’s around 30 years before Filippo Della Valle started the shoe-making business that would later become Tod’s).

As for the clothes themselves, feather-light asymmetrical leather dresses fluttered with all the delicacy of a silk handkerchief, blanket-style outerwear enveloped luxuriously about the shoulders, and saddlery techniques and hand-finishing synthesised tradition and modernity. Overall, the effect was a masterclass in Italian craft and sprezzatura. India Jarvis

Ferragamo

The 1920s were a formative decade for Salvatore Ferragamo: in 1927, he founded his eponymous footwear company in Florence after returning from Los Angeles, where he worked as a shoemaker for the burgeoning film industry in Hollywood. The British designer Maximilian Davis has found fertile creative ground in the decade, with recent collections channelling what he sees as the ‘liberated elegance’ of the era – one in which conventions of dress were interrupted and marginalised groups found new freedoms (last season, Davis evoked the Harlem Renaissance, the proliferation of Black art, culture and intellectual output from the New York neighbourhood in the 1920s).

This season, in one of the curving Giovanni Muzio-designed upper galleries of the Triennale di Milano museum – dimly lit and sheathed with floor-to-ceiling curtains – he evoked the 1920s speakeasy, ‘a locus of liberation; a space where conventions of class and identity are disrupted’. As such, a louche, after-dark mood infused the collection – negligées, molten-gold dresses and vampish stilettos all featured – while riffs on maritime attire were a nod to those who frequented such drinking spots. Though the evocation of the sailor also nodded to the notion of travel which informs the Ferragamo story – the transformative experience of moving away from your home in search of something new.

‘That’s something that both Salvatore and my own family experienced – he left his home in Italy for America before returning home, and my family moved from Trinidad and Jamaica to Manchester,’ said Davis. ‘They all crossed the water to discover new beginnings.’ Jack Moss

Dolce & Gabbana

Dolce & Gabbana’s A/W 2026 collection was an assertion of brand identity, said designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, all the way down to a front-row cameo from Madonna – perhaps the most well-known house muse and the current face of The One fragrance. The musical powerhouse watched on from the front row as the pair performed their own greatest hits: an outing near-entirely in their signature vampish black, replete with house hallmarks – lingerie-inspired silhouettes, hourglass LBDs, and, of course, plenty of lace. Though perhaps most desirable this season was the tailoring: if best known for their body-contouring dresses, the pair have always possessed a strong sartorial prowess, here encapsulated in some brilliant tuxedos which nipped at the waist and flared across the shoulder, inspired by archival silhouettes from the 1990s (they would make a great Oscars look for those wishing to eschew the traditional princess gown). Post show, Domenico and Stefano were keen to make clear that drilling into the archive was not about ‘nostalgia’ but ‘presence’, ‘a language built on roots that are still alive – Sicily as emotion, black as strength, lace as intimacy, tailoring as authority,’ they said. Jack Moss

Bottega Veneta

The particular joy of good fashion is that it’s a work of art you can actually touch – and with Louise Trotter’s sophomore collection for Bottega Veneta, touch is exactly what you want to do. The shaggy, curvaceous shapes she creates out of fibreglass need to be felt to be believed. Great piles of shearling cry out to be fondled. Even less immediately showy pieces, like a tailored grey coat with exaggeratedly round shoulders and cinched waist which was made from a thick, almost foamy looking fabric, was just begging to be squished between the fingers.

It’s the mark of a talented designer that to describe their work as ‘wearable’ doesn’t just mean ‘commercial’, or, worse ‘boring’. The Sunderland-born designer, whose previous creative director roles were at Lacoste, Joseph, and Carven, makes clothes that are infinitely wearable, but here the word might mean things that feel really wonderful to actually wear. On the practical side: pieces have pockets, shoes are flat, and bags are roomy. The more flamboyant garments are countered by easy tank tops and shirts. But more than that, there is a sensuality and tactility that sets Trotter’s work apart. Is this the byproduct of being one of the few women making womenswear at the head of a luxury house? Whatever the case, there’s no doubt that she is one of the most credible designers working today.

The A/W 2026 collection carried what Trotter described as a ‘suggestion’ of Maria Callas and Pier Paolo Pasolini – two of 20th-century Italy’s most erudite and subversive exports, and unlikely friends. Both figures have been brought back to the forefront of the cultural conversation in recent years – operatic prima donna Callas was played by Angelina Jolie in a 2024 biopic, and before that her life and lonely, premature death was dramatised on stage in an opera project conceived by Marina Abramović and co-starring Willem Dafoe. Dafoe, in turn, has played Pasolini, the poet and filmmaker whose brutal murder, presumably at the hands of far-right thugs, was commemorated on its 50th anniversary in the autumn of 2025 through a series of cultural programming and new publications. If these sound like unlikely characters to influence a ready-to-wear collection, consider that Callas and Pasolini had more in common than just tragic ends: formidable artistic talent, potent sexuality, and confident personal style amongst them. For Trotter’s debut last year she described her use of intrecciato as a conceptual device as well as a literal braiding technique – by citing these two artists she is articulating a continuation of that weaving principle, but also making a bold declaration of what Bottega Veneta, under her stewardship, is going to be. India Jarvis

Giorgio Armani

The Armani Privé show in Paris marked the debut collection from Silvana Armani, the late Giorgio Armani’s niece, who worked closely with the designer in his lifetime and was a fitting successor to uphold his legacy. On Sunday in Milan, she made her ready-to-wear debut at Armani, selecting the house’s headquarters on Brera’s Via Borgonuovo to show the A/W 2026 collection (the address was also the site of Mr Armani’s personal Milan home). At the time of the Privé show, we wrote that she had presented a collection ‘not of divergence but of continuance’, and the same could be said of this collection – it felt recognisably Armani in its louche, unstructured tailoring and interplay between Eastern and Western tropes of dress – though there was a greater feeling of softness and ease. Indeed, Silvana Armani said she was looking for lightness in both construction and spirit: jackets were assembled without padding, wrapped silhouettes appeared thrown on, and the slouchier, pleated trousers – held in place with wide belts – felt contemporary in proportion. She called it ‘a new perspective on the Armani style,’ one which she said was informed by being a woman, designing for women. ‘It is fluid, enveloping, perfectly imperfect.’ Jack Moss

Optimism, colour and a sense of play are the order of the day as this season’s 12 standout looks and accessories spark a fresh start. As taken from the March 2026 Style Issue of Wallpaper*, we unpack S/S 2026’s defining trends.

Bold Texture

Above left.

For her Bottega Veneta debut, Louise Trotter channelled a feeling of ‘liberation’ through an expressive use of colour and texture, including a series of pieces constructed from strands of iridescent recycled fibreglass. In their dynamism, she sought to reflect the vibrant life of Laura Braggion, Bottega Veneta’s design director from 1985-2001, who was a member of Andy Warhol’s Factory before her time at the house.

Lucky charms

Above right.

The charm bracelet is an item of jewellery long said to bring luck andprotection. This season, the auspicious accessory enjoys a renaissance, thanks to Michael Rider at Celine: the designer’s debut ready-to-wear collection featured bracelets heavy with charms, from the house’s Triomphe monogram to heart-shaped padlocks, lockets and a helping hand, the latter a longtime symbol of prosperity and safety.

The 1990s slip

The 1990s’ mythic cool continues to be an influence on contemporary fashion (and looks set to carry on with the launch of Tate Britain’s blockbuster exhibition ‘The 90s’ in October). Few garments are more synonymous with the era than the slip dress, which had a rebirth on the runway this season, appearing at Victoria Beckham, Tom Ford and Wooyoungmi, where this negligee came edged in delicate fronds of lace.

A brand new bag

‘A study in intimacy’ is how Sarah Burton describes her first major bag launch for Givenchy. Titled the ‘Snatch’, its gently curved shape, which hooks over the shoulder and hugs neatly under the arm, is designed to echo Burton’s ready-to-wear, whether the cinched waist of a blazer or the curve of a bra top. The softness of the leather is an echo of this feeling of intimacy: ‘it pulls, cinches and embraces,’ she says.

Pyjama dressing

There is an undone elegance to the pyjama shirt, which appeared in various iterations this season – at Dries Van Noten, Dunhill and Dolce & Gabbana, among others. This striped offering, from Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, is part of a collection of ‘ease and escapism’, in which Vaccarello sought to capture the inertia of a summer afternoon. ‘Everything feels light; shapes float rather than cling,’ he says.

Block colour

At Ferragamo, Maximilian Davis took inspiration from the dress codes of the 1920s, injecting modernity via vivid accessories – feathers sprouted from bags while mules came in luminous hues – and colour-blocked garments, like this graphic silk-panelled dress. Indeed, colour blocking was a throughline of the wider S/S 2026 season – collections from Celine, Jil Sander and Loewe all featured the expressive motif.

True blue

Blue provided a feeling of undeniable uplift this season, with the breezy hue colouring the runway at IM Men (part of a collection inspired by the work of ceramic artist Shoji Kamoda), Fendi, Tom Ford and Dolce & Gabbana. Over at Lanvin, Peter Copping paid homage to house founder Jeanne Lanvin’s love of the colour – a fascination that began with the vivid blue skies of Fra Angelico’s 15th-century frescoes.

A new summer shoe

Former Proenza Schouler designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez looked to artist Ellsworth Kelly for their debut collection for Loewe, channelling his ‘elemental colours’ and ‘chromatic intensity’ in a collection that sought a feeling of freedom and release. Sculpted leather dresses, flocked heels and vivid striped knits had a playful sensibility, injecting new energy into the Spanish house.

Extreme layering

Zane Li’s debut show for his eponymous New York label LII made a case for extreme layering, a playful theme that ran throughout the S/S 2026 season. At Issey Miyake, diaphanous layers of fabric were stretched over household objects to create surreal silhouettes, while rising Belgian designer Julie Kegels turned garments upside down and collaged them together, as if they had taken on a life of their own.

Shirt tales

Matthieu Blazy’s debut collection for Chanel featured a collaboration with Parisian shirtmaker Charvet. The designer drew inspiration from Coco Chanel’s love affair with polo player Boy Capel and the way she would purportedly share his clothing. Embroidered with ‘Chanel’ and crafted with a weighted hem, the poplin shirts capture Blazy’s knack for elevating the quotidian through meticulous acts of craft.

Standout specs

Sunglasses are for making a sartorial statement this season. Case in point: these goggle-like frames from Miu Miu, which appeared on the S/S 2026 runway in bright shades of yellow, orange and blue. Similar styles were seen at Loewe, Versace and Balenciaga, the latter presenting huge bug-eyed shades adorned with shimmering crystals and worn with gowns and opera gloves – a very modern proposition for eveningwear.

Vivid outerwear

Outerwear eschewed the usual hues of grey, brown and black for bold colours that befit spring. This red overcoat by Prada embodies the season’s optimism, appearing as part of a collection that was about capturing a mood of escapism. Colourful outerwear was also spotted at Auralee, Dries Van Noten and Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, the latter inspired by hazy summer days on New York’s Fire Island.

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A version of this story appears in the March 2026 Style Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News + now. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

Models: Pascal Thulin at Next, Marrit Krikke at Platform Agency. Casting: Leila at Suun Consultancy. Hair: Paula McCash using Babylisspro and Evopro. Make-up: Claire Urquhart at Julian Watson Agency using Make Up For Ever. Manicure: Saffron Goddard using Chanel La Base Camélia and La Crème Main. Digi tech: Cameron Williamson. Photography assistant: Lucas Bullens. Fashion assistant: Nathan Fox. Production assistant: Danielle Quigley.

Welcome to Milan Fashion Week Men’s A/W 2026

As Pitti Uomo culminates in Florence (catch up on our highlights from the menswear fair here), eyes turn towards Italy’s capital of style, Milan, where the A/W 2026 edition of Milan Fashion Week Men’s takes place this weekend (16-19 January 2026). There is something of a back-to-school feel to the event: the four-day happening marks – bar a handful of guest designers at Pitti Uomo, including Hed Mayner – the first runway shows of the A/W 2026 season, which will continue after Milan in Paris, later this month (after that, the A/W 2026 womenswear season will begin in February, in New York).

As ever, the Wallpaper* style editors are on the ground: despite a relatively sedate schedule, there are still a number of notable runway shows happening across the weekend, including Prada (expect a transporting OMA-designed set and a runway show that will no doubt set the tone for the season ahead), Dolce & Gabbana, Zegna and Giorgio Armani (the last marks the first menswear show since the eponymous designer’s passing last year). Elsewhere, British designer Paul Smith will also host his A/W 2026 show in Milan, following his move to the city last season, while Ralph Lauren will make its menswear runway return to Milan, having last shown here 20 years prior. Numerous presentations and events – including Ferragamo’s celebration of its ‘Tramezza’ shoes on Sunday evening – will take place alongside the main shows.

Here, follow our real-time look at Milan Fashion Week Men’s A/W 2026 – from behind-the-scenes glimpses to access to the shows, presentations and parties – as seen through the eyes (and iPhones) of the Wallpaper* editors. Stay tuned.

Zegna opens Milan Fashion Week Men’s by delving into the ‘family closet’

And so it begins – the first looks of Milan Fashion Week Men’s came from Zegna this afternoon, where Alessandro Sartori made his return to the Italian style capital after showing his S/S 2026 collection in Dubai last season (the house also moved from its traditional spot closing the week to opening it). The setting was Palazzo Del Ghiaccio, whereby the expansive main hall had been transformed with a series of towering ‘imaginary closets’ which were nonetheless filled with real clothing sourced by Sartori from Gildo and Paolo Zegna, both third-generation members of the Zegna family (Gildo is the house’s Group Executive Chairman).

Inherited through the family line, they inspired a collection of eclectic, nostalgic elegance – nonetheless cut to Sartori’s generous, contemporary silhouette. ‘I am after the sense of wonder that happens when one finds a piece that was owned by one's father, grandfather, uncle; the discovery that comes from studying other ways of dressing, which prompts a willingness to try something new,’ said Sartori. ‘The idea of creating something that can be kept energises us.’ The casting was equally cross-generational – an age-diverse casting that has become Sartori’s signature in recent seasons.

Ralph Lauren returns to the Milan runway after 20 years

Ralph Lauren opened the doors to his eponymous Milanese palazzo this evening, hosting an intimate presentation of his A/W 2026 menswear collections in the striking Mino Fiocchi-designed building that the brand acquired in the 1990s. Moving away from the usual static presentation format, Lauren instead chose to show his latest Polo Ralph Lauren and Ralph Lauren Purple collections for men in a back-to-back runway show that marked his first catwalk show in the city for two decades.

He said that the A/W 2026 collection itself was ‘inspired by the different ways men live’, eschewing tight thematics for a broad collection which married his distinct style tropes – from the preppy uniform for which he is best known (here: houndstooth jackets, yellow cable knits, Polo-branded caps and the like) to on-the-ranch Americana and old Hollywood eveningwear. As ever, it felt impossible not to be seduced by his optimistic vision. ‘[These collections] stand for the worlds I have believed in and lived,’ he said. JM

Jacob Cohën opens a one-night-only hotel

The dramatic Luigi Perrone-designed Circolo Filologico Milanese was momentarily transformed last night into a for-one-night-only Jacob Cohën hotel to present the brand’s A/W 2026 collection (an undertaking only a little less ambitious than last season, where owner and creative director Jennifer Tommasi Bardelle created a whole Jacob Cohën village). Cue Jacob Cohën bell boys who led guests through to the ‘lobby’, where models lounged on Chesterfield sofas while a jazz band provided a live soundtrack (champagne, naturally, was on tap). Upstairs, there was a chance to see the highlights up close: highlights included the super-lightweight suedes in Jacob Cohën’s signature denim blue, some lined with fluffy shearling for warmth. JM

Simon Holloway looks to Lord Snowdon’s personal wardrobe to inspire his A/W 2026 collection for Dunhill

This season, Simon Holloway chose to show his A/W 2026 collection for British heritage house Dunhill at Villa Mozart, one of Milan’s discreet architectural gems (the Piero Portaluppi​-designed villa is recognisable for its ivy-covered exterior). A shift away from the runway presentations of recent seasons, Holloway instead hosted a series of intimate talk-throughs for press, introducing a collection which was inspired by the insouciant style of Antony Armstrong-Jones, Lord Snowdon. For Holloway, the British photographer – who married Princess Margaret in 1960 to become the Earl of Snowdon – encapsulated the mood of the heady decade which followed, where high society mingled with rockstars, and the stuffy dress codes of the 1950s were abandoned (American photographer Ethan James Green sought to capture the era in an accompanying photo series, starring artist and model Henry Kitcher).

‘[It’s about] the tension between aristocratic formality and unguarded artistic expression,’ said Holloway of the collection, which came largely in shades of grey (it is an ‘always favourite’ he told Wallpaper* of the hue at the preview this morning). Bolder flourishes came in ‘haberdashery’, like colourful silk pocket squares and cashmere scarves, while motifs drawn from Arts & Crafts textiles adorned jacquard tailoring and slippers. Indeed superlative fabrications were the order of the day: from fluffy alpaca and hand-finished double-faced wool to soft-to-the-touch suede, which was used to construct a (very desirable) pair of ‘jeans’.

A fishing trip to Greenland inspired Satoshi Kuwata’s latest Setchu collection

For his sophomore Milan show, Kyoto-born designer Satoshi Kuwata – winner of the 2023 LVMH Prize for his 2020-founded brand Setchu – welcomed guests into his new brand’s ‘home’, a light-filled studio on Via Privata Rezia (for the occasion, the space had been lined with tatami mats, traditionally used for sleeping in his native Japan). Ever hospitable, Kuwata appeared at the start of the show to welcome guests, going on to talk through the collection’s inspirations, which included a memorable fishing trip to Greenland (fishing is one of Kuwata’s favourite pastimes; Greenland’s waters offered plentiful supplies). It led to a series of intriguing garments which married outdoorsy function (bags that transformed into garments through clever zip placement, warm layers of quilting, enveloping bombers and the like) with his signature unconventional pattern-cutting, honed by the designer during his time on Savile Row. Playful flourishes – like booties and slides made woven from straw, or shaggy, yeti-like ‘furs’ – added to the uplifting mood. ‘It just makes you happy,’ said my seatmate. JM.

Dolce & Gabbana was about the multiplicity of man

This season, Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce moved away from the singular themes of past collections (for S/S 2026, it was ‘pyjama dressing’) towards a more wide-ranging ‘portrait’ of style that sought to capture the multiplicity of man. ‘The runway becomes a contemporary gallery of living portraits, where every look functions as a psychological and sartorial self-portrait,’ said a booming voiceover at the start of the show. ‘[It] unfolds through a sequence of micro universes, each representing a distinct portrait of man – the introspective thinker, the creative visionary, the Mediterranean sensualist and the restless romantic’. As such, an eclectic mode of dressing was the order of the day, shifting between the bold (an enormous striped shaggy ‘fur’ coat which opened the show; colourful jumpers in fuzzy mohair), the bookish (thick-rimmed glasses, jackets in heritage fabrications), and the sporty (a handful of models in walked the runway in a Dolce & Gabbana-branded football kit). And – in a nod to last season – a pair of pyjamas and a leopard print robe. ‘There are infinite possibilities. Each one deserves its portrait,’ the voiceover concluded. JM

Paul Smith looks back into the archive for his latest Milan show

For the second season running, Paul Smith chose to show in his Milan headquarters – an ‘intimate, salon-style’ presentation narrated by the designer via voiceover. ‘[It’s about] putting classics together in a way that’s a bit irreverent and odd, sometimes playful,’ he said, noting that several of the designs were rooted in pieces his design team had discovered in his expansive Nottingham archive (it numbers over 5000 pieces of clothing and ephemera, collected over the course of Smith’s career). The 1980s and 1990s were particular touch points: some memorable inside-out tailoring was revisited, while other blazers recalled the wide-shouldered, double-breasted silhouette of the 1980s (albeit in louche, contemporary style). Meanwhile, playful flourishes – from hanging glass bag charms and botanic motifs to a jaunty riff on the tricorne hat – captured an artistic sensibility, which Smith said was inspired by Jean Cocteau. Consensus in the room was that this was the designer’s best collection in some time. JM

Stone Island presents its latest ‘Prototype Research_Series’

It is well-known that Stone Island has an avid, cult-like following, a group of technical-wear obsessives who devote their time to establishing comprehensive collections of rare and limited-edition garments. The ‘Prototype Research_Series’ is one such project – an annual initiative which showcases the spoils of the brand’s latest Wonka-like experiments in textile manufacturing, for which they remain best known (we took a trip to their extraordinary research lab in Ravarino, Italy last year, to find out more). For its ninth edition – presented in an immersive installation in Stone Island’s Milan headquarters last night – the technology in question was an ’air-blown lamination knit’, a 3D process which uses hot air to bond a membrane onto the chenille knit using an inflatable mannequin (doing it onto the ‘body’ in this way ensures perfect adhesion, according to the brand). 100 colourful pieces have been made in total – the race is no doubt on as to who can add it to their collection first. JM

A first look at the show set for Prada’s A/W 2026 menswear show

A first look at the OMA-conceived set for Prada’s A/W 2026 menswear show, taking place in Fondazione Prada this afternoon in Milan. Transforming the hangar-like Deposito space – where Prada traditionally holds its shows – the pastel-coloured set is a cross-section of a traditional Italian villa or palazzo, as if sliced through its floors. It comes complete with wood-panelled doors and fireplaces in differing marble hues.

Prada’s A/W 2026 menswear collection was about ‘evolution not erasure’

‘What can we build, from what we have learned?’ asked Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons at their A/W 2026 Prada menswear show this afternoon, which took menswear hallmarks – from cuffed shirts to double-breasted tailoring – and reimagined them in renewed proportions.

Presented in Fondazione Prada’s Deposito space – which appeared as if an Italian palazzo had been sliced away through its floors in a show set by OMA – the designers elaborated that this was a collection about ‘evolution not erasure’. ‘There is a sense of the before, which interests us, even as we search for the new,’ said Miuccia Prada. ‘That is a sign of respect – you want to move on but not erase what came before. Holding an idea of beauty and changing it into something new.’

‘We wanted to focus on important things, beautiful things that feel familiar but can be reconsidered,’ Simons added. ‘I have always liked that from the very start Miuccia’s work has been about challenging, questioning and investigating. [Here], we questioned what should remain, from the past – and what can you build, from what you learn?’

Read our full report on Prada’s A/W 2026 menswear show: ‘It’s a kind of archaeology’

Raf Simons likened his and Miuccia Prada’s latest menswear collection to a kind of ‘archaeology’. ‘There is a lot here from the past,’ he said backstage. ‘If you take the layers away, you always find a kind of beauty. There’s the knowledge that you still want to celebrate and use, but you also want to innovate.’

The show took place in Fondazione Prada’s hangar-like Deposito space, which this season had been transformed by OMA into the ruins of an Italian palazzo. Though there was no dust or rubble; instead, it was as if the various floors had been neatly cut away to reveal a cross-section of the rooms inside (in typical Prada style, they were painted in pastel shades and were installed with wood-panelling and marble fireplaces, suspended at height around the room). Only the jagged remains of ceiling beams and floorboards were evidence of any destruction having happened before.

Perhaps, then, this was a collection not of archaeology but of renovation: to make something that exists new, what do you keep, and what do you strip away? Or, as Simons elaborated: ‘We questioned what should remain, from the past – and what can you build, from what you learn?’

Continue reading our A/W 2026 Prada menswear show report.

Tod’s takes over Villa Necchi to present its latest menswear collection

For its latest menswear presentation, Tod’s once again took over Villa Necchi, the Piero Portaluppi-designed home on Via Mozart that is perhaps best known as the setting for Luca Guadagnino’s I Am Love. The house’s latest menswear collection was scattered across the villa’s ground floor, with the Gommino – its signature driving shoe – continuing to take centre stage. This season, it was the ‘Winter Gommino’, a heftier version of the style which also comes in a lace-up boot iteration (for A/W 2026, they had fluffy shearling or cashmere linings). For ready-to-wear, leather was central: a new ’Pashmy’ leather – named after the pashmina as a nod to its softness and lightness – was used to coach jackets and patch-pocket blazers. JM

Giorgio Armani holds first menswear show since the death of the eponymous designer

This morning, guests gathered at the Palazzo Orsini headquarters of Giorgio Armani on Milan‘s Via Borgonuovo for what would be the first menswear show since the death of the eponymous designer last September. What followed was a respectful continuation of the Armani’s singular aesthetic: namely, louche, unrestricted silhouettes and a rich melange of fabrics. This season, the nexus was ‘cangiante’, an irridescent silk, that here became a ‘metaphor’ for the collection – ‘something in constant transformation... catching the light in ever new ways’. The show would mark the debut of Leo Dell'Orco, head of the men's style office of the Armani Group and Mr Armani’s right-hand man, who took an emotional bow at the show’s close. JM

A wild, animalistic mood permeated the A/W 2025 collections, where a frenetic collage of clashing animal prints, slices of faux fur and shearling, and fronds of feathers suggested a need for escape and release. This was the starting point of the cover shoot for the September 2025 Style Issue of Wallpaper*, an exploration of the uninhibited, subversive glamour which ran through the season, where tropes of luxury were twisted, or turned on their head.

Photographed by Austrian image-maker Nicole Maria Winkler and styled by Wallpaper* fashion and creative director Jason Hughes, the shoot sees model Costanze Van Rosmalen – who made a memorable runway debut at Prada’s A/W 2025 show, titled ‘Raw Glamour’ – inhabit a surreal domestic scene, a hallmark of Winkler’s work (for Wallpaper’s March 2025 Style Issue, she created a liminal apartment complete with disorientating trompe l’oeil wall coverings, part of an ongoing collaboration with set designer Kim Harding).

‘What I find exciting is creating deconstructed settings which emphasise the model’s performance for the camera. It doesn’t feel like her natural habitat but a constructed scene,’ she says. ‘In this instance, the double-height stage resembled a domestic set-up – a living room complete with sofa and TV and a bed on top. In another setup our model Constanze casually speed-walked on a treadmill wearing thigh-high Acne Studios boots – one of my favourite moments.’

‘Faux animal furs and reptile skins were really prevalent this season,’ adds Hughes. ‘For this shoot, I liked this idea of clashing them to create these surreal hybrid combinations, layered up in a single look. They are also textures synonymous with traditional glamour and luxury – we wanted to play with them to create a modern way of dressing up.’

Explore the shoot below.

The September 2025 issue of Wallpaper* is available in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

Themes of glamour, danger and seduction ran through the A/W 2025 collections – from Saint Laurent’s thigh-high leather boots to ‘fur’ coats, animal prints and sculpted tailoring. As seen in the September 2025 Style Issue of Wallpaper* (on newsstands now), we capture the season’s sensual new mood in 12 objects and looks for men and women.

Power trip (top left)

Tropes of glamour – from bullet bras and brooches to red lips and fur coats – were riffed on by designers in unexpected and imaginative ways. At Alaïa, towering shearling ‘fur’ coats looped around models’ necklines and tassels jutted from skirt waistlines, while vast corsages sat flush to the neck. ‘The message is about singularity, individuality, the eternal strength and resilience of women, empowering them through their clothes,’ said creative director Pieter Mulier. ‘That inspired Azzedine, and it always inspires me – the strength of beauty.’

Thigh high (top right)

An imagined meeting between Robert Mapplethorpe and Yves Saint Laurent sparked Anthony Vaccarello’s menswear collection for Saint Laurent. Clashing the carnal desires of Mapplethorpe’s photography with the ‘bookish’ classicism of Yves Saint Laurent’s Parisian uniform, it was defined by thigh-grazing leather boots worn with 1980s-inspired tailoring. Referencing a ‘Robin Hood’ boot created by Yves Saint Laurent in 1963, they were perhaps the season’s most talked-about accessory, finding fans in Alexander Skarsgård and Pedro Pascal.

Buffer zone

The proliferation of faux fur – or fur reproductions in cleverly manipulated feathers or dyed shearling – suggested a desire for protection, whether against the elements or something more existential. Enveloping ‘yeti’ coats were most appealing in their hefty weight and size, from those at Dolce & Gabbana – evoking the thrown-on style of off-duty models – to Sportmax’s shaggy monochromatic overcoats. ‘Hyper-reinvention – where the ordinary becomes extraordinary,’ said the Italian label of the collection.

Swan song

After a five-year tenure, Kim Jones held his closing act as artistic director of Dior menswear amid a dramatic monochromatic mişe-en-scene that saw models descend an enormous optic white staircase and onto the runway – a play on the staircase at the house’s Avenue Montaigne address. Silhouettes took inspiration from the streamlined proportions of Christian Dior’s 1954 H-Line couture collection, while ribbon-like eye masks were tied at the back with a bow, evoking those found on the bottles of the Miss Dior fragrance.

Magic eye

Awaiting the arrival of incoming creative director Matthieu Blazy, Chanel has used recent collections to reinforce its most distinctive codes. For A/W 2025, it did so through a collection designed to ‘alter perceptions’, reimagining Chanel emblems using tricks of the eye – whether trompe l’oeil bows or a series of surreal accessories blown up in size or shrunk into miniature. These included a huge version of its signature pochette, a tiny quilted handbag, and this Borrowers-style string of pearls, one of which flips open to make a bag.

Dark arts

‘A menacing elegance’ is how Anthony Vaccarello defined the mood of his menswear collection for Saint Laurent, with its sense of danger, inflected with hints of kink. There was also Prada’s patchworked leather tailoring and raw slices of shearling ‘fur’; Lemaire’s leather foulards, worn as headscarves; and elongated trench coats and leather gloves at Ferragamo. The latter was presented by Maximilian Davis on a darkened runway strewn with red roses, a nod to the sensual staging of Pina Bausch’s Nelken, performed by the Tanztheater Wuppertal.

Wild ones

Designers embraced a wilder side this season, with Duran Lantink’s collection sporting a heady collage of zebra, leopard and tiger prints, some painted directly on to the models’ bodies, while Peter Copping’s Lanvin debut – an ode to the louche 1920s eveningwear of founder Jeanne Lanvin – featured oversized leopard-print coats with a soft, shaggy finish. At Sacai, Chitose Abe looked towards more fantastical realms, conjuring up the monsters of Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are with brightly coloured flourishes of dyed shearling.

Hat trick

The hat is having something of a renaissance, appearing in various guises on recent runways. Signalling a move beyond the casual spirit of a cap or beanie, designers instead delighted in the nostalgic elegance of more classic millinery. At Sportmax, it was something between a pillbox and a panama, at Duran Lantink, there were amped-up versions of the trapper and woolly hats in his signature sculpted form, while Loro Piana featured a play on the cloche hat, a style synonymous with the liberatory dress codes of the 1920s.

Pump action

The pointed, heeled pump has been an archetype of femininity since its rise to prominence in the 1930s, a moment that coincided with the growing influence of Hollywood. Interpretations of the pump appeared throughout the collections, though it was those at Prada that proved most intriguing, featuring raw-cut edges as a riposte to perfection. Co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons noted it was part of an interrogation of femininity. ‘We asked ourselves, what is feminine beauty?’ said Mrs Prada. ‘It is a constant questioning.’

Carry all

This was the season of the XXL bag, perfect for transporting the necessities of contemporary life. Hermès offered up a new take on its ‘Haut à Courroies’ bag, which, in its roominess, can double as a weekend bag or plane carry-on. Stripped of the usual hardware, the various straps and clasps were replaced with ghostly embossing, as if a trace of what was there had been left behind. It came as part of a collection that artistic director Véronique Nichanian described as ‘a play between front and back, inside and out, visible and invisible’.

Body work

Stella McCartney staged her show at the ‘Stellacorp’ HQ – a surreal simulacrum of an office, complete with spinning chairs and desks, which was eventually invaded by underwear-clad pole dancers. Titled ‘Laptop to Lapdance’, playful juxtapositions ran through the collection, which saw the corporate uniform, from pencil skirts to blouses, shot through with a frisson of perversity. Collections from Acne Studios, Balenciaga and All-In presented similar riffs on office attire, the latter inspired by Mike Nichols’ 1988 movie Working Girl.

Take shape

Men’s tailoring this season was sculpted in silhouette, with a focus on the waist. Kim Jones’ final collection for Dior Men included a tuxedo-style riff on Christian Dior’s Bar jacket, while at Wooyoungmi, a reconsideration of eveningwear saw a carved waistline on a jacket adorned with 3D-appliqué flowers. Madame Woo, who staged the show in the opulent surrounds of Karl Lagerfeld’s former residence on Rue de l’Université, said she was thinking about ‘ideas of proper dressing’, reimagining formalwear in louche and sensual style.

Models: Hollie-May Saker at Models 1, Tristan Watkins at Menace Models. Casting: Dean Goodman. Hair: Anna Chapman at Julian Watson using Bumble and Bumble. Make-up: Kirstin Piggott at Julian Watson using Charlotte Tilbury. Manicure: Hayley Evans-Smith at Saint Luke using Byredo. Interiors: Olly Mason. Digi tech: Laura Heckford. Photography assistants: Tom Porter, Ed Philips. Fashion assistant: Lucy Proctor. Interiors coordinator: Archie Thomson. Production: Victoria Watkins at Birdhouse. Production assistant: Melina Grace Bryant. Retouching: Aly Studio.

A version of this story appears in the September 2025 Style Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

In 2019, the micro-sized version of Jacquemus’ ‘Le Chiquito’ bag – so small it could fit into the palm of your hand with proportions less than the size of a credit card – briefly became a viral sensation, dangled from the fingertips of celebrities and influencers, the protagonist of many a street-style photograph. It captured a mood for the miniature which had defined accessories of the late 2010s – a playful riposte to the hefty and unwieldy handbags of a previous generation, with the understanding that all you really needed to carry was your phone.

Half a decade on, the demands of contemporary life have shifted thanks to the pandemic: now, our bags have become vessels for hybrid working, hauling laptops, chargers, papers, gym kits and the various accoutrements of workplace life between office and home (and back again). It’s why the XXL bag has replaced the micro, ushering in a generous new class of oversized shoppers, carry-alls and totes – from Loewe’s ‘Puzzle’ tote and Prada’s ‘Buckle’ bag, to the resurgence of the Hermès Birkin, which was originally designed to cater to the lifestyle of its namesake, actress and singer Jane Birkin, after a chance encounter with Jean-Louis Dumas, the former chairman of Hermès, on flight (as a young mother, she had struggled to find a leather bag large enough for her belongings).

It’s why the XXL tote also doubles as a reliable travel companion – with an easily accessed top opening and spacious interior, it makes navigating trips through airport departures or cross-country train journeys simple (and, for the over-packer, can carry more than you will probably ever need). In time for such escapes, the Wallpaper* style team has collated ten of the best supersized totes and shoppers – from the slouchy and nostalgic to the playfully surreal.

Ten of the best supersized tote bags and shoppers

The notes of spring perfumes are markers of the season itself, with blossoming flowers, ripening fruit and green accords symbolic of new beginnings.

After the moodier, heavier scents of wintertime – rich gourmands, spicy ambers and woody ouds that linger in a colder atmosphere – spring fragrances are a welcome breath of fresh air, in keeping with the climbing temperatures and renewed sense of optimism buoyed by the sun’s rays.

Here, Wallpaper* presents our edit of the best spring perfumes of 2025, from the likes of Réservation, Perfumer H, Louis Vuitton and more.

The best spring perfumes of 2025

Drawing on an eclectic roster of references, high jewellery this year unites historical techniques with rainbows of precious stones. Whether cutting sharp geometrical silhouettes or undulating forms, a bold high jewellery accoutrement calls for statement clothes. Clashing patterns, oversized collars and billowing tops - here are the best partners for a very special collection.

A version of this article appears in the April 2025 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on international newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

As seen in the March Style Issue of Wallpaper*, photographer Luca Strano and stylist Nicola Neri capture the mood of undone elegance that ran through the S/S 2025 menswear collections with a series of collaged and layered-up looks – a proposition for translating the runway into the everyday.

Titled ‘Cut and Paste’, the photo series offers lessons in embracing fashion’s new mood of eclecticism – a throughline of the S/S 2025 season – whether doubling up on jersey vests or shirts for a subversive twist on basics, leaving buttons undone to expose slices of skin, or tying-up the arms of a sweater for playful new proportions.

Cut and paste: how to wear the S/S 2025 menswear collections

Other garments come with layering built in, whether the trim of lace that emerges from beneath an otherwise quotidien grey sweater from JW Anderson, or a trompe l’oeil belt on a pair of Prada trousers (co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons describe their S/S 2025 collection as one where nothing is quite what it seems).

Elsewhere, a diaphonous sheer top by Dries Van Noten is worn over an Hermès blazer – a satisfyingly strange take on eveningwear – while T-shirts and jackets hang from the waistband of trousers to surreal effect. Meanwhile accessories – from colourful lace masks to colourful nylon sneakers and metal brooches – contribute to the season’s uninhibited mood.

Explore the looks below.

Model: Owen Ruppersburg at Milk Management. Casting: Svea Casting. Set design: Harry Stayt. Grooming: Lachlan Mackie. Photography assistants: Elliott Gunn, Luca Viopelle. Fashion assistant: Sophie Bell. Set design assistant: Marko Ilic. Production assistant: Archie Thomson.

A version of this article appears in the March 2025 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on international newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

Nothing is quite what it seems with the S/S 2025 collections, seeing designers riff on wardrobe staples with illusory tricks – from trompe l’œil to twisted silhouettes and unexpected fabrications. Whether the turned-up hemline of a leather Loewe overcoat – as though perpetually caught in a gust of wind – or a surreal Hodakova shoe, which squashes together a beach flip-flop and high-heeled pump, these are pieces that appear as one thing, but are actually another (a response, no doubt, to our increasingly disorientating digital age). The effect is something like a surreal collage; garments that implore a second look.

S/S 2025’s twisted wardrobe staples

As such, in the March 2025 Style Issue of Wallpaper* (on international newsstands now), photographer Nicole Maria Winkler and Wallpaper* fashion and creative director Jason Hughes capture these looks in a surreal interior of their own: a liminal apartment whereby Winkler’s archival photographs become trompe l’oeil wall coverings, or adorn folding screens and chests of drawers. Inhabited by Swiss artist and model Veronika Kunz, the space – which was imagined by set designer Kim Harding – is completed with modernist furnishings, from a Ron Arad bed to an Afra and Tobia Scarpa Cassina sofa.

‘Nicole and I have been friends for many years and have played with trompe-l’œil before, and this story was a further exploration of that theme,’ Harding told Wallpaper*. ‘Delving into Nicole’s archive of still lifes, we created some interesting stand-alone pieces to sit among the set itself.’

Model: Veronika Kunz at Kunz Management. Casting: Ikki Casting at WSM. Set design: Kim Harding Studio. Hair: Sophie Jane Anderson. Make-up: Faye Bluff at Of Substance Agency using Makeup by Mario. Manicure: Sasha Goddard at Saint Luke using Dior. Digi tech: Anna-Sophia John. Photography assistant: Tom Porter. Set design assistants: Matilda Greenwood, Heather Allen. Fashion assistants: Nathan Fox, Rebecca Evans-White. Production assistant: Archie Thomson.

A version of this article appears in the March 2025 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on international newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

As seen in the March 2025 Style Issue of Wallpaper* (on newsstands now), we explore S/S 2025’s defining trends – from illusory trompe l’oeil to transparent layers and gravity-defying spiralling silhouettes – through 12 arresting looks and accessories, for men and women.

Trompe l’oeil (top left)

‘Truth and pretence, the real and the unreal,’ said co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons of their S/S 2025 menswear collection, which was filled with trompe l’oeil illusions – a response, no doubt, to our disorienting post-truth era, where nothing is quite what it seems. Their womenswear collection followed a similar track: like this coat, its surface printed to give the effect of faux fur.

Cut-outs (top right)

Bold acts of construction have long defined Florentine house Ferragamo, whether the vertiginous ‘Rainbow’ wedge heel – created for Judy Garland in 1938 – or the sculpted surface of the ‘Wanda’ bag. Current creative director Maximilian Davis picked up the mantle for S/S 2025, using the house’s atelier to extraordinary effect with leather mesh jackets and skirts cut to the shape of Ferragamo’s historic ‘Gancini’ motif.

Reimagined plaid

Plaid made something of a return this season, with designers evoking the humble material to suggest a mood of teenage rebellion – a nod to plaid’s longtime synonymy with grunge and punk. At Acne Studios there were enormous plaid bows on skirts (‘the familiar, twisted,’ said creative director Jonny Johansson); nipped-waist checked shirts were infused with a mood of refinement at Bottega Veneta; while at Loewe, Jonathan Anderson placed floating layers of plaid over baggy chino-style pants – part of the designer’s ongoing interrogation of wardrobe archetypes.

Hybrid accessories

The mashed-up accessory – like this futuristic sneaker-cum-penny loafer by Fendi – was a throughline of the season, with designers proposing strange and surreal hybrids that appeared as one thing but were actually another. They seem fit for our online era: the effect is reminiscent of the kind of dizzying juxtapositions you find when whizzing through a social-media stream at speed.

Spiralling silhouettes

The spiralling staircase of New York’s Guggenheim Museum inspired the construction of Pieter Mulier’s latest Alaïa collection, where dresses looped around the body to gravity-defying effect. In a shift from Paris to New York, Mulier presented the collection at the Frank Lloyd-Wright-designed landmark, echoing a similar transatlantic trip Azzedine Alaïa took in 1985, showing at the city’s Palladium nightclub.

Puzzle-piece construction

Nicolas Ghesquière’s latest womenswear show for Louis Vuitton took place on a raised runway constructed from a puzzle-like collection of the house’s signature trunks in an array of finishes and hues. Such playful amalgamations continued in the collection itself, which featured a series of sandals constructed from chunky, bolted-down straps of leather, some adorned with coins and crystals.

Blown-up tailoring

‘The joy of looking, discovering and dressing,’ said Matthieu Blazy of what would be his final collection for Bottega Veneta (he was named artistic director of Chanel last December), hoping to evoke a sense of childhood wonder. Cue animal motifs, colourful tasselled wigs and blown-up silhouettes, as if a child was playing dress up in their parent’s closet. ‘We need joy. We need this moment for ourselves, and continue to play.’

Shifted waistlines

Recent seasons have seen the American designer Tory Burch – once the poster girl for all-American preppiness – take a more experimental approach with freewheeling collections rooted in fabric and form. For S/S25, clever construction sees knee-length skirts hover away from the waist for an unexpected silhouette – the type of twisted classic that has now become Burch’s forte.

Brown

If brown has been something of an overlooked shade on the runway, in recent seasons designers have begun to embrace the hue for its suggestion of nostalgic sartorial elegance – particularly its richest shades of chocolate and chestnut. Like this trench coat by Paul Smith, part of the designer’s reminiscence on Soho’s Italian coffee bars of the 1960s and their famous patrons, from Lucian Freud to Francis Bacon.

Transparency

‘The paradox of lightness through craftsmanship,’ said Nadège Vanhée of her latest outing for Hermès, presented amid a set constructed from raw artist’s canvases. Impossibly lightweight layers of sheer fabric suggested the initial brushstrokes of a painting, while also proposing a mood of feminine sensuality, long a hallmark of Vanhée’s collections for the Parisian house.

Open arms

Jonathan Anderson described his latest menswear outing for his eponymous London-based label as ‘irrational clothing’, a nod to the surreal blown-up silhouettes, supersized knits and balloon-like protrusions of fabric. Though, as is his knack, the strangeness proved seductive, like a series of oversized gilets that proposed arms-out dressing as the mode du jour.

Deconstruction

The ritual of dressing, of putting on your clothes in the morning and removing them at night, was the inspiration behind Victoria Beckham’s S/S25 collection. ‘Observing the physical relationship between skin and garment,’ led the British designer to pieces turned inside out or deconstructed – like a series of sliced-away tailoring, as if still in the process of creation.

Models: Loka Lindaregard at Models 1, Reuben Larkin at Linden Staub. Casting: Ikki Casting at WSM. Hair: Mayuko Nakae using Oribe. Make-up: Faye Bluff at Of Substance Agency using Ilapothecary. Manicure: Sabina Uzunovic at Snow Creatives using Nailberry. Photography assistants: Guillaume Mercier, Julie Robinson. Fashion assistant: Lucy Proctor. Production assistant: Archie Thomson.

A version of this article appears in the March 2025 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on international newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

As seen in the September 2024 Style Issue of Wallpaper* – a reflection on a season defined by tactility, texture and touch – 12 of A/W 2024’s defining men’s and womenswear moments, from scrunched-up Miu Miu gloves and decadent Ferragamo feathers to seductive leather ties and cocooning balaclavas.

Soft touch (top left)

Enveloping textures, the pleasure of clothing on the skin: this season is all about tactility. Cue a melange of furry, fuzzy, soft-to-the-touch textures – whether the teddy-bear feel of a Dries Van Noten bag or the fluffy finish of a Carven skirt.

Match point (top right)

This season saw designers explore the co-ordinating accessory, albeit in an unexpected manner – at Gucci, the tone of a leather glove met that of a handbag, part of Sabato De Sarno’s ongoing investigation of colour and texture.

Parallel lines

The stripe is one of Missoni’s enduring motifs, often appearing in vivid colour combinations. Designer Filippo Grazioli paid homage to the pattern in playful style, like with these shaggy knit stripes, which adorn an elongated overcoat.

Glossed over

Slick, high-shine textures lent this season’s menswear a futuristic sheen. At Jil Sander, lustrous crackled-leather overcoats appeared as part of a collection that designers Lucie and Luke Meier described as an ‘immersive capsule, smooth and embracing’.

Back out

At Prada’s womenswear show, the backs of tailored jackets were sliced away, as if to expose their lining, appearing as part of a collection that saw co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons excavate historical silhouettes.

Hands on

At Miu Miu’s show, rolled-up sleeves and heavy, worn-leather gloves suggested a woman at work. Indeed, gloves – largely oversized and scrunched up – appeared throughout the collections, with iterations at The Row, Marni and Balenciaga.

Tied up

The tie was reimagined by a gamut of designers. At Prada, it formed part of Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons’ riff on the corporate uniform, while at Bottega Veneta, ties were cut from leather in Matthieu Blazy’s typically seductive style.

Fine feather

A fascination with old Hollywood glamour permeated Maximilian Davis’ collections for Ferragamo. Flourishes of feathers sprouted from necklines or heeled pumps – an ode, said Davis, to the liberatory dress codes of the 1920s.

Slim chance

Menswear designers provided a long and lean riposte to the oversized silhouette that has dominated recent seasons. Silvia Venturini Fendi was one such voice, presenting slim, straight-cut tailoring, inspired by the contrast between ‘town and country’.

Hood times

The idea of protection featured prominently, with designers creating silhouettes that wrapped and enveloped. At Issey Miyake, balaclavas appeared as part of a collection that saw Satoshi Kondo explore the instinctual ‘act of clothing the human body’.

Second skin

This season’s slick boots offer up a glamorous way of protecting the body as the temperature drops. Such is the case with this pair by Daniel Lee, whose latest collection for Burberry is inspired by the ‘heritage of the British outdoors’.

Buckle up

A defined waistline added a nostalgic elegance to the season’s menswear silhouette, whether in nipped-waist tailoring, tie-fastening overcoats or eye-catching belts, like those at Prada, which were perhaps A/W 2024’s most covetable accessory.

Models: Jimai Hoth at PRM Agency, Mohammed Banze at Wilhelmina. Casting: Ikki Casting at WSM. Set design: Kei Yoshino at Bryant Artists. Hair: Mayuko Nakae using Oribe. Make-up: Sunao Takahashi at Saint Luke using Chanel Fall-Winter 2024 Make-up Collection and No.1 de Chanel Skincare. Manicure: Sabina Uzunovic at Snow Creatives using Kure Bazaar. Photography assistants: Callum Su, Joshua Hippolyte.

This article appears in the September 2024 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

Hard and soft, sweet and sharp: Pre-Fall 2024’s most intriguing looks are defined by a play on texture, seeing clean lines and pin-sharp tailoring meet shaggy, enveloping fabrics and touches of romance, from knitted candy-pink bows to twisted leather flowers. Whether the crackled vinyl of a Sportmax jacket, Alaïa’s delicate twists of merino wool, or layers of faux fur, shearling and leather, these are pieces that call out to be touched (and, indeed, treasured).

Captured in a series of portraits by Milan-based photographer Mattia Parodi and Wallpaper* creative and fashion director Jason Hughes, Dutch model Renee Does wears the defining looks of the Pre-Fall 2024 collections – from Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello to Bottega Veneta, Chanel and Celine – backdropped by a textural collage of draped fabric, modernist furniture and concrete. The story was originally featured in the Design Directory July 2024 Issue of Wallpaper*, on international newsstands now.

Pre-Fall 2024: the defining looks of the season

Model: Renée Does at Viva London. Casting: Ikki Casting at WSM. Hair: Tomi Roppongi at Julian Watson Agency using Bumble and Bumble. Make-up: Faye Bluff at Of Substance Agency using Byredo. Set design: Stilema Studio at Tristan Godefroy. Interiors: Olly Mason. Photography assistants: Pablo Gallegos, Tom Green. Fashion assistant: Samela Gjozi. Interiors assistant: Ady Huq. Digi tech: Jess Segal/

A version of this article appears in the July 2024 Design Directory issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

Face the travails of travel with capacious getaway bags that do the heavy lifting – whether navigating airport delays or lost hold luggage, these roomy, wear-forever weekend bags will carry much more than you’ll ever need.

Photographed by Rosie Harriet Ellis and styled by Wallpaper* fashion and creative director by Jason Hughes, we select the season’s best travel bags – from minimal briefcases and raffia totes to roomy carry-alls from the likes of Prada, Hermès, Ferragamo and more – as first seen in the June Travel Issue of Wallpaper* (on newsstands now).

Summer’s best weekend and travel bags

Air travel: Keep the air flowing with this top-handle tote by historic Brussels-based brand Delvaux – the luggage house was first founded in 1829 – which features a perforated exterior to keep your belongings cool. It takes its cue from Delvaux’s 1946 perforated Avia suitcase, made for then-burgeoning air travel, and comes in a smaller ‘Pin Airess’ iteration. 

The ‘Airess’ shopping bag is coming soon. The ‘Pin Airess’ is available now from delvaux.com.

Clean lines: An architectural sensibility informs this elongated riff on the shopping bag by Valentino Garavani, which in its minimal, no-fuss design makes for a chic travel companion which will pair with any airport attire (though we suggest teaming with classic blue denim). Meanwhile, a shoulder strap can be added for the inevitable dash to the gate. 

Valentino Garavani’s ‘Tagged’ shopping bag is available from valentino.com

The holy trinity: When it comes to travel, there are few occasions when just a single bag will do. This trio of a classic ridged-aluminium suitcase Rimowa (which doubles as a perching stool for crowded airport lounges), the roomy carry-all ‘Sea’ tote by Connelly (crafted from soft French nubuck leather) and Loro Piana’s Ghiera shoulder bag (for the most precious belongings) is our holy trinity. 

The Rimowa ’Original Carry On’ suitcase is available from rimowa.com. The Connelly ‘Sea’ bag is available from connollyengland.com. Loro Piano’s ‘Ghiera’ shoulder bag is available from loropiana.com.

Celine’s Plein Soleil: Each summer, Parisian house Celine embraces the lightness of summer with its ‘Plein Soleil’ collection, an eclectic gathering of clothing, accessories and objets (from beach ball bats to hammocks). These include a roomy raffia tote intricately woven with the house’s double-C motif, the perfect companion to Celine’s timeless monogrammed luggage.

Celine’s Plein Soleil and luggage collections are available at celine.com.

Sleep aid: Though it might usually be sacrilegious to rest your head on a Prada handbag, this duo of tote bags from the house are particularly appealing in their tactile nappa-leather construction and generous proportions. The ‘Buckle’ handbag – shown in foreground – is a particularly luxurious (and roomy) travel buddy, looping around the top with a belt-like fastening and stamped with the house’s logo in embossed gold leaf. 

Prada’s ‘Buckle’ handbag is available from prada.com.

Cooling power: Harness the cooling power of white this summer with this slouchy, oversized version of Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello’s ‘Le 5 à 7’ handbag, complete with a monogram clasp. A truly capacious style – the collapsible edges fold outwards to transform it from tote to trapezoid shopper – we recommend as a particularly sumptuous play on the beach bag. 

Saint Laurent’s ‘Le 5 à 7’ handbag is available from ysl.com.

Earn your stripes: Ferragamo has long been known for its work in leather – the Florentine house began as a shoemaker in 1927 – though recent seasons have seen British creative director Maximilian Davis breathe new life into the medium with enticing, oftentimes colourful accessories. Case in point, the squashy-sided white tote crafted from vegetable-dyed leather with a bold blue stripe, recalling the colour of glorious summer skies. 

Ferragamo’s blue-strip tote bag is available from ferragamo.com.

Arm architecture: Contemporary Italian leather goods brand Valextra is defined by its minimal, architectural approach to accessory design – one echoed by its design-minded stores, from the monumental marble interiors of its John Pawson-designed Milan flagship to a Kyoto outpost housed in a former machiya teahouse. The ‘Milano’ bag – in soft Millepunte calfskin with a suede lining – represents the very pinnacle of Valextra’s leather atelier, its elegant top-handle style inspired by its namesake city. 

Valextra’s ‘Milano’ bag is available from valextra.com.

Carry all: though we are largely proponents of a less-is-more approach when it comes to packing, long-haul departures require a panoply of objects to aid in arriving in your destination fresh. An open-top tote has always been our airport bag of choice – allowing you to access your belongings without fiddly zips and buttons – like this calfskin shopper by Brunello Cucinelli, whereby two internal ties allow the bag to shape-shift to your needs.

Brunello Cucinelli’s calfskin shopper is available from brunellocucinelli.com.

Models: Celine at Ikon Model Management, Hamaam Pelewura at Elite London, Tim V at D1Lon. Casting: Jonathan Johnson. Hair: Mike O’Gorman using Sam McKnight. Make-up: Nina Sagri using Ranavat. Manicure: Edyta Betka using Kure Bazaar. Set design: Kei Yoshino at Bryant Artists. Interiors: Olly Mason. Photography assistants: Garth McKee, Genoveva Arteaga-Rynn. Fashion assistant: Lucy Proctor. Set assistant: Ryosuke Hirano. Interiors assistants: Archie Thomson, Ady Huq. Digital and retouching: David Barreiro.

A version of this article appears in the June 2024 Travel Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

Common wisdom says that wearing black in summer is a sartorial no-go, the light-and-heat absorbing hue a recipe for torrid and uncomfortable afternoons in the sun. Though, as the many year-round aficionados of the colour will attest, such is black’s timelessness – it is arguably the shade most synonymous with style and taste – that even when it comes to the summer months, it’s never too hot to wear black.

Taken from the June 2024 The Travel Issue of Wallpaper*, photographer Valentin Hennequin and Wallpaper* fashion and creative director Jason Hughes take a trip to Amanjena – the Moroccan outpost of the Aman hotel group – with Estonian model Katlin Aas and a handful of the S/S 2024 season’s most dramatic looks to make a case for summer blacks.

A case for wearing black in summer

With it, rules for embracing black in the heat of summer: keep layers diaphanous and fluid, like the sinuous line of Rick Owen’s gently ruched asymmetric evening gown, or Givenchy’s floating, sheer organza layers. When it comes to covering up, less is more: look for cutaway silhouettes (like Louis Vuitton’s open-back blouse) and plunging necklines (à la Alexandre Vauthier), or opt for black swimwear, arguably the simplest way to wear black in summer (our choice: a classic black bikini from Chanel). As is a simple black sweater in the lightest of cashmere – like that from Italian knitwear producer Luca Faloni – made for the onset of coolness on a summer evening (or overly air-conditioned hotel rooms and airline cabins).

And, when it comes to the evening, black remains the choice for taking to the resort bar in dramatic style, whether in a richly adorned dress from Prada – its glimmering surface replete with metal eyelets for a chic take on ventilation – or a body-clinging body-suit from British designer Supriya Lele, whose S/S 2024 collection included dissolving mini dresses and swimwear cut in the designer’s gently subversive style. Or, indeed, the sculptural silhouette of a stomach-bearing set from Jacquemus – a French label well-versed in seductive summer style.

Complete the look with bold stacks of bangles, like those from New York designer Alexis Bittar – their oversized and dramatic forms the balm to break up otherwise consuming expanses of black – or Goossens’ choker-like golden chains. And, if all else fails, simply resort to the nearest shade, sunglasses on, and channel your inner femme fatale.

Model: Katlin Aas at Supreme Management. Casting: Ikki Casting at WSM. Hair: Noelia Corral at Blend Management using Kevin Murphy Spain. Make-up: Eny Whitehead at Wise & Talented using Chanel Beauty. Photography assistant: Pietro Lazzaris. Fashion assistant: Lucy Proctor.

A version of this article appears in the June 2024 Travel Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

Marilyn Monroe’s sparkling red stilettos, Andy Warhol’s paint-spattered loafers, the sleek-lined ‘Wanda’ bag: Ferragamo creative director Maximilian Davis is recalling his favourite discoveries from the Florence-based house’s archive with an air of wonder.

‘There’s one shoe that I really, really wanted to see before I joined,’ says the Manchester-born designer, who was appointed to the role in 2022. ‘It was the S-shaped heel with the transparent straps that I saw in a 1950s campaign shot – it was the first of its kind, and is really surreal and dark and moody. It feels so modern. When I saw it [in person], it was so small and so delicate, and I had to wear gloves to touch it.’

Inside Ferragamo’s treasure-filled Florence hub

Very few leading labels can offer their top designers the wealth of reference points that Davis has at his fingertips. The Ferragamo archive, occupying a sprawling space in Osmannoro, just outside Florence, (a short spin from its Palazzo Spini Feroni HQ and museum on the River Arno), comprises a staggering 14,700 – and counting – shoe models alone.

‘My first week was pretty intense,’ he laughs. ‘I was just so curious to see what 14 or 15,000 pairs of shoes look like in person. I can’t name another brand or another person that has an amazing heritage like this, especially based on shoes, which is what makes it so special.’

The Ferragamo tale is a storied one. It’s more than a century since the brand’s eponymous founder, Salvatore Ferragamo, emigrated from Italy to America in 1915 at the tender age of 17 to pursue his dreams of becoming a shoemaker to the stars. In 1923, he opened his first shop – the Hollywood Boot Shop on Hollywood Boulevard – and realised his ambition of providing footwear for the locale’s colourful clientele.

Upon returning to his native Italy in 1926, Ferragamo quickly established a reputation for pioneering material innovation, and a prolific output over the next four decades saw the stars align. The likes of Judy Garland, Greta Garbo, Audrey Hepburn and Monroe wore his creations both on and off set; meanwhile, over 350 pairs of shoes were made by around 700 shoemakers every day in this period. That resulted in 369 patents by 1964 – the highest number in the sector – including the wedge heel. ‘He was using all the materials that he could find – cork, candy-wrapper cellophane and fish skins,’ explains Davis. ‘Every shoe was created or designed for something specific. It was epic.’

It didn’t stop at shoes. Following Ferragamo’s death in 1960, his wife, Wanda Ferragamo, took over the business, transforming it into a fully fledged fashion brand that put it on the global radar. Her entrepreneurship saw Ferragamo expand into other categories so that now, alongside the shoe emporium in the archive, lie 5,000 garments, 5,600 ties and 1,500 bags. (Actual numbers of artefacts dwarf in comparison to the 630,000 data sheets, including thousands of press review records, that were imported into the Ferragamo database as a part of its recent digitisation.)

Perhaps the most popular item finding new resonance in Davis’ tenure is the ‘Wanda’ handbag, introduced in 1988 in its namesake’s honour. It was the first thing that Davis set his sights on reimagining for his first collection. ‘I saw it and immediately thought that this was a bag that I just wanted to re-energise while paying respect to the heritage,’ he says. ‘When I saw it, it was like, “Wow, this is a bag that just feels very timeless,” which is one of my goals – to continue the timeless elegance that Salvatore started. Using heritage products allowed me to continue Wanda’s story too, in a modern way.’

Davis’ access to these pieces has been made possible by the recent amalgamation of the Ferragamo’s archive, atelier and workshop under one roof at the Osmannoro site, a project ongoing since 2017. ‘I’m very grateful to have all these resources on site so that I can quickly go to the technicians and discuss how a seam can be done, how we can try something a different way,’ he says. ‘It’s a very one-on-one relationship.’ He recalls a moment from the previous week, when working on his upcoming A/W 2024 show (taking place during Milan Fashion Week A/W 2024), that demonstrates his point perfectly. ‘Our amazing atelier turns around a sample of a prototype in an hour,’ he says. ‘I was styling the collection and we were in need of a sandal. An hour and a half later, it came back. Having built a huge atelier for the ready-to-wear, we’re also able to make a full collection in-house, which is honestly a dream.’

For Davis, the close-knit set-up at Osmannoro aligns with his own approach to design – in more ways than one. The 28-year-old designer was appointed at Ferragamo fresh from industry-wide recognition for his eponymous London-based brand, where he says he learnt to be ‘always working with my hands’. At Ferragamo, he still insists on working with paper, scissors and glue when conceiving a new shoe, studying the process of the workshop when developing a last or garment, much like the Ferragamos would have done.

For his own label, he drew on his family history. ‘My brand was based on my Caribbean heritage, using my grandmother’s life as a starting point.’ At Ferragamo, he finds himself conducting the same cultural interrogation. ‘Here, I’m looking into the Ferragamo family heritage. It’s very similar to my own way of working so I felt comfortable immediately.’

The resources that Ferragamo’s Osmannoro site provide have resulted in a world of possibilities. ‘It’s liberating, but it also provides a sense of security. Knowing the history of the brand, what we have done so far, and what we can achieve with the resources we have is reassuring to myself and the whole company.’ It’s a collaborative approach that is already attracting high praise. In December 2023, Davis collected the coveted British Womenswear Designer accolade at the Fashion Awards for his work at the house. ‘It’s an incredible achievement and recognition for what we’ve done so far,’ he says humbly. ‘I’m still processing it.’

As far as his own legacy goes, he already has an idea of the pieces he would like to see immortalised in the archive: the ‘Elina’ kick-heel that featured in his first collection; his take on the gold chain sandal first made by Ferragamo in 1955; and his new ‘Hug’ bag. Above all, ‘the goal is to be timeless,’ he says. ‘When I think about what Salvatore did in the past, it was very ahead of its time, always pushing the boundaries, but in an elegant way. Having this legacy as an advantage is something that makes us feel modern and comes very naturally to us.’  

A version of this article appears in the March 2024 Style Issue of Wallpaper* available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

A mood of escape and discovery infused the S/S 2024 womenswear collections, with designers taking a round-the-world odyssey – both real and imagined – to create a series of striking, craft-rich looks which offer a dramatic and colourful riposte to the banality of the everyday.

Here, as seen in the March 2024 Style Issue of Wallpaper* (on newsstands worldwide now), photographer Nicolas Kern, Wallpaper* fashion and style director Jason Hughes and Dutch model Bente Oort take a trip to the otherwordly landscapes of the Canary Islands, capturing the season’s best looks amid the archipelago’s unique vistas and volcanic black-sand beaches. 

From Matthieu Blazy’s pom-pom-adorned dress for Bottega Veneta – which appears on the limited-edition cover of the March 2024 Style Issue – to the cocoon-like wrapped forms of Issey Miyake, or the intricate embellishments that adorn looks from Isabel Marant, Feben and Carven, it makes for a series of electrifying ensembles which capture the mood of offbeat elegance set to define the S/S 2024 season ahead. Enjoy the trip. 

S/S 2024 womenswear looks for escape and discovery

Model: Bente Oort at Platform Agency. Casting: Ikki Casting at The Art Board. Hair: Daniele Falzone at Blend Management using Davines. Make-up: Jimmy Owen Jones at Julian Watson Agency. Photography assistants: Francesco Colombo, David Gimenez. Fashion assistant: Kris Bergfeldt. Post-production: Ink. Local production: Studio Volca.

A version of this article appears in the March 2024 Style Issue of Wallpaper* available on international newsstands in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

A mood of escape and discovery permeated the S/S 2024 collections, with designers looking to journeys real and imagined to inspire their summertime offerings. Here, taken from the March 2024 Style Issue of Wallpaper*, we select 12 objects and looks that capture the freewheeling mood of the season – whether Matthieu Blazy’s around-the-world odyssey at Bottega Veneta, Hermès’ beach-primed fisherman’s sandals, or Jonathan Anderson’s crystal-adorned sunglasses at Loewe. 

In fashion: the best of S/S 2024

Wander lust: Ferragamo (top left)

Maximilian Davis’ collection for Ferragamo was rooted in an imagined exchange between his Caribbean roots and the house’s Italian heritage, epitomised by these vertiginous sandals, elevated on a sculptural sole and laced with coloured rocks.

Enquire at ferragamo.com

Globe trotter: Bottega Veneta (top right)

Describing it as an ‘odyssey’, Matthieu Blazy’s show for Bottega Veneta saw models march across a tiled world map, sporting huge woven leather beach bags, stacked with clothing and rolled-up newspapers, as if wandering back from a day at the beach.

Enquire at bottegaveneta.com

Fluid forms: Dior Men

Elements of femininity – think shrunken, crystal-embellished cardigans, feather-and flower-adorned hats, and pearls – pervaded Kim Jones’ Dior menswear, inspired by previous Dior creative directors, from Yves Saint Laurent to Gianfranco Ferré.

Available at dior.com

Craft union: Prada

Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons’ collection for Prada was one of material richness and intrigue, from floating translucent gowns to tasselled skirts in-set with eyelets. ‘We try to make the best out of our work, to make beautiful things for today,’ says Prada.

Enquire at prada.com

Great lengths: Dries Van Noten

There was an elongated line to this season’s menswear silhouette, which suggested a mood of ease and movement. This tabard by Dries Van Noten, with its subtle, 1970s-tinged print, formed part of a collection that encapsulates a ‘disrupted elegance’.

Available from driesvannoten.com

Big picture: Chanel

Chanel’s Virginie Viard looked to the French town of Hyères for inspiration, with her ensuing collection embodying the Riviera locale’s easy creative spirit. Camera-like quilted bags, complete with lenses, hung from models as if to capture the views.

Enquire at chanel.com

Track record: Wales Bonner

Inspired by Ethiopian and Kenyan marathon runners, Grace Wales Bonner’s ode to ‘long journeys and life missions’ was marked by a use of complex crafts in everything from woven zebra-print tops to macramé dresses adorned with Ghanaian glass beads.

Enquire at walesbonner.net

Action packed: Miu Miu

Miuccia Prada continued to explore notions of contemporary beauty for Miu Miu with a collection punctuated by sporty swimwear that crept above the waistline (as if clothes had been slung on after a morning in the surf ) and hiking-style sandals.

Available at miumiu.com

In proportion: Burberry

Daniel Lee’s collection for Burberry paid homage to ‘lightness, sensuality, beauty and elegance’, largely through proportion: the house’s signature trench sported a newly dropped waistline, while tailored trousers were replaced with long shorts.

Enquire at burberry.com

Escape route: Hermès

A soft and sultry summer mood permeated Véronique Nichanian’s Hermès menswear collection, which featured translucent layers, woven rope beach bags and this elegant riff on the fisherman’s sandal, made for clambering through coves and rock pools.

Enquire at hermes.com

Crystal clear: Gucci

The shimmer of crystal heralded the arrival of Sabato De Sarno at Gucci, with the house’s new creative director using it to adorn babydoll dresses and chainmail bustier tops in a collection designed to capture the insouciant glamour of Italian street life.

Enquire at gucci.com

Tunnel vision: Loewe

For his menswear collection for Loewe, Jonathan Anderson set out to create a silhouette that felt as if the viewer were looking upwards at the wearer through a fisheye lens. These oversized crystal-studded sunglasses completed the vision.

Available from loewe.com at selfridges.com

A version of this article appears in the March 2024 Style Issue of Wallpaper* available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

Models: Shuqi at The Milk Collective, Rex Rayner at Supa Model Management. Casting: Monica Domarke. Hair: Chris Sweeney at One Represents using Philip B. Make-up: Sandra Cooke using Giorgio Armani Beauty. Manicure: Ami Streets using Byredo. Photography assistants: James Donovan, Sarah Merrett. Fashion assistants: Kris Bergfeldt, Ady Huq. Digi tech: Al Habjan. Retouching: MGS Post.

Our Style Issue celebrates the mood of escapism and fantasy which permeates the S/S 2024 collections with a round-up of contemporary style that draws inspiration from around the world and invites us on a journey of discovery.

Our newsstand cover is by photographers Melanie + Ramon and our fashion & style director Jason Hughes, who were granted exclusive access to Balenciaga’s history-steeped haute couture salons to capture Demna’s latest transformative couture collection. The Georgian designer also opens up to Dal Chodha about instilling a feeling of modernity into this most traditional of mediums. (Fans of the house should also see our review of ‘Cristóbal Balenciaga: Master of Tailoring’, currently on show in Atlanta.)

Our limited-edition cover, meanwhile, available to subscribers, takes a more classic trip, seeing the season’s most transporting looks photographed across the otherworldly volcanic landscapes of the Canary Islands. 

There’s also the return of the Wallpaper* Glossary, our essential guide to this season’s defining codes, which revels in the art of dressmaking, combining feats of craft with flights of imagination. Elsewhere in the issue, we distil the new season’s escapist mood down to 12 key pieces and objects to covet. 

Rem Koolhaas talks us through the drama and fantasy of the runway show, bridging the worlds of architecture and fashion, with a look at the dramatic sets that OMA/AMO has created for Prada over the last 25 years. As Vésma Kontere McQuillan writes, ‘It has revolutionised the fashion show as spectacle and pushed the boundaries of what is expected from a runway presentation’.

In Tuscany, writer Scarlett Conlon delves into Ferragamo’s rich atelier and archive to discover how Maximilian Davis, the brand’s brilliant young creative director, is exploring the storied Italian house’s ultra-sophisticated heritage in order to inspire its future.

In Paris, meanwhile, we’re granted a glimpse of Saint Laurent’s new flagship Champs-Élysées store, designed by creative director Anthony Vaccarello, which features marble, concrete, dark wood, Donald Judd chairs, a Cerith Wyn Evans neon sculpture and seating by Rudolph Schindler – a true vision, and a clear sign of architectural direction from the house. 

Finally, an enormous thank you goes to Jason Hughes, Jack Moss and Tracy Gilbert, our much-travelled fashion team; you have truly made this a Style special to remember. We hope you enjoy the trip!

Sarah Douglas
Editor-in-Chief

The March 2024 issue of Wallpaper* is available in print from 8 February, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

These sculptural hair clips are ten practical yet decorative design solutions for days when high-maintenance styling feels like a bridge too far. Whether an oversized barrette crafted in patent leather courtesy of Miu Miu, a structured red ribbon by Ferragamo, or a rose made from Prada’s Re-Nylon fabric and finished with the house’s iconic enamel triangle, each is a welcome distraction from a less-than-perfect coiffure and an alternative to more formal hair jewellery. 

The hair clips can be worn pinned in bangs or used to part a growing out fringe, added to cropped cuts or gelled locks, or as a tool to nonchalantly pile loose strands on top of your head in the middle of a working day. And, each has the Wallpaper* stamp of approval.

Ten sculptural hair clips

1. Sacai

Chitose Abe, creative director of Sacai, began her career as a pattern cutter at Comme des Garçons and Junya Watanabe, which explains the angular and slightly irregular shape of this claw clip, a continuation of the Japanese brand's ready-to-wear codes. This version is crafted in polished silver-tone brass, but Sacai also makes a gold-tone iteration. And, both have more than a touch of modernism about them. (Think: Constantin Brâncuși or Barbara Hepworth).

Sacai Silver S Hair Clip, £345, available at ssense.com.

2. Completedworks

Trust London-based jewellery brand Completedworks to produce a barrette hairclip that is akin to a wearable sculpture. Made in gold vermeil, the clip is designed to fit seamlessly over a ponytail, creating the illusion of the folds of a scrunchie. In fact, the barrette is part of the brand’s ‘Fold’ collection, which is inspired by Georges Perec’s writings on the everyday; particularly ‘that which is generally not taken note of, that which is not noticed, that which has no importance’.

Completedworks gold-plated hair clip, £395, available at net-a-porter.com.

3. Celine

The Celine Triomphe motif dates back to 1973, designed by the founder of the Parisian fashion house, Céline Vipiana, as a ‘symbol of renewal’, and inspired by the Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile. Hedi Slimane, currently artistic director of Celine, has celebrated this symbol to full effect, particularly on leather accessories and in this claw clip made from acetate and steel, which feels distinctly architectural in form.

Celine, Triomphe large hair claw in acetate and steel, £325, available at celine.com.

4. Re-comb

Re-comb produces hair accessories out of recycled plastic waste from the fashion and beauty industries. Whilst predominantly known for its tooth combs, it also makes clips, such as these large hair barrettes. The mixture of materials used provides the accessories with a veined effect, which is rather reminiscent of sculpted marble.

Re-comb large clip, £18.50, available at re-comb.com.

5. Katya

The third collection from London-based hair accessory brand Katya is inspired by a butterfly gently landing on petals. Made from durable yet light high-gloss cellulose acetate, and designed to work with thicker and longer hair, the newly launched Mariah clip can be worn in ponytails or twisted chignons (or even playfully clipped to bags and clothing, if you so wish).

Katya Mariah claw, £34, available at katya.world.

6. Prada

Prada launched its Re-Nylon initiative in 2019, an endeavour that sees plastic collected from the ocean (such as discarded fishing nets) recycled, purified and regenerated into fabric. Since then, it has been masterfully sculpted by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons across clothes, footwear and accessories, such as this hair clip. Made with a leather tab and Plexiglas pin, here, Re-Nylon takes the form of a rose, recalling the ready-to-wear floral motifs that Mrs Prada and Simons so adore.

Prada rose-embellished Re-Nylon hairclip, £580, available at matchesfashion.com.

7. Miu Miu

Recent Miu Miu runways have celebrated bad hair days, with autumn/winter 2023 providing a particularly chic take on dishevelment. (Guido Palau used balloons rubbed on hair to create static, frizzy strands, that were then set in place with hairspray). It's no wonder, then, that the Italian brand knows good hair accessories, including this oversized barrette clip in patent red leather, emblazoned with a three-dimensional Miu Miu logo.

Miu Miu leather logo hair clip, £280, available at harrods.com.

8. Hermès

Hermès first introduced its Chaine d'Ancre motif in 1938, and it remains a source of inspiration for Pierre Hardy (creative director of jewellery, beauty and accessories) to this day. Here, the motif forms the centrepiece of this hair clip, where the signature links are blown up to large, almost inflated proportions in either a matte black or gilt finish.

Hermès Tri Maillon GM hair clip, £510, available at hermes.com.

9. Ferragamo

Since taking the helm of Ferragamo in 2022, Maximilian Davies has solidified a particularly vibrant shade of red as one of the signature house colours. (It can be seen across campaigns, ready-to-wear and accessories, such as the Hug and Hobo bags). This hair clip is another example of the shade in action, this time on a soft silk ribbon that nods towards the history of the Italian label through a riff on the Vara bow.

Ferragamo Vara soft bow hair clip, £ 310.00 available at luisaviaroma.com.

10. Sophie Buhai

Los Angeles-based brand Sophie Buhai draws upon modernist design history, emphasising organic and sculptural forms across handcrafted jewellery and accessories. The same applies to this cellulose clip in the shape of a shell, which is part of Buhai’s most recent collection inspired by the natural beauty of the sea.

Sophie Buhai fan Shell tortoiseshell acetate hair clip, £260, available at net-a-porter.com.

January marks the beginning not only of a new year, but a new season in style – gone are the winter collections of last year, in are the S/S 2024 collections, and with them the promise of brighter days ahead.

As part of Wallpaper’s Design Awards 2024 issue, we select the winning men’s and womenswear collections of S/S 2024 – and their standout looks – which will define a season of dressing ahead. These span Sabato de Sarno’s sensual new vision for Gucci (the designer called it a ’story of richness and lust... of sweat, dancing and singing’, and is pictured top left), the eclectic oppositions of Dries Van Noten’s womenswear, and Maximilian Davis’ expertly reduced Ferragamo tailoring. 

Winning collections came too from Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons at Prada, where they reckoned with beauty and craft, the sinuous lines of Kim Jones’ Fendi, or Matthieu Blazy’s extraordinary riffs on the quotidien at Bottega Veneta (here encapsulated his version of a working man’s tie, recrafted in leather). Or Lucie and Luke Meier’s gently oversized men’s Jil Sander tailoring, adorned with glimmering crystal broaches (pictured top right). 

The various looks are captured by London-based photographer Daisy Walker, and styled by Wallpaper* fashion and style director Jason Hughes. 

The standout looks of S/S 2024, selected by Wallpaper*

Courrèges

Dolce & Gabbana

Dries Van Noten

Acne Studios

Hermès

Wooyoungmi

Ferragamo

Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

Givenchy

Alexander McQueen

Carven

Isabel Marant

Bottega Veneta

Miu Miu

Paul Smith

Fendi

Dior

Prada

Balenciaga

Marni

Valentino

Loewe 

Models: Kerolyn Soares at IMG, Aaron Shandel at Wilhelmina. Casting: Ikki Casting at The Art Board. Hair: Adam Garland using Authentic Beauty Concept. Make-up: Jo Banach using Chanel Les Beiges Winter Glow and No.1 de Chanel Red Camellia Exfoliating Mask. Interiors: Olly Mason. Set build: London Art Makers. Photography assistants: Chloe Yates, Zillah Rauter. Fashion assistants: Kris Bergfeldt, Samela Gjozi. Hair assistant: Annabella Hudgell. Interiors assistant: Archie Thomson. Post-production: Lasso Studio. 

A version of this article appears in the February 2024 issue of Wallpaper* – dedicated to the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2024 – available in print from 4 January, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

Upcycling is at the heart of So-Le Studio founder Maria Sole Ferragamo’s design philosophy, using by-products, namely leather and brass offcuts, from Italian luxury houses and manufacturers, to create singular, architectural jewels (including a brass necklace designed for Wallpaper*). This year, having rediscovered her legendary shoe-designer grandfather’s ‘Enea’ sandal in a recent exhibition catalogue, she took to repurposing creative inspiration, too.

‘I’d seen the shoe before, but this time I was struck by the elegant harmony of all the elements together,’ she says of the ‘Enea’, a 1930’s red-and-gold goatskin shoe, shimmering with all the understated glamour of Salvatore Ferragamo’s Hollywood-era style. ‘The geometric structure of the overlapping leather strips, the contrasting textures and colours and the original weaving techniques all translated into a new, 3D object in my mind.’

While coil earrings, geometric cuffs and necklaces have been So-Le Studio’s mainstay, the jeweller recalls how that object became the bronze-flecked brown leather ‘Beetle’, her debut brooch design. It came to her during the ‘wobbly first steps’ of the making process. ‘When I start to create, I don't necessarily have an area of the body in mind,’ she reveals. ‘Rather, I imagine all of my pieces as standalone objects or sculptures, which have an identity beyond being worn.

‘Here, I started playing with the leather strips, creating patterns, focusing my mind on the geometrical essence of the “Enea” pattern. The curved form that emerged instantly felt very strong on its own, and I imagined it as a brooch.’

Lightness is a key motif of So-Le Studio designs, and because brooches are often voluminous and heavy, Sole-Ferragamo designed a magnet clip, so that the 'Beetle' might be attached to a garment without piercing it.

The capsule collection also includes the 'Harmonia' leather hair jewellery piece, where supple, geometric cuts allow the leather pattern to stretch stylishly around the hair.

‘Every time I start a new design, I feel a slight sense of anxiety and anticipation: How will I make it this time? How will I improve and evolve again?’ She admits that looking through her grandfather’s designs ‘with their infinite possibilities’ offers reassurance. As does his design mantra: ‘There is no limit to beauty, no saturation point in the design, no end to the material.’

so-le-studio.com

In partnership with Ferragamo

Reconnecting the storied luxury brand to Florence’s tradition of beauty and innovation, Ferragamo’s F/W 2023 campaign, in collaboration with Gallerie degli Uffizi and under the creative directorship of Maximilian Davis, imagines the house’s extended community as timeless protagonists of masterpiece paintings from the Italian Renaissance. There’s a new Ferragamo handbag to match too.

Florence and the making of Ferragamo 

The story of Ferragamo is not simply, as its founder once put it, ‘the story of the small, barefoot, unlettered boy who became the shoemaker to the stars’. It is also the story of constant rebirth and evolution. 

Born in the village of Bonito, the 11th child of 14, Salvatore Ferragamo, who had been making beautiful footwear since the age of 12, was reborn in the States as a young Italian artisan who understood the desires of Hollywood. This was Ferragamo’s first renaissance – a transformation achieved through an audacious pairing of Italian heritage with daring talent.

Though raised in the Avellino region near Naples, Salvatore was under the spell of Florence, aka the ‘Jewel of the Renaissance’, his creative spirit imbued with the spirit of that place and time, blessed with an innate understanding of its power and resonance. 

So when Salvatore decided to return to Italy, there was only one place that would do: Florence. A new Ferragamo renaissance had begun.

The Italian Renaissance was a time of intense creativity and new ideas, celebrating the marriage of art and artisanal excellence. A similar mood of innovation and reinvention was evidenced at Palazzo Spini Feroni, the Florentine home Salvatore gave to Ferragamo in 1927. 

Dating back to the 13th century, the palazzo – still Ferragamo’s headquarters today – seemed emblematic of the Florentine bottega, the workshop or studio of the master artists and craftsmen where dialogue and the exchange of ideas and knowledge allowed Renaissance thinkers, intellectuals and artists to develop local philosophy and skills into a global phenomenon. 

A creative community fed the founder’s imagination and helped spread word of his Florence-infused collections. Salvatore’s circle included not only his fellow craftsmen, but also his extraordinary clientele: Audrey Hepburn, Greta Garbo, Sophia Loren, Lauren Bacall, Marilyn Monroe and Eva Perón. Years later, Madonna would wear Ferragamo when she played Perón in Alan Parker’s Evita movie.

Maximilian Davis’ Ferragamo Fall Winter 23 

Centuries later, Ferragamo has partnered with the Uffizi to accompany creative director Maximilian Davis’ vision for the brand, using some of the museum’s most famous artworks of the 15th and 16th centuries to act as settings for his work. 

By placing muses, friends and members of his diverse creative community in sharp tailoring and exquisite suiting, with richly textured fabrics, bold materials and colours, the ‘Hug’ bag and Ferragamo’s archive-inspired gold sandals in the context of works by Bellini, Veronese and Botticelli, Davis has created a dialogue between past and present, values of tradition and of progress, past eras and future generations. Both the spirit of the Renaissance and the world of 21st-century luxury are thrown into alternate relief by virtue of a place and time juxtaposition.

‘The Renaissance is hardwired into Florence, and Florence is hardwired into Ferragamo,’ says Davis. ‘At this time of a new beginning at the house, it made perfect sense to reclaim the cradle of the Renaissance as our spiritual home, and to harness the deep, artistic spirit of this city to showcase the new collection.’

Just as founder Salvatore collaborated with an artistic community, Davis invited a group of creatives to feature in the pictures including the campaign photographer Tyler Mitchell. The New Renaissance campaign narrates creativity in the making, with a cast of characters portraying models, musicians and creators that inhabit the artwork-based mise en scene, animating them in a contemporary way.

Davis is constructing Ferragamo’s future through the skilled hands of its artisans, the study and evolution of its heritage, the harnessing of new creative talents, and the establishment of his own community. The campaign is a symbol of rebirth, and celebration of the collective effort.

Welcome to Ferragamo’s new Renaissance.

ferragamo.com

After a subdued London Fashion Week S/S 2023 in the wake of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, eyes turned to Milan, where a packed schedule was perhaps the city’s busiest yet. Spanning creative director debuts (Ferragamo, Etro and Bally all welcomed new designers this season), anniversary celebrations (Moncler’s 70 years), and collections from both the city’s stalwarts and an energised emerging generation of designers, Milan Fashion Week S/S 2023 represented a return to form after several seasons of uncertainty since the outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020.

‘Interest in the Milano Fashion Week is growing all the time, and this is reflected in the variety of the projects that we are about to stage,’ said Carlo Capasa, president of the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI), ahead of the event. ‘We are aware of the uncertainties that the global social and economic scene presents, and it is in these very times that fashion is summoned to give a message of confidence and positivity.’

Here, Wallpaper* reports on the highlights of Milan Fashion Week S/S 2023. 

The best of Milan Fashion Week S/S 2023

Sunday 25 September

Giorgio Armani

‘The essence is a certain purity and the glimmer of gold,’ came the introduction to Giorgio Armani’s S/S 2023 collection, titled ‘Fil D’or’ – golden thread – which showed the designer’s continuing mastery of embellishment and lightness of form (the latter has been an ongoing theme in recent collections, including at Emporio Armani earlier in the week). The precious metal was evoked not only in gilded elements – smooth metallic handbags, coils of chain necklaces, a surfeit of delicate golden paillettes – but also in the otherworldly sheen of the seemingly weightless fabrics utilised in the collection’s diaphanous silhouettes (‘long, liquid and evanescent like a desert mirage’). It ended with a shimmering flurry of evening wear, for which the designer is renowned  – no doubt appealing to a typically star-studded front row, including actress Cate Blanchett, who presented Mr Armani with the Visionary Award at Camera della Moda Italiana’s Sustainable Fashion awards later that evening (in glittering Giorgio Armani sequins of her own).

Ferrari

The historic Teatro Lirico provided the backdrop for Rocco Iannone’s third outing at Ferrari, the Italian designer continuing to evolve and define the automotive heavyweight’s still-young fashion label. While previous seasons have seen Iannone stick closely to script with designs linked to the Ferrari’s racing heritage – belts like car seatbelts, fabrications inspired by car interiors, versions of pitstop overalls – this season he looked towards what he called the ‘human element in the legendary history… the visions, ambitions and emotions that revolve around the Prancing Horse’. As such, Iannone had collected photographs of various movie stars and musicians alongside Ferrari cars, using them as the nexus of a fluid, Californian-inflected collection which melded silk Hawaiian shirts, colourful bleached denim and shimmering moments of embellishment with the racing-inspired silhouettes previously the bedrock of the label (overalls, body-conscious Ferrari-emblazoned sweaters, caps and hoodies continued to feature). The presentation was accompanied by a short film, The Dream of Dreamers by Italian-Canadian director Floria Sigismondi, ‘encapsulating feelings of self-expression, of passion and freedom, of a constant drive towards that which is extraordinary and incredible’.

Saturday 24 September

Moncler

Looking down from a terrace high above Milan’s Piazza del Duomo, an endless sea of bodies clad in white looks by Moncler gathered beneath for a dramatic celebration of 70 years in business for the Italian label (the event heralded the start of 70 more days of anniversary events). The 1,952 participants, from models to musicians – the number marking the year Moncler was founded – each wore a version of the Maya jacket, a nylon down-filled puffer which is perhaps the label’s most recognisable garment. Streaming into Milan’s most famous square, they moved in unison in an open-to-the-public performance choreographed by Sadeck Berrabah – ‘a unique reinterpretation of contemporary dance, stretching the geometric limits of the human body’. Despite the heavy rainfall, an estimated 18,000 people witnessed the event. ‘What I am most proud of is that we gathered together all generations, and felt the strong energy coming from our communities,’ said Remo Ruffini, Moncler’s CEO. ‘It is with them that we want to build our next 70 years. At Moncler we dream together, not alone.’

Bottega Veneta

Matthieu Blazy said that his sophomore collection for Bottega Veneta began with a conversation with Gaetano Pesce, the 82-year-old designer-artist-architect who created the show’s set – a series of 400 unique chairs and poured-resin floor in his colourful style. Blazy noted that they spoke about the idea of creating ‘the world in a small room’, the broad multiplicity of human life momentarily captured on a Milanese runway. ‘We are all originals, and this is one of the themes of my design,’ said Pesce, whose own work is defined by a resistance to repetition. ‘As a designer I make originals, not standardised series, that’s the old way – this is the new way.’

This line of thinking permeated Blazy’s collection, the Belgian designer noting a desire to move between the ‘archetypal and the individual’. ‘I wanted to design not just for one woman or one man, but for women and men,’ he said, instead conjuring an eclectic cast of individual characters which streamed out at speed (Blazy also noted he wanted the presentation to have a feeling of ‘movement, agency, sensuality and life’; the result was something akin to looking out at a busy city street from the seat of a café). It made for an expansive offering – there was something generous about the collection’s breadth – spanning plaid shirts and denim jeans, bourgeois tailoring and overcoats, crystal and tassel embellished dresses, and of course an array of highly covetable accessories.

But Blazy also noted a ‘discreet perversion’ which lingers beyond the collection’s surface – that flannel shirt might actually be crafted from nubuck leather, a fur coat from mock fox, printed on goat leather. It speaks something of his understanding of the strange, near-fetishistic desire one can have for an item of clothing – here heightened by extraordinary and unexpected feats of craft. For Blazy, it is the relationship between maker and wearer which is at the heart of his vision for Bottega Veneta, ‘an emotional investment in objects for life – in both senses of the term’.

Dolce & Gabbana

The reality star and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian has been collecting Dolce & Gabbana since growing up as a teenager in Los Angeles in the 1900s and early 2000s, eras that informed ‘Ciao, Kim’, the house’s S/S 2023 womenswear collection shown in Milan on Saturday (such a fan was Kardashian, she had two dogs named ‘Dolce’ and Gabbana’). A collaboration of sorts, Kardashian ‘curated’ a series of her own favourite archival pieces to be ‘rethought, repurposed, reinterpreted’ by Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce (much like the pair’s S/S 2023 menswear show this past June). Backdropped by a slow motion film of a blonde Kardashian eating pasta in slow motion and dressed in the house’s bombshell style, the various looks played on Dolce & Gabbana’s body-conscious signatures featuring elements of corsetry, ruching, and lingerie. Stefano and Domenico said by looking back to their design history they hoped to reach different generations – ‘everyone will see in it something different in which to recognise themselves’. Judging by the screaming crowds of teenagers outside, they’re right. 

Ferragamo

Expectations were high for 27-year-old British designer Maximilian Davis’ first collection for Florentine house Ferragamo, which was prefaced earlier in the week with a redesigned logo by legendary graphic designer Peter Saville – black on a red backdrop, colours Davis has been drawn to in his short career so far – and the drop of ‘Salvatore’ from the name. Any doubts that the young designer would not be up to the task were quickly dispelled with an sleek, elevated offering which tended towards minimalism and drew a distinct link between the past and present of the house – notably, in his evocation of Hollywood, where the house’s eponymous shoemaker began his own career in the 1920s. 

‘I wanted to pay tribute to Salvatore’s start by bringing in the culture of Hollywood – but new Hollywood. Its ease and sensuality; its sunset and sunrise,’ the designer said of the collection, which drew inspiration from artist Rachel Harrison’s ‘Sunset Series’. Spanning both mens and womenswear, this encompassed layers of elegant tailoring – the opening looks were entirely in beige, from trench to blazer to shirt and tie – while a series of glimmering red looks paid ode to a pair of red crystal shoes the house founder created for Marilyn Monroe. Semi-sheer dresses hung off the shoulder, inspired by what the designer called ‘the purity of Florentine drape’, while notes of the subversion channelled at his eponymous label arrived in sliced away leather mini shorts (for men and women), low-slung waistlines, and silhouettes sliced to the navel.

As for accessories – Ferragamo is an accessories house at heart, after all – Davis proved particularly adept at what was for him a new discipline. A series of almost-flat handbags proved a particular highlight, crafted from smooth sculpted leather, as were cut-out leather and suede tote bags. A more classic holdall was inspired by the house’s existing Wanda bag, first created in 1988. As for shoes, a circular heel, in reference to the house’s Gancini motif, provided a moment of play. ‘It was about looking into the archive and establishing what could be redefined to become relevant for today,’ said Davis of this opening gambit, a clear-headed start from a designer who already looks settled in. 

Jil Sander

Despite the drizzle, Lucie and Luke Meier went ahead with their al fresco runway presentation, its backdrop a verdant garden housed in an open-to-the-elements grey box at the edge of Milan (albeit with the necessary addition of black umbrellas which accompanied each of the model’s looks). A cross-gender offering, the Meiers called it a collection of ‘ease, lightness, smooth lines, elongated silhouettes’ which had a heavy focus on tailoring, with numerous plays on oversized suiting (a blazer might have its sleeve removed, trousers replaced by a kilt). But it was best when the designers let loose towards the end of the collection – unruly glimmering tassels emerged from beneath a clean-lined tabard, mirrored bubbles were stitched onto an otherwise precise black top. Part of a collection which paid homage to the ‘new and different world’ of America’s West Coast, these looks were their take on Hollywood dress – a striking fusion of ‘sartorial glamour, romanticism and realism’.

Ports 1961

There was something refreshing in the lack of ceremony around Karl Templer’s latest collection for Ports 1961, which was presented in a warehouse on Milan’s outskirts, wooden floors left bare and a simple white backdrop erected at the end of an intimate runway. Templer said he was ‘experimenting with classics’ this season, taking the stalwarts of a woman’s wardrobe and ‘slicing, peeling, layering them to add movement, elongation, fluidity’. It began with a beautifully proportioned black suit – its elegant wide-leg trousers pooling at the ankle – before taking this feeling of fluidity into simple silk tunic dresses, two-tone trench coats, and semi-sheer shirt dresses adorned with checks. Moments of subtle subversion exemplified what Templer called ‘broken classicism’: aran knits fell away into tasselled braids, tailoring was sliced to reveal the lining beneath, while undone slithers of chiffon drifted in the breeze like streamers. 

Friday 23 September

Versace

A typically high-octane outing by Donatella Versace ended with a runway appearance from Paris Hilton, who closed the show in a chainmail mini dress and veil (naturally, in the star’s signature Barbie pink). Held in a space bathed in purple light in which various glass ‘rooms’ were filled with black candles, gothic stained-glass windows and Versace furniture, Donatella said that her woman for the season was a ‘dark, gothic goddess’. Indeed, the opening four models – posing briefly in a dramatic milieu among the lit candles – were clad entirely in black, dresses slashed and towering platforms on their feet, while crumpled silk, lace and leather met 90s-inspired silhouettes (micro minis, babydoll slips, halter tops, fitted motorcycle jackets). ‘I have always loved a rebel. A woman who is confident, smart and a little bit of a diva,’ Donatella said of the season’s muse. ‘She wears leather, studs and frayed denim and she has enough attitude to mix them with chiffon, jersey, and a tiara. She is a strong liberated woman; she is gorgeous; she knows it. She is the goddess of freedom.

Gucci

Halfway through Gucci’s latest collection a vast central wall rose up to reveal that two identical fashion shows had been taking place at the same time. Identical down to the models, who were each a pair of twins, a spectacle of breathtaking proportion – in total there were 68 sets of twins who walked the show – which paid ode to designer Alessandro Michele’s mother, who was a twin herself. ‘I am a son of two mothers: mum Eralda and mum Giuliana. They were magically mirrored. One multiplied the other. That was my world, perfectly double and doubled,’ he wrote in a letter which accompanied the show. 

But the gesture was also an exploration of reproduction and repetition; Michele noted he was fascinated by the idea that even two identical garments, on two identical bodies, can still appear different in often inexplicable ways. ‘The effect is alienating and ambiguous. Almost a rift in the idea of identity,’ he wrote. ‘And then, the revelation: the same clothes emanate different qualities on seemingly identical bodies.’ Or, as Marianne Faithfull intoned as part of the collection’s soaring soundtrack: ‘alike, but not alike’.

The collection itself once again showed Michele’s ability to bring disparate elements into unexpected unity – from Gremlins, printed on dresses or stuffed into handbags (the 1980s movie monsters are themselves able to duplicate identically) to suspender trousers and shimmering sequined tailoring. Divide lifted, each pair of twins held hands for a final walk; reunited, it was a moving expression of togetherness. Two individuals, the same, but different – an apt metaphor for what it means to be part of Michele’s Gucci universe. 

Sportmax

‘Bouba/Kiki’ was the title given to Sportmax’s latest collection, its name in reference to a series of psychological experiments begun by Wolfgang Köhler in 1929 – and continued by various researchers since –  in which participants were asked to attribute words and sound to certain shapes (in one, most people selected the word ‘bouba’  for the curvier, rounder shapes, and ‘kiki’ for the sharper, spiker ones). It made for an eccentric, experimental offering – ‘an affirmation of otherness, resistant to conformism, whilst on a continuous quest for the extreme,’ as Sportmax described – comprising juxtapositions of fabric and print with softly sculptural silhouettes. A riff on nostalgia came in bustled skirts and nipped-waisted blazers, modernised in contemporary fabrications – like one flared skirt in high shine black, a vivid flash of lime green appearing from its underside as the model walked.

Missoni

‘The Missoni language, spoken in the present tense, by a new author,’ said the Italian house of its latest chapter, helmed by new creative Filippo Grazioli, who has previously held stints at Givenchy, Hermès, Maison Margiela and Burberry (he showed a men’s collection for Missoni in a series of appointments in June; this marked his first runway show). The designer noted a desire for lightness – a freshening up of the house codes and motifs – in a ‘sensual and joyful’ collection, where 90s-inspired abbreviated silhouettes and slick, body-conscious shapes met zig-zagging prints and vivid tones (a palette of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black and white, was inspired by CMYK, the graphic design colour model used for printing). ‘Fashion as an injection of cheerfulness and lightness of spirit; colour and light that entice a smile,’ Missoni described of Grazioli’s invigorating first outing, which looks set to instil the historic Italian house with new energy.

Tod’s

The vast Pirelli Hangarbicocca – a former industrial plant for the tire manufacturer, now a contemporary art institution – provided a dramatic backdrop for Tod’s latest collection, seeing models weave their way around Anselm Kiefer’s monumental concrete towers which populate the foundation’s main hall (the work itself is titled ‘The Seven Heavenly Palaces’). Despite the dramatic surroundings, the collection itself had a more intimate feel, riffs on what Walter Chiapponi describes as ‘essential pieces and iconic garments’ – archetypal womenswear filtered through the creative director’s minimal, 90s-inflected lens. Focus on fabrication remained central – particularly leather ‘which becomes almost like fabric, soft to the hand and sensual on the body’ – while an array of accessories, notably a ballet shoe melded with Tod’s signature Gomminno moccasin sole, completed the elegant proposition for next season’s wardrobe. 

Thursday 22 September

Emporio Armani

A feeling of eclecticism has permeated Giorgio Armani’s recent collections at both his eponymous line and Emporio Armani, the latter showing its S/S 2023 collection on Friday afternoon at the house’s Teatro Armani show space. Titled ‘In Transit’, it melded often disparate inspirations gleaned from travels around the world – from silhouette to surface embellishment – nodding towards their origins, but always refracted through the designer’s own effortless lens. As such, there were various riffs on the relaxed blazer (unstructured, buttoned to the collar double-breasted), elegant outerwear (‘the soft precision of jackets and peacoats… liquid languor’), and elements inspired by travel. It lent the collection a carefree, liberated air: ‘one might travel the world’s streets, or the imagination, within a room, as long as the mind is open and the spirit free.’

Prada

A vast rendering of a house in black paper – an inversion of the crisp white set which backdropped Prada’s menswear collection in June – set an unsettling tone for Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons’ latest collection, which they titled ‘Touch of Crude’. The mise-en-scène was a collaboration with filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn; through cut-out windows and tears in the paper played a series of short films he had created for the occasion, each a play on the domestic (a woman removing her shoes, the underside of a mattress, the textures of carpet and sofas) – as if glimpsing something which shouldn’t be seen. ‘Although the collaboration is around the show, rather than the collection, we have been inspired by the collaboration, by his perspective on Prada,’ said Simons in a prepared statement. ‘There’s a mirror of cinema in the collection, of witnessing fragments of a larger whole. Different bodies of work, within a single body of work – shifting between disparate form languages.’

Indeed, there was a cinematic feel to the collection itself – afterwards, several attendees mentioned the potential inspiration of 1968 psychodrama Rosemary’s Baby in both the clothing and ominous mood – which the house described as ‘a sequence of realities, reflections, refractions, observations’. The designers noted a feeling of paradox in the collection: ‘raw and the sensual, between delicacy and roughness, an emulsification of contrasts’, figuring in the clothing in archetypically ladylike garments – a silk slip dress, a knitted two set, a nightgown – purposely torn across the hem, or embedded with creases, ‘like memories of beauty embedded in cloth’ (such moments also reflect the feeling of ‘crudeness’ referenced in the collection’s title). Other garments opposed a reductionist approach to design and silhouette with moments of decoration; notably, a series of otherwise minimal knitwear decorated with fabric flowers. ‘Reality translates to humanity. It is reflected through a sense of the hand, a touch of the crude, a rawness that evokes a fragility,’ read the collection notes.

Adds Miuccia Prada: ‘The clothes are about simplicity, with no unnecessary complication. Politically, theoretically, aesthetically, we are drawn to these notions again and again. The idea of directness. Yet with this collection it was combined with the idea of decoration, beauty, how to decorate and embellish, but remain simple.’

Max Mara

In previous seasons, Ian Griffiths has noted what he calls ‘Max Mara pantheon of strong women’, figures from history, spanning intellectual and creative realms, who inspire his feminist approach to design. For the spring/summer season, he headed on a journey to the south in France – and back in time – to the early 20th century, when from April to September ‘bohemians flocked to the riviera’. Among them, revolutionary women of the day Dora Maar, Dorothy Parker, Josephine Baker, Isadora Duncan and, notably for Griffiths, Renée Perle, who of the then-newfound Riviera style he says ‘nobody wore it better’ (wide-brimmed sun hats, languid sailor trousers, backless tank tops and the like). Here, an imagined meeting between Perle and modernist architect Eileen Gray – perhaps best known for her E-1027 villa in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and ‘uniquely feminine take on modernism’ – saw Riviera-style hallmarks filtered through a clean, minimal lens for a contemporary take on getaway wear. ‘Two women with a shared vision of modernity stepping out onto the E-1037 terrace,’ read the collection notes. ‘Blinking in the morning's light, we see them raise their smiling faces to meet the glittering blue horizon.’

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A continuation of their menswear show in June, Dean and Dan Caten looked once again to the archetype of the surfer, a figure of freedom and escape which has proved a longtime inspiration for the Canadian designers (the pair noted backstage that they surf themselves). ‘Where the waves roll in, the sunlight shimmers on a wardrobe that’s found its chill beachside,’ read the accompanying notes, setting the scene for a carefree collection where an unabashed collage of colour and print met a feeling of lightness in transparent and semi-sheer layers. A smattering of feminine embellishments – sequins, ruffles, cut-outs reminiscent of broderie anglaise – completed the collection, which in its airy eclecticism felt like a fresh shift in direction for the Milanese stalwarts. 

Wednesday 21 September

Fendi

‘It’s about continuity,’ Kim Jones said of his S/S 2023 collection, which looked back to the turn of the millennium and forebear Karl Lagerfeld’s designs of the era, linking a thread between past and present. It’s a time period which has become familiar territory for the designer of late; earlier this month in New York, he celebrated 25 years of the Fendi ‘Baguette’ handbag – arguably the most symbolic It-bag of the late 1990s and early 2000s – with a colourful, star-studded runway show (such is the relative speed of Kim Jones’ work, which spans over ten collections a year, some of these looks were already being worn by the gathered audience). ‘I am interested in things that Karl has done, and seeing how we can develop them – both visually and technically’. 

Set to a euphoric rave-inspired soundtrack, these current Y2K fixations emerged in a collection that the designer described as ‘colliding minimalist ease and pop-infused eclectism’. Of the former, a series of elegant silk cargo pants, tabard-style shirts, simple ribbed knits and racer-back vests, of the latter, an enlivening palette, from bubblegum pink to vivid shades of green, lending the collection a light, playful air (as did the accessories – one necklace was adorned with a tiny miniature handbag; another handbag was made to resemble a gift wrapped in red ribbon). Such oppositions are now a hallmark of Jones’ tenure, the designer noting that at Fendi he is ‘constantly thinking about practicality and luxury’, of exploring ‘the notion of functional utility alongside femininity – because the Fendi women are strong women, with full, busy lives’.

Del Core

Despite being relatively young by Milanese standards, Del Core – the eponymous 2020-founded label of Daniel Del Core, previously an in-house designer at Gucci – has nonetheless found a groove creating dressed-up garments defined by a steadfast focus on craft (gowns are often festooned with sequins and surface embellishment, while his ‘Made in Italy’ credentials are at the centre of the label). Held in an industrial warehouse on Milan’s Navigli canal, the starkness of the surroundings threw the collection into relief: pinched-waist tailoring, diaphanous sheer gowns, a November Rain-style asymmetric skirt, which descended into bold folds of yellow fabric. Del Core said he was inspired by the idea of ‘liquidity’ – a ‘constantly changing state’, where ‘shapes flow effortlessly onto the body’ and ‘colours mutate’. Case in point: the collection’s dramatic final look, a vivid gown with a pannier waist, decorated with thousands of sequins, which shimmered and shifted in the runway’s light. 

No 21

The agonies and ecstasies of love provided the inspiration behind the latest collection from Alessandro Dell’Acqua at No 21, who hosted this season’s show against the background of a previously industrial warehouse, hung for the occasion with glittering chandeliers. Titling the collection ‘The Lovers’, Dell’Acqua noted he wanted to encapsulate the swinging emotions one feels when in love, here refracted through a feeling of nostalgic glamour – two sets, dresses overlaid with lace, evening gloves, crystal jewellery – albeit dishevelled, with garments slipping off the shoulder or purposely scrunched (models’ bodies and faces were also spritzed with droplets of water to evoke rain, or tears). It was a typically commanding, and indeed cinematic, vision from veteran designer Dell’Acqua, who remains one of the highlights of the Milanese schedule. 

INFORMATION

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Wanda Ferragamo was an abiding presence at Salvatore Ferragamo, taking the helm of the family business in 1960 after her husband’s death (she married the house founder aged just 18; he was 23 years her senior). For the next six decades, it was she who became custodian of the shoemaker’s legacy as president and later chairwoman, guiding the house to its contemporary status as a leather-goods powerhouse and expanding its offering into the realms of ready-to-wear and fragrance in an era when fashion became one of Italy’s most prized exports. The years before her death in 2018, aged 96, saw her remain as the honorary figurehead of the house, still appearing in the office almost every day of the week.

A new exhibition at the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum in Florence, Italy, celebrates this unique legacy, providing viewers with a wholehearted tribute to the late businesswoman – ‘a bright and steady hand’, as the exhibition notes describe. Titled ‘Women in Balance’, the expansive show situates Wanda within the rapidly changing social milieu of Italy in the 20th century over two distinct chapters of her life: the first as a homemaker, marrying Salvatore Ferragamo as a teenager and having six children with the shoemaker, the latter as a rare female titan of industry in the boom of post-war Italy after his death. ‘We women do everything, it doesn’t matter what or where our office is,’ she would later write in a letter to her grandchildren, a handful of whom would go on to join the family business.

The exhibition itself takes 1960 as a turning point, not only in Wanda’s life – the year she was backed by the house’s artisans to retain control after Salvatore’s death of cancer aged 62 – but also in post-war Italy, whereby a so-called ‘economic miracle’ saw a flood of women enter the country’s workforce. With it came a demand for products to appeal to these changing needs; ‘Women in Balance’ utilises Wanda’s own life as a jumping-off point to explore society’s newfound desires. ‘This exhibition is based on the theory that history evolves through a plurality of creative, productive people,’ says the museum. ‘[It’s about] the reciprocal actions of individuals who develop new lifestyles and consumption models, gender and labour relationships.’

Curated by Stefania Ricci and Elvira Valleri, the various objects in the exhibition – which comprise ephemera from Wanda’s life, archive film and photography, and, of course, a plethora of shoes – span the years 1955-1965, variously exploring the personal and the political. Moving through a series of rooms that evoke those found in a house, designed by Maurizio Balò, it charts a definitive moment of change in Italian society and the possibilities such shifts bring to individuals – one the organisers see as prescient as the world manoeuvres out of a global pandemic. 

‘The aim of this exhibition is not merely to recount a chapter in the history of our country, but above all to inspire a contemporary reflection on the societal changes addressed,’ says a museum statement. ‘The new social context in which we are currently living urges us to rethink many aspects of our lives… [it’s] an opportunity for the rebirth of society cured of the countless health and economic wounds caused by Covid, ushering in a new and more evolved form of equality.’

INFORMATION

‘Women in Balance’ runs at the Salvatore Ferragamo museum in Florence from 20 May 2022 to 18 April 2023.

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In 1938, Salvatore Ferragamo created the ‘Rainbow Shoe’ for Judy Garland, a sky-high gold sandal with a wedge heel in a vivid spectrum of rainbow hues – such was its impact, the Italian shoemaker is credited with introducing the platform shoe to the masses. Over eight decades on, a new capsule collection from Ferragamo’s namesake house pays homage to the founder’s innate understanding of form and colour, and the ‘Rainbow Shoe’ itself, with a mood-elevating series of sunglasses in time for summer’s imminent arrival. 

Available in a range of vivid shades – from candy pink and cerulean blue, to green and yellow – the genderless sunglasses draw on the colourful vigour of 1980s accessories, with chunky transparent frames embossed with the house’s ‘Gancini’ symbol (another nod back to the house’s history, the motif was originally inspired by the gate of Palazzo Spini Feroni in central Florence, the home city of the brand since 1927). Inside, each arm is printed with the Ferragamo logo and, despite their generous size, a historic commitment to craftsmanship ensures each pair is truly light to the touch. 

The collection – titled simply ‘Multicolour Eyewear Capsule’ – also marks the latest foray into sustainability for Salvatore Ferragamo, with frames made from low-impact, plant-based compound material and lenses made from salvaged wood and the leftovers of farming activity. The box in which each pair from the collection arrives is made from 50 per cent recycled materials. 

‘Innovative, creative use of raw materials has always been a signature trait of the Florentine fashion house,’ says the brand in a statement. ‘We have always been extremely mindful of the environmental impact of the products we make, as we passionately forge ahead with a commitment to ever more sustainable development.’

These sunglasses are a much-needed injection of colour – ready for brighter days ahead.

INFORMATION

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Slowly but surely, the pleasurable prospect of dressing up again is becoming a reality. But what do you do when all we can remember is how to snuggle into our sweatpants? From cocktail dresses to wedding guest dresses, there's a host of event get-ups for diving into this summer whether you're enthused about something streamlined or keen to show off dramatic and embellished forms.

Here, we present the strongest silhouettes for summer and beyond, from brands including Balenciaga, Valentino and Fendi.

Balenciaga: the chainmail party dress

Encouraged to embrace all out adornment? Look to the French maison's gold linked chainmail dress which will jangle as your get down on the dance floor.

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Hermès and Jil Sander: the leather dress

Embrace luxurious fabrications after months of simply wearing cotton and jersey. Hermès and Jil Sander recommend minimalist and calf and ankle grazing dress shapes, with sumptuous leather accents.

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Loewe: the voluminous dress

Turn up the volume at your first special ocassion. Loewe's two-tone party dresses flirt with dramatic and poufed-up proportions and also features artisanally-inclined knot details.

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Emporio Armani: the transparent dress

Embrace the body and opt for gauzy and featherlight fabrics. Emporio Armani's transparent dress is formed from a breezy transparent fabrics, for lighter-than-air luxury.

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Fendi: the cut-out dress

A cheeky cut-out detal witll turn heads. Fendi balances the coy with the classic, with this elegant knitted dress. Its alluring backless detail is scintillating for show offs.

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Saint Laurent: the strapless dress

A strapless dress boasts a couture level of chic. Discover Saint Laurent's sophisticated style, accented with elegant draping and pleating.

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Valentino: the floral dress

Floral details always have fine form in spring. Valentino's take on bold blooms has a graphic twist. The Roman maison's party dresses feature precise petal cut-outs. 

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After months of shuffling about in our slouchiest separates, lazing in loungewear and tootling in track pants, we’re eyeing up ensembles with a little more oomph. Feathered eveningwear was a focus on the S/S 2021 catwalks, as labels shirked the dressed down sartorial slump of 2020 in favour of optimistic and more attention-seeking style. Bring on the sequins and shimmer.

Embrace attention-seeking style in a feathered dress

Brands including Saint Laurent, Roksanda, Numberoventuro and Salvatore Ferragamo, also adorned evening looks with delicate plumes, whether they swathed skirts and slip dresses or frothed from a skinny sleeve. This fine feathered evening wear recalled the froufrou of a Twenties flapper girl and the sweep of a 1960s starlet.

Numberoventuro's Alessandro Dell'Acqua created Jazz Age-style embellishments by pairing plumed skirts with pared-back chunky knitwear and men's shirts, while Saint Laurent's Anthony Vaccarrello found particular inspiration in the latter era, drawing on archival pieces which felt both easy and extravagant. 

Spring’s plumed looks bring a lighter-than-air uplift to dressing, but they also provide required comfort too. Pristine white pieces evoke the solace of freshly laundered layers, while feathers swathe the body and recall the soft, enfolding fabrics we relied on during lockdown. Roman label Fendi even paired a plumed pencil skirt with a padded coat that resembled an enveloping duvet, for the ultimate in down and out-out dressing. Pack a punch with these protective dressing options, for when we can finally flock together.

Chances are, that after months in slouchy separates, you're considering splashing out on something a little smarter. The post-pandemic world calls for a return to more rigorous dressing codes, from tailored suits to smart jackets to shirting. Can't decide which tailoring style to invest in? Here, we present a selection of shapes and silhouettes, guaranteed to enhance your out-out wardrobe, from brands including Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Ermenegildo Zegna and Marni.

Tailored suits: how to smarten up your act

The nylon jacket

A sure fire way to bring a relaxed ease to suiting? Opt for a style in a sports-inspired technical fabric. Case in point: Prada's suit jacket, imagined in the brand's signature nylon fabric.

The pinstripe jacket

A pinstripe blazer is the pinnacle of the 1980s Wall Street wardrobe. Add a touch of 2021 insouciance with a pattern in a wider stripe. This tailored suit speaks of power but is pleasingly laid-back too.

The asymmetric jacket

For the more avant-garde, a jacket with an aysmmetric fit ticks all your alternative buttons. Opt for a style that fastens off-centre. This will brings an eye-catching edge to your collar proportions and corresponding shirt and tie choices.

The workwear jacket

If you can't quite imagine yourself in a fitted jacket, a more workwear-centric silhouette is for you. Think boxy, oversized and with a four-button fastening and opt for stiffer utilitarian fabrics like cotton-drill or canvas.

The skinny jacket

Obsessed with the skinny silhouette that dominated early Noughties fashion? Button yourself into a narrow blazer shape and pair with an equally skinny trouser silhouette. The Noughties has never felt so now.

The white jacket

When black-tie events return to our schedules, you'll want your tailored suit to stand out. Opt for a pristine white tuxedo jacket with a luxurious satin lapel. Avoid red wine and colourful cocktails at all costs.

The oversized jacket

A slouchy, unlined jacket makes for a comfortable spring silhouette. Wear with a light underlayer, like a T-shirt or gauzy jumper, for laid-back modern ease, a look that’s enhanced when rolling up your sleeves.

The check jacket

While check or plaid jackets might feel a touch fusty, they're instantly updated with feel-good colours. Steer away from browns and greys and explore a colour palette rich in turquoises, purples and greens. 

As fashion journalists spend another season taking in fashion shows remotely, through a screen, there’s been much chatter behind the scenes regarding how they might emerge style-wise next season, when there’s a chance of shows being staged with a live audience. There’s the suggestion of a new Roaring Twenties, which will see people around the world glammed up as they emerge from lockdown, wearing bold outfits and eschewing loungewear and flat shoes for evening looks and stilettos. There’s also the parallel concept that after a year of yearning only for cosy silhouettes, we may simply never want to dress up again.

As in New York Fashion Week and London Fashion Week before it, Milan's designers mused on these concepts for autumn, creating collections and tying together 2021 trends that swung between romp and relaxation, extravagance and ease. Authenticity was also integral to a host of Italian brands, conscious that when consumer attitudes shift towards spending once more, people will be keen to buy from brands with long-lasting aesthetics. 

This concept was paramount to Kim Jones, who presented his heritage-nodding debut women’s collection for Fendi, following his first, Bloomsbury Group-themed haute couture collection for the Roman house earlier in February. Jones looked to the archival designs of Karl Lagerfeld, who was creative director of the house for 54 years, and the wardrobes of the five Fendi sisters, with a collection brimming with elegant, ladylike and luxurious silhouettes. Think cappuccino, khaki and midnight-tone slip dresses, tuxedo jackets, tailored coats and body-hugging knits, in luxurious fabrics including marbled silk, double cashmere and organza, and adorned with details of the past, such as Lagerfeld’s ‘Karligraphy’ monogram and the embossed stitching of the brand’s ‘Sellaria’ bags. The show’s accompanying set, an evolution of its haute couture set-up, also alluded to the past, featuring F-shape transparent vitrines, with crumbling columns resembling Roman artefacts inside.

Max Mara’s signature camel tones have reinforced its reputation for timeless, trend-subverting dressing, a concept that resonates strongly today. For the brand's 70th anniversary collection, creative director Ian Griffiths celebrated the classic house tones with an offering of elegant yet easy Italinate pieces, such as caramel teddy bear-fur coats, outdoorsy quilted gilets, loose knits and pleated skirts. Griffiths also applauded the ascendant nature of the women that wear his clothes (back in 1951, in contrast, the brand's founder intended them for ‘the wives of the local notaries and doctors'). In a playful twist, the collection referenced the stylings of the British aristocracy off duty in the British countryside, featuring flat caps, foulard headscarves and oversized retro sunglasses.

Brunello Cucinelli also celebrated natural tones, broadcasting his brand's show live from its home village Solomeo. The offering luxuriated in creams, beiges and browns, featuring relaxed yet sumptuous silhouttes, including 1980s-inspired suiting, textural knitwear and robe coats.

Post-pandemic, as people consider their fashion choices, many will desire eye-catching silhouettes that still retain the ease of lockdown dressing and the luxurious nature of its fabrics. For A/W 2021 Loro Piana considered this requirement, with an offering that catered to work, leisure and beyond. Think shearling coats, uniform-centric knitted two-pieces, sharp overcoats and double-layer parkas in a spectrum of rich hues, from bottle green to chocolate, merlot to mustard.

This sense of comfort was also reflected by Tod's Walter Chiapponi, who served up a collection of soft, bourgeois-meets-sportswear shapes, including frilled puffer jackets, jumbo-corduroy trousers, padded dresses and pleated skirts. Similarly, Missoni drew on movement and the comfort of its knitwear heritage, creating sparkling-stripe pleated dresses and chevron-stripe knitted flares and cardigans – for looking and feeling good in.

For Prada's Milan Fashion Week menswear show back in January, co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons mused on the restrictions encountered during the Covid-19 era, as well as the liberation from conventional routine that lockdowns have also brought. The brand's women's show evolved this concept with an offering that considered polar opposites, and ‘the point between simplicity and complexity, elegance and practicality, limitation and release'. In the same OMA-conceived show set (myriad graphic interconnected rooms lined with tactile fake fur) models sported pieces that alluded to Simons’ and Miuccia's design canon, like oversized nylon MA-1 bomber jackets with retro jacquard linings, faux fur and sequin wraps clutched around the shoulders. Standard dressing codes were subverted, with tailored peacoats imagined in paint-box hues, body-hugging evening gowns replaced with knitted all-in-ones and conversative tailored skirt suits spliced to reveal the body. There was an exuberance and ostentation to the collection, which shimmered with paillettes among shaggy faux fur and bold upholstery prints.

Where Prada subverted and played with the parameters of dressing up, so No 21's Alessandro Dell'Acqua celebrated them in all their going-out glory. Dell'Acqua is clearly ready to shake off his sweatpants and, for A/W 2021, created a collection that swapped bedroom comforts for something a touch more boudoir. For women, there were fringed dresses that revealed lace knickers, leopard-print pencil skirts and stomach-baring sweaters. Dell’Acqua brought together ultra-mini 1960s skirt lengths, shrunken peacoats and platform shoes, and paired them with grungey separates, like plaid shirts that were slung on top of revealing bodysuits.

At MSGM, Massimo Giorgetti also made a case for going-out gear, with a collection that celebrated the underground nightlife of Milan, featuring latex pencil skirts and puffer jackets, rib-knit velour dresses, paint-cracked denim and holographic roll-necks, all in vibrant tones. Dolce & Gabbana, too, was in the mood for club-kid fashion. While the brand's A/W 2021 menswear collection nodded to the exuberant e-boy fashion made famous on TikTok, the women's kaleidoscopic offering addressed the e-girl, and abounded in 1990s raver silhouettes, with graffiti-splattered puffer jackets, foil jeans and shaggy leopard-print knitwear. The collection also alluded to the body-cinching shapes that Dolce & Gabbana was renowned for in that decade, with ruched dresses, bodysuits and form-flattering, double-breasted jackets.

Across fashion cities, designers have mused on the new requirement to create clothing to be viewed digitally, through a screen, rather than in person. At Marni, Francesco Risso's imaginative runway shows – resembling other-worldly greenhouses or forestscapes formed from paper – are a way of welcoming his fans into his art-inflected, ecclectic world. For A/W 2021, he used Instagram to invite show watchers to three Zoom events, a breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Here, he presented clothing that was a hyperbolic, larger-than-life interpretation of designing for digital, with oversized puffer jackets swathed in shaggy fake fur, crochet two-pieces and tie-dye knitwear. Ruffles, ruching and multicoloured prints, along with bags blown up to XL proportions, appeared larger than life no matter how small the computer screen. 

In 2020, Giorgio Armani was the first designer to cancel his fashion show on the final morning of Milan Fashion Week, due to the increasing threat level of Covid-19. As regions around Milan began to close their borders, journalists travelling home or straight on to Paris began questioning their safety and considering the reality of a European lockdown. On Giorgio Armani’s A/W 2021 catwalk, there was a fluid relaxation to the silhouettes. The collection includes relaxed suiting in velvet and explosive floral jacquards and gowns in wispy transparent fabrics. There was an optimism in the bold blue and turquoise hues that accented the offering, which riffed on powerful 1980s tones. 

The 1980s was a decade that also inspired Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli. He referred to his decision to stage his A/W 2021 show in the empty auditorium of the historic Piccolo Teatro di Milano, which has been shuttered since the pandemic hit, as ‘punk’. This attitude was echoed across a solemn, largely monochromatic collection that featured ultra-short ‘scissored’ skirt lengths, shirting and slick tuxedo suiting. Elsewhere, DIY and punk elements came in spliced knitwear, slashed into Argyle shapes or cut out into floral motifs; stompy biker boots festooned with rose petals; and boxy, studded accessories. The austere nature of the collection was emphasised by models walking to the sounds of the Milanese symphony orchestra. 

Salvatore Ferragamo is a label familiar with operating during hardship. Its founder famously innovated with materials due to resource restrictions during and after the Second World War, incorporating tree bark, hemp and fish skin into his shoe designs. For A/W 2021, creative director Paul Andrew was focused on shapes and fabrics for a new world, presenting Future Positive, a science fiction-inspired film, with ultra-modern menswear and womenswear silhouettes. Andrew looked to a range of cinematic references during the collection's development, including Gattaca, Until The End Of The World, and The Matrix. Suiting was deconsctructed and bold, outerwear imagined in transparent plastics, metallics and leathers, and footwear had a motocross-meets-astronaut feel. Andrew innovated with materials across the collection, which included accessories made from upcycled pre-consumer offcuts and recycled pre- and post-consumer wool and cashmere, a dress made from recycled polyester, and footwear soles formed using pre-consumer TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) and metal-free leather tanned with plant-based materials.

Sportmax also operated with futuristic intent, looking at inspirational female figures across history, spanning statues of mythological figures and Annie Lennox, to create a forward-thinking fashion statement. The brand's collection featured models striding in parachute-volume taffeta gowns, The Matrix-worthy leathers and sparkling silver dresses, paired with shield-like sunglasses and thick soled wader-centric boots. 

Ferragamo dedicated its collection ‘to all those who must walk' – citing its founder – ‘at a time when we must be united in our determination to reimagine, rebuild, progress’, it summed up the impetus behind Milan Fashion Week A/W 2021 as a whole.

Designers in Milan – with a substantial reduction of international visitors – held a fashion week of sorts, with a mix of real shows and virtual presentations, all of which were streamed on their websites and via their social media platforms, in a bid to connect with their international clients. For those actually attending (I counted just two editors from France, a handful from Germany, six from the UK, and no one from the US or Asia) it was all about masks, hand sanitiser, temperature checks, self-declaration Covid-19 forms, very last minute changes to shows from real to digital or from digital to real and location changes. As for the clothes, as a rule Italian designers are collectively wishful that S/S 2021 is nothing like the summer before it.

Fendi kicked off the week’s proceedings with a significantly sized down runway show, which marked Silvia Venturini's final solo outing, before KimJones joins the creative helm of the brand next season. The mood spoke of sophisticated comfort, with models including Penelope Tree and Cecilia Chancellor wearing floaty shirts printed with shadows of windowpanes, snuggly duvet coats and buttoned dresses in quilted upholstery satins.

The N°21 show, held in the brand's own Garage Ventuno showspace, was a marker of how fashion shows operate during Covid-19. In place of the usual benches chosen to get as many bums on seats as possible (until now, there was always room for another guest) were stacking chairs spaced around two metres apart in a diagonal format. If clothes are being designed for our new less social lives, founder Alessandro Dell’Acqua created good looking knits and sweats amongst the looks, but matched with marabou incase you get the urge or chance to dress up.

Dolce & Gabbana’s purpose built Metropole show space can seat more than a thousand, but its S/S 2021 show was reconfigured to seat 300 on rich brocade cushions. Unlike a show with a 1000 guests, it was effortless to get in, with temperature checks and hand sanitising stations plus guidance on how to leave after, similar to new disembarkation rules on aeroplanes, sector by sector. A little like the famous Ford Model T motto ‘any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants, so long as it is black,’ the message here was you can have anything you like as long as it's patchwork. This meant macro or micro silhouettes from mini dresses to caftans, signature sartorial tailoring through to highwaist jeans and sneakers imagined in brocade, lace, carré silks and denim. The brand covered all options for a summer of going out or staying in, depending which way the pandemic plays out.

Max Mara chose to show in the cloisters of the courtyard of the Accademia di Brera, and guests sat spaced apart on cubes, the preferred seating choice of the week. Protective Cloisters – of which Milan has many fine ones to offer – were to become the venue of choice seen also at Boss, Ports 1961, and Salvatore Ferragamo. Amongst the tailoring and coats that Max Mara is famous for, creative director Ian Griffiths interwove appropriate pieces for our changed lifestyle, like strong knits, raglan sleeve sweats, parkas, and sporty silhouettes made from thermo bonded lightweight technical jersey. After long periods spent at home the message was a clear: clients now expect comfort as well as style.

For his digital Emporio Armani presentation, Giorgio Armani hired directors Leandro Manuel Emede and Nicolò Cerioni to film ‘Building Dialogues', a seven minute film shot over three days outside the company’s offices adjacent to Armani/Silos and across the road at the Tadao Ando show space. Its architecture – which is almost entirely pale grey – formed an appropriately background for the collection.

Back in February, on the last day of Milan Fashion Week, Giorgio Armani, alone, decided to hold his fashion show behind closed doors and asked everyone already invited, even his VIP clients who had flown in to Milan expressly for him to watch it from their homes or hotel rooms. This season he streamed Giorgio Armani's show online and on Prime time Italian TV (adding around a million extra viewers). And with a larger audience in mind (who may find the average 12 minute show length somewhat short), it was preceded by a 20 minute ‘house made’ documentary called ‘Pensieri Senza Tempo' or ‘Timeless Thoughts', with archive footage of Armani fashion from 1985 onwards.

I watched ‘Building Dialogues' from the Armani/Hotel which reopened in July. Some luxury hotels, such as the Park Hyatt, have been shuttered for almost six months. It was also in my room where I watched the Prada show. It was odd to be in Milan and watch a show broadcast from three kilometres away and not actually be present. This was the highly anticipated debut collection of dual creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons. Shot in a yellow carpeted and curtained room designed by OMA/AMO, models walked followed not by the eyes of guests but only the articulated robotic cameras. The show was followed by a Q&A session where Prada and Simons answered questions submitted from the public via social media, discussing topics around the importance of novelty, collaboration and what defines Prada-ness. The session was a much more comfortable and civilised way of learning about the collection than popping backstage for a bun fight to speak to the designers.

For his second season at Tod’s, creative director Walter Chiapponi opted to stream ‘The Song', a film directed by Antoine Asseraf shot at Casa Villa Necchi, where the protagonists including Karen Elson and singer Okay Kaya dressed up in suede, denim and frilled dresses and connected with each other over imaginary Zoom calls or face time links.

Sunnei – who just announced a new investment from Vanguards – celebrated Milan's summer spaces, inviting guests to the Lido of Milan in the north of the city. There, guests stood on designated circular markers inside an empty swimming pool (sheltering from rain with umbrellas) watching models wearing relaxed tailoring, caftans and loose dresses in the brand's signature bold hues.

Amidst Covid-19's new reality, designers are all looking for appropriate methods to show their collections. Francesco Risso, creative director of Marni, pulled off an most extraordinary feat, casting 48 members of his creative community for ‘Marnifesto', a film spanning locations from Tokyo to Dakar, with each model wearing one look from the collection that had been remotely fitted with the aid of video and local seamstresses. All 48 feeds were mixed live in New York, with each model setting out at the same time, filmed on a smart phone by their boyfriend, girlfriend or roommate at home, on the metro, in the supermarket or on the street. As I watched it at 4pm in a Milan cinema, Risso was sitting there too, seeing it for the first time. He'd gave up his creative control when he sent of his S/S 2021 pieces, passing the freedom of self-expression to the cast.

Moschino’s Jeremy Scott worked with The Muppets creator Jim Henson to create ‘No Strings Attached’, a fun and perfectly executed 40 look fashion show modelled by puppets, set in a tiny filmic couture salon set to schmaltzy classical music by Michel Gaubert. 

For Salvatore Ferragamo, creative Director Paul Andrew turned to film director Luca Guadagnino to produce a short film set in Milan. Although the men’s and women’s ready-to wear-and accessories were the focus, it was equally a homage to the city and its architecture. ‘Life in Technicolor', picked up the vibrant green, mauve, yellow and lobster in the collection and accessories, but also illustrated hidden colours found in the city.  The 40 looks featured in the film were also shown on the runway in the rounded cloisters of La Rotonda della Besana, the Florentine houses usual venue, albeit with a substantially reduced number of guests.

At Versace, the label presented Versacepolis, a show streamed live with everything aside from the usual audience (the brand decided a week before to run the show with no physical guests). Everyone participating from set builders to producers, models to hair and make-up artists, plus Versace staffers, had all been tested by the company as negative for Covid 19. The show, featuring both men and women was full of joyous colour and print. Stand outs were the pleated looks, plain or printed, with some sculptural ruffling nodding to Roberto Capucci. This was a very confident message. The brand is hoping their clients have reason to dress up next summer, those décolleté bra topped dresses are a little too saucy for Zoom.

The Ports 1961 show, held in the warm autumn sun of the cloisters of the Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia was intimate for very few but filmed for a larger audience. Karl Templer wanted this collection to be tactilem ‘as touch is forbidden now and everything is on screen’, and with its classical references, spring was all about embrace and touch. Templer is optimistic about people still finding pleasure in dressing up.

Valentino is based in Rome and traditionally shows its men's and women’s ready to wear and couture collections in Paris. Exceptionally this season it came up to Milan to show in a metal foundry in the north of the city. This show was inside, with a small crowd in a enormous space, but safety was key so all guests (who all turned up in masks) were given a new FFP2 mask and asked to wear it for its duration. We were treated to a sound track performed live by Labrinth, while creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli offered plenty to like for real life including exclusive Valentino 517 boot cut jeans made in collaboration with Levi’s, which will surely get everyone wearing the styles again come spring, whether we have to stay at home or not. Piccioli paired the jeans with oversized mannish shirts in chiffon, taffeta and lace and accessorised with the new macro Rock Stud bags and shoes. There were of course some more dressy pieces including fluid long dresses and a chocolate brown slinky sequinned cape-shouldered and ribbon-sleeved dress. Even you don’t have anywhere to go or anyone to see sometimes its great to dress up just for you.

Given the past four months that Italians have lived through, any ability to return to a semblance of normalcy is just cause for applause. Earlier this month, with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian Trade Agency, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana did more than that by facilitating its first-ever Milan Digital Fashion Week to present the latest Spring/Summer 2021 menswear and men’s and women’s pre-collections from 42 brands on a dedicated digital platform.

For all intents and purposes, it certainly came close to feeling like a traditional fashion week, with shows scheduled on a structured calendar, even if there was a significant multimedia twist.

Two labels, Dolce & Gabbana and Etro, went as far as sticking their necks out to stage the first two in-person shows since February, with social distancing rules elegantly imposed. Etro, the first label to do so, chose the outdoor garden of Milan’s treasured Four Seasons Hotel (itself closed to visitors for just as long) as the backdrop for its vibrant, pattern-centric men’s and women’s pre-Fall collection. Dolce & Gabbana also stepped away from its regular indoor venue, and instead set its runway amongst the gardens of the Humanitas University to showcase its Gio Ponti-inspired collection. With guests generously spaced out in both cases, the shows were a tantalising precursor to how a return to in-person fashion week may look like come September.

For the most part though, video continued to prove its worth as the next best option in lieu of convening in person, with many fashion houses creating alternate realities for both fashion insiders and fans to dive into.

One of the week’s most resonant forays came from Prada, whose Multiple Views SS21 collection saw the house hand over the creative reins to five image-makers and artists; Terence Nance, Joanna Piotrowska, Martine Syms, Jurgen Teller and Willy Vanderperre, who each captured a different facet of the latest collection against an aspect of the Fondazione Prada. Subtitled ‘The Show That Never Happened’, the intentionally individualized five-part series opens with Vanderperre emphasising the label’s utilitarian, pared back aesthetic, which returns with prominence this season. Followed by Teller’s and Piotrowska’s contributions, which both show off the collection’s everlasting modernity, construction and abundance of quiet details, the series culiminates in Syms’ and Nance’s more stylized interpretations that highlight Prada’s quirky, intellectualized nature while still revealing an inherent whimsy.

Although seemingly discordant, the varied panoply captured Prada’s quintessence to a tee – minimalist and complex, classical and futuristic, all at once. Radical in its treatment of purity, yet also light-heartened at times, the collection and its presentation felt all the more significant given its standing as Mrs. Prada’s solo swansong before her collaboration with Raf Simmons as co-creative director commences next season.

Just as captivating was Gucci’s multi-dimensional film titled ‘Epilogue: Final Act of a Fairy Tale in Three Parts’, which sees behind-the-scenes footage from the shooting of the collection’s advertising campaign at the spectacular Palazzo Sacchetti in Rome (which was also live-streamed for 12 hours) layered with audio clips of Michele and an AI voice describing the inspiration and explaining the context for the collection, and images of the newest collection, novelly modeled by members of the Gucci design team. Spliced together with a surveillance-style treatment, the film’s engaging point of view not only offers viewers behind-the-scenes access to the creative process, but also comments on the industry’s cyclical nature – an aspect that Michele continually seeks to disrupt.

In the collection’s statement, he writes, ‘My fairytale in three parts wants to generate a questioning about the rules, the roles and the functions that keeps fashion going,’ adding. ‘The epilogue that I deliver to you really feels like an overture. A watershed that closes and opens at the same time, a threshold of a new beginning from which we try to imagine our tomorrow.’

This idea of rebirth and re-emergence was particularly palpable at Ermenegildo Zegna, Ferrgamo and Santoni, who all looked back to their origins to take stock of how far they have come. Zegna marked its 110th anniversary with a video reaffirming its past, present and future. Filmed at it historic wool mill and its surrounding nature reserve, the video combines sweeping landscape views of the Oasi Zegna, where the company has planted half a million trees since it was founded in 1910, with peeks of the inner workings at Zegna HQ as models pace through both natural and man-made environments in easy, generously tailored silhouettes.

Ferragamo asserted that it too had weathered the storm with a triumphant video combining snippets of its Hollywood-steeped legacy with proud demonstrations of its Tuscan heritage. Filled with highlights from over the years, its montage reiterates the house’s resilience and finishes with models donning its latest collection while basking outdoors amongst the trees and in the sea – a true luxury after living through weeks in lockdown.  

Santoni shared in these feelings of liberation by tapping the natural beauty of its Le Marche home region as backdrop for its newest collection. Its signature footwear and accessories are set against stunning swaths of the glittering Adriatic sea and bucolic countryside, with the tour also including glimpses of natural stone quarries and breathtaking mountaintops – unequivocally Italian and hard to beat.

The video medium was a particularly appropriate choice for Sunnei to unveil an experimental new offering, Sunnei Canvas. Comprised of 20 signature styles realized all in white, just like blank canvases, these pieces can be subsequently customized, according to buyers’ and boutiques’ wants and needs. Debuted on digitally engineered 3D avatar models in an anonymous virtual space, produced together with the digital studio Pezzo di Studio, the inaugural video presents the shapes, fits and fabrics that are up for modification and is part of an ongoing series that will be continued in September.

A final honorable mention goes to the British label Qasimi, whose evocative video portrait of its new collection eloquently blends tenents of its Middle Eastern heritage with a contemporary modernity, Spring/Summer 2021 sees the introduction of womenswear alongside to its menswear line. The collection also features details inspired by the geometric Al Sadu weaving tradition of the Bedouin people that has been adapted for contemporary use. Luxurious, yet relaxed silhouettes that offer comfort with their softly sculptural forms, are teamed with woven stripes, trim and embroidered panels to poetically distill the best of both worlds - providing just that dose of fresh perspective, which the industry needs.

Mood board: The show’s opening look signalled a fiercer, freer mood; a soft caramel coat, paired with a chocolate vest and a sheer pencil skirt formed from lengths of chainmail, showcased to a pulsing techno mix of My Mind by Ace of Base. The mind was top priority for creative director Paul Andrew, who’d been considering the fluid facets of female identity, describing female character as a ‘shifting kaleidoscope’ and reading Carl Jung’s theories on the seven feminine archetypes, including The Lover and The Mystic. He also looked to a wide variety of women from Nina Simone to Nancy Pelosi, in a collection culminating in elegant, glamorous silhouettes, like a strapless jumpsuit with a cut out back and delicate chain belt, coats with chevron quilting and slippery bias cut dresses with leather cuffs and asymmetric caped suits.

Finishing touches: Since taking the helm of the brand, Andrew has looked to its illustrious footwear history as ready-to-wear inspiration. Its signature bow detail Viva shoe was not only updated in slingbacks and block heel thigh high boots, but its grosgrain bow construct was imagined as a hair clip, and was used as a fabric to fluidly adorn black column dresses in soft 3D chain links.

Team work: In his research, Andrew found a book by Fulvia Ferragamo, full of inspirational botanical images (also a reference noted on the Prada catwalk). This culimated in a series of autumnal prints across caped trenchcoats, skirts and skirts, boasting delicate macramé details in the shape of leaves and flowers

Mood board: ‘This is the first collection of a new decade and I wanted to consider what it means to be a man today. It has changed so much over the last several decades.’ So said creative director Paul Andrew after his graceful A/W 20 show. The label’s return to the Milan menswear schedule explored the fluid and free nature of masculine identities. Machismo unfurled in the sensual clothes. Andrew presented outfits that purposefully defy categorisation: ‘a man today is not obliged to assume a single, set role. He can be a multitude, and he can change his worn identity any time he wishes,’ he said. There was a softening of line applied to six alpha male archetypes: the businessman, biker, racing driver, sailor, soldier and surfer. A nautical peacoat came in traditional herringbone tweed and worn with double-faced silk wool leggings. Surfer palm print camo was matched with military flight jackets in leather.

Best in show: Tailoring was fitted with velcro straps so that it can be altered by the wearer: from structured to slouchy. Jackets and long, double-breasted coats in fine pinstripe wool were cinched at the hip. Bermuda short suits, worn with high boots showing just an inch of knee, were smart and fresh. There was a spongy feel to blousons that rolled around the shoulder. Knits had bounce. The mood board included photographs of Sean Connery as James Bond (the theme tune to the 1967 hit You Only Live Twice played during the finale). ‘It used be more about a certain machismo, but I feel that the way millennials are dressing today is much more about mixing the classic archetypes of men, some of them masculine, some of them more at ease with their femininity,’ Andrew said. Sensuality reverberated around the baroque Rotonda della Besana which had been wrapped in a buttery yellow carpet, bathed in shards of winter sunlight.

Sound bite: ‘There are many more archetypes than the six we looked at but these were the ones that spoke to me and the ones I incorporate most into my own wardrobe,’ Andrews said. ‘Now I’m overseeing both men’s and women’s, it is interesting to see the contrast. The way you approach womenswear is often through thinking about a certain decade – the 70s, the 80s, the 90s – you work around that premise. Men’s tends to be about a character – a tailored businessman or a slouchy sailor – but I feel the way men are dressing right now is all of those things. The last ten years have been so much about sportswear and I think that’s coming to a hard close.’ Everything had ease.

Mood board: The starting points on Paul Andrew’s moodboard have ranged from Princess Margaret to Brâncusi sculptures. For S/S 2020, the designer bought a personal note to proceedings, basing his sun-drenched, salty collection on a photograph of himself and his brother on holiday in the 1980s, ‘wearing clashing Bermuda prints and smiles.’ In hues of tan, chestnut and a Mediterranean ocean of blues and greens, Ferragamo’s breezy yet sophisticated silhouettes, like buttery leather dungarees, bubble skirts, rib knits and floaty stripe kaftans, were all fit for a luxurious summer holiday wardrobe.

Finishing touches: The Ferragamo family has recently restored Ammannati’s 16th century Fountain of Neptune, in its hometown of Florence. Andrew nodded to this achievement with a series of ebullient Neptune-inspired prints at the brand’s S/S 2020 men’s show in June – where the label was a guest at Pitti – and for women’s these were splashed in blues and greens across shirts and tracksuit trousers. Since taking the creative reigns of the house, Andrew has always delved back into the shoemaking history of Ferragamo. It has a museum of over 15,000 shoes and Andrew’s first A/W 2018 collection was based on the rainbow wedge of its 1938 Judy Garland platform. For S/S 2020, Andrew reimagined the brand’s grosgrain bow Vara pump, with an enlarged bow and a sharper toe.

Scene setting: Outside, models walked around a circular arched colonnade, lined with a single row of seating, at the Rotonda Della Besana, a baroque building complex which features a hexagonal portico and deconsecrated church at its centre.

Mood board: We have different personalities online and in person. Social media and the digital realm has encouraged a duality of existence. For Salvatore Ferragamo’s A/W 2019 collection, newly appointed creative director Paul Andrew (who joined the house in September 2016 as women’s footwear director and was promoted this week to the creative director of the Salvatore Brand, across all categories including menswear) and men’s ready-to-wear design director Guillame Meilland, were thinking about kaleidoscopic nature of identity. Andrew has used footwear (the founding pillar of the house – its archive has over 20,000 models), as the starting point to the brand’s collections. The colours in his A/W 2018 debut, were inspired by the tones in 1938’s Rainbow Wedge, made originally for Judy Garland. For A/W 2019, a multicoloured patchwork wedge from 1942, inspired panels of suede, nappa, snake and lizard, and an amalgam of burnt, berry and oceanic hues.

Best in show: For women, a selection of buttery leather pieces in raspberry, tan, turquoise and forest green, like a utilitarian two-piece suit, a duster coat and a sporty padded cagoule, were luxurious and modern. Archive foulard silks overlaid with tartan prints, were emblazoned across pyjamas and pencil skirts and a hooded pinstripe blazer and voluminous trousers channelled sports chic. For men, colour combinations excelled, like a beige suite paired with lilac knitwear and a tan leather minaudière and a mismatched pinstripe blazer and slim trouser, teamed with a pistachio shirt.

Finishing touches: Of course, the footwear was fabulous, from stompy men’s lace up boots to women’s spindly heels, laced with metallic beading.

The Italian house of Salvatore Ferragamo scoops the Wallpaper* Design Award for Best Menswear A/W18, as voted for in our Judges’ Awards. View the rest of the winners here.

Salvatore Ferragamo

Guillaume Meilland’s third collection for the Florentine house was presented alongside the debut offering from newly appointed womenswear creative director Paul Andrew. Together the duo devised a kaleidoscopic palette, which updated classic silhouettes in rich and unusual hues. The exquisitely colour-blocked clothes ranged from buttery leather overcoats to boxy jackets, double-layered knitwear to autumn-toned trousers, preppy striped sweaters to sleek macs. Meilland had cut his teeth at Yves Saint Laurent and Lanvin. His design prowess was evoked in luxurious and timeless garments, and alongside Andrew’s debut, marked a new chapter for the Italian house.

Creative director: Guillaume Meilland
Based: Florence
Key features: colour-blocking, classic silhouettes and leather outerwear

BEST MENSWEAR A/W18 SHORTLIST

Comme des Garçons Homme Plus

Rei Kawakubo imagined clothing formed from a patchwork of superhero comic strips; aerial photographs of an anonymous city; and photographic prints of crazy paving, pebbles and manhole covers. Among this eclectic mix, white jackets with asymmetric fronts were embossed with square panels, shearling was cut into wide shorts and cocooning trench coats, and architectural drawings of interiors were layered and printed onto blazers. The show opened with models wearing dinosaur skulls rendered in fabric by the Japanese artist Shimoda Masakatsu.

Creative director: Rei Kawakubo
Based: Tokyo
Key features: Eclectic prints, shearling detail shorts

Lanvin

Menswear artistic director Lucas Ossendrijver reimagined the suit. The most classic English textiles were thrown into a new conversation, with narrow waists and strict, ironed-in pleats. Stripes and checks clashed and matched. Classic lines from bespoke tailoring were reconfigured to create a modern silhouette. A pinstriped suit jacket had pockets peeled from a classic duffle coat; trousers in smart wool evinced a combat-pant attitude with cotton inlay, gusseted pockets and Velcro; and jumpers were draped and worn with wide, sleeve-shaped scarves.

Creative director: Lucas Ossendrijver
Based: Paris
Key features: menswear archetypes, reconfigured tailoring, clashing fabrics

Maison Margiela

John Galliano’s first menswear collection for the Belgian house was a visual feast, and saw the house codes reimagined in the designer’s inimitable way. A classic trench was worn under its clear plastic replica. A canary-yellow puffer had its seams outlined in mink. A jumper was sliced and turned into a knitted frame. Tailored blazers and overcoats appeared with exaggerated shoulder lines and lapels. The standout piece was an electric blue suit, cut on the bias. The collection reflected Galliano’s exploration of the décortiqué technique, which sees garments reduced to their essential frame, then reinterpreted in new, imaginative ways.

Creative director: John Galliano
Based: Antwerp
Key features: deconstructed garments, trench coats and bold suiting

Prada

Prada’s collection came like a bolt straight out of the archives. At the fore were the iconic black nylon accessories Miuccia Prada introduced in the mid-1980s upon taking over the family firm. For the first time ever, pieces in the collection were designed in collaboration with creatives from other design disciplines: Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Konstantin Grcic, Herzog & de Meuron and Rem Koolhaas. After the all-black nylon looks that opened the show, bold and colourful archive prints featuring the likes of bananas and lipsticks punctuated the collection, and called out to all Prada-print obsessives.

Creative director: Miuccia Prada
Based: Milan
Key features: nylon classics, banana prints and design collaborations.

Scene setting: Colour is central to Salvatore Ferragamo’s DNA – its famed rainbow wedge, originally designed for Judy Garland in 1938, is formed from a kaleidoscopic platform of colour. Last season, at Paul Andrew and Guillaume Meilland’s dual debut runway show for the brand, they erected a show set divided into different colour-blocked rooms. For S/S 2019 they followed suit, with a runway sectioned by gauzy-fabric walls in different shades, including sky blue, turquoise, orange and fuchsia.

Mood board: In their vision for Ferragamo, Andrew and Meilland have been exploring and reinterpreting the Florentine house’s archive. Last season, a bird-print silk foulard from the 1990s featured in their A/W 2018 collection. For S/S 2019 an archive botanical print anchored the utility and safari inspired offering, rich in neutral tones, and deep khakis, punctuated by pops of red, orange and turquoise. Since Andrew and Meilland took the creative helm of the house, the duo have been honing their vision of the mature modern wardrobe, rich in luxurious fabrications and wardrobe classics. For women, this meant buttery suede calf handkerchief dresses, bright duchesse satin suits and jackets, and tropical print tailoring. For men, soft shine macs, oversized trousers and leather detail linen jeans.

Finishing touches: The footwear was a fabulous celebration of the house’s archives. Ferragamo has a footwear museum in Florence, and when Andrew was originally appointed design director of women’s shoes at the house in September 2017, he spent hours poring over its extensive archive. Salvatore Ferragamo patented 350 shoe silhouettes, including the cork wedge, and this heritage reappeared in Oriental cork flatforms. There was a sculptural sensibility behind the brand’s founder’s designs, and this was seen here in mules with architectural wooden heels resembling graphic sculptures or carved pieces of furniture. Elsewhere, an archive design inspired a series of sandals, their uppers crafted from twists of foulard and nappa leather.

MSGM: Cool knits and bright gingham checks were the name of the game at MSGM where designer Massimo Giorgetti pasted together colour-blocked striped sweaters and big, boxy gingham tunics giving a bright punch to banged up, holey tennis shoes that looked like they were taken straight out of your older brother’s 10th grade closet

Gucci: Against a backdrop of leprechaun green, Alessandro Michele presented the next gen of Gucci slipper, this season fit for Liberace

Fratelli Rossetti: For S/S 2017 Fratelli Rossetti headed to the Hamptons. Fringe details ran throughout, adding a decorative touch to timeless loafers. The brand's signature hand dyeing technique conjured up colours reminiscent of the resort area's sand dunes, amber sunsets, blue seas and Long Island green lawns

Calvin Klein Collection: The spring collection posed a luxe riff on sportswear staples, rethinking the denim and varsity jacket in more luxurious fabrications including an unexpected satin sheen

Fendi: A cool pool of water set the scene at the brand's Milan headquarters for the debut of a multitude of holiday footwear ideas.

Bertoni 1949: The leather goods brand took to the skies for S/S 2017 with hand painted airplane motifs soaring over travel bags to briefcases. A new addition to the collection came in the form of a luxurious leather backpack

Woolrich: This season Woolrich team up with Australian cycle brand Deus on their first bike. The E-bike is equally at home being ridden in the city as it is in the great outdoors. The bike also comes with a saddle and handlebars made by Brooks

Emporio Armani: Giorgio Armani called his Emporio show 'a tense and sharp collection' fit for a 'pulsating metropolis'. It was indeed sharp, and focused on its cool urban mission thanks to a terrific, steady palette of always-right navy blue, denim blue and sage green.

Moncler Gamme Bleu: Mosquito netted tents lined Moncler’s grass-lined runway for a Boy Scout camping-themed show. Photography: Antonio Camera

CP Company: The original Italian sportswear brand continued to push the boundaries of outerwear this season. Fabric innovation was high on the agenda with the introduction of a technical linen that was waterproof yet retains the fabrics characteristic irregularities and organic appearance. This season also saw the addition of trousers and other separates to the brand's outerwear lexicon

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 field jacket made of the finest leather came brushed with colour reminiscent of a Mark Rothko painting, while the rubber pebbled sole of the iconic Gommino moccasin appeared as a motif on a black suede weekend bag

Missoni: The Italian house had a great Guatemalan moment for next spring, borrowing colourful upholstery-like fabrics for its oversized shorts, chic tank tops and multi-hue woven Huarache sandals.

Boglioli: The brand’s moody colour palette of sea greens, rust browns and slate grey was reverberated in the grandiose ceiling of Palazzo Archinto.

Bottega Veneta: Tomas Maier’s S/S 2017 accessory collection looked even more dynamic close-up.

Rossignol: This season Rossignol moved from the slopes and headed to the court. High performance fabrics such as tech nylon, neoprene and parachute poplin were used to elegant effect on super light down jackets, Bermuda shorts and raincoats

Santoni: Shoe brand Santoni employed the help of critic and curator Angelo Flaccavento to create an intriguing installation, where viewers looked through a series of peep holes to view the collection. The iconic Santoni double buckle appeared on boots and as a clip for fridges, while slender lace-ups came with hand-sewn soles and slippers morphed into espadrilles

Prada: Mrs Prada’s leisure luxe show theme carried through to the sporting set and industrial mesh invitation.

Caruso: Italian tailoring brand Caruso continued to push the boundaries of luxury menswear for S/S 2017. Standout items included a softly tailored jacket hand painted with a flora motif and a series of broken suits that clashed bold checks and stripes

Philipp Plein: The ‘Sportsworld Spectacular’ show came complete with Harlem Globetrotters, 20 cheerleaders, three mascots and one rapper in Busta Rhymes

Bally: Creative director Pablo Coppola described his S/S 2017 outing as 'Happy luxury'. The collections mood board was bristling with a host of disparate references from Bianca Jagger in the 1970s to David Hockney and Daidō Moriyama’s graphic works. Standouts included printed silk shirts covered in motifs inspired by achieve Bally advertisements and candy coloured accessories

Neil Barrett: Milan’s king of cool sportswear refracted his always-athletic lens through the 1970s throwing together great suede and leather intarsia jackets and cool high-waisted stretch pants.

Salvatore Ferragamo: Ferragamo introduced ‘Tramezza’, its new made to measure shoe services in Milan's stylish Giacomo Bistrot restaurant

Brunello Cucinelli: The designer continued his exploration and evolution of menswear staples for S/S 2017. Blazers in the finest fabrics were paired with easy, drawstring trousers, while the humble t-shirt and polo were elevated to luxury heights. A pale grey bomber made in what looked like suede corduroy was a standout

Kiton: Alongside showcasing a collection that focused on relaxed lightweight suiting, Napolese tailoring band Kiton expanded their handmade footwear line with the addition of several new styles. Standouts included a selection of hand dyed shoes making no pair the same

Dolce & Gabbana: Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana looked to the world of music for S/S 2017’s inspiration, taking us on a journey from the Jazz Age to 1980's Hip-Hop. Oversized streetwear tees and sweatshirts were mashed up with boxy jackets and slim cropped trousers, while graphic prints depicting cassette tapes and saxophones hit all the right notes. Standout accessories included boom box bags, chunky sneakers and print covered headphones.

Dolce & Gabbana: Nine giant sized metal frond, standing lamps lined the runway at Dolce & Gabbana

Church’s: The cobbler revisited its iconic Shanghai shoe by adding canvas details alongside introducing a boot style in two-tone leather

Massimo Piombo: The designer’s shop, the former studio of prolific architect Gae Aulenti, was filled with colourful flowers to match his signature peacock tailoring

Giuseppe Zanotti: Building on the brand’s luggage line, Giuseppe Zanotti introduced a collection of sleek neoprene back packs this season, while shoes and sneakers came covered in camo print fit for an urban survivalist

Ports 1961: Milan Vukmirovic kicked off Men's Fashion Week in Milan with a presentation in an old warehouse down the street from the Prada Foundation on the city’s outskirts

Andrea Pompilio: Big stripes are not big fashion news but Milan-based fashion designer Andrea Pompilio nonetheless made them feel very fresh with his mix of scales, configurations and fabrics, throwing together silk bottoms, knit tops and sturdy cotton Bermudas in always cool-hues of graphic black and white

Black looks: In the new season’s monochrome, Louis Vuitton, Jil Sander, and Kenzo (pictured clockwise from left) opted for sleek, jet-black invitations. Louis Vuitton’s was debossed with its iconic monogram pattern; Jil Sander sent a soft, matte invitation with the event details embossed in a contrasting shiny black; while Kenzo’s came in the form of a mock concert ticket

Antonio Marras: Like a paper matryoshka doll, the ever-playful invitation from Antonio Marras was a decidedly meta affair – an illustrated paper envelope within an envelope within an envelope and so forth eventually revealed show details

Dries Van Noten: London-based illustrator Gill Button hand-painted no less than 1,200 invitations for Dries Van Noten’s A/W womenswear show after being discovered by the Belgian designer on Instagram. The collection – and invitations – nod to Italian heiress and muse Luisa Casati

Pattern power: Fashion powerhouses Salvatore Ferragamo, Versace and Bally went big and bold for their womenswear outings in Milan, commanding our attention with a graphic array of patterned invitations

Iris van Herpen: On the other end of the spectrum, Dutch designer Iris van Herpen aroused our curiosity with a tiny, pea-sized glass vessel. With careful tinkering we were able to coax the presentation details out, printed inside on a thin, plastic tape

Dior Homme: This season, creative director Kris Van Assche dipped into Dior’s floral archive as well as a black-and-red plaid that wouldn’t go amiss on the hip skater crowd, who were foreshadowed on his poster invitation

Anya Hindmarch: The English designer announced her London womenswear show with a diabolically difficult, all-silver riff on a Rubik’s cube (a few frustrating/gratifying hours were admittedly spent attempting to solve it). Set designer Stuart Nunn later brought this motif to life on the runway, creating a backdrop of illuminated surfaces based on 8-bit graphics and Rubik’s cubes, of course

Gucci: We opened Gucci’s mysterious invitation box for its menswear show with baited breath. Inside, it revealed a striking trio of scientific glass slides each adorned with its own specimen from Alessandro Michele’s Gucci garden, including a snake and bumblebee (a nod to European nobility and Rome, where the Italian house is based and also where the insect is carved into buildings all over the city)

Monochrome medley: It was a simple matter of black and white for Salvatore Ferragamo, Margaret Howell, Neil Barrett and Aquazzura, who all posted boldly monochromatic invitations to our letterbox

Prada: As ever, the guarded Miuccia Prada revealed nothing ahead of her Milan show. Instead, we were left tantalised by an off-white paper booklet with a concertina binding, slipped in a ghostly, semi-translucent acetate envelope

Metal heads: A metallic trend emerged among this season’s invitations, including a delicate, gold foil iteration for Palm Angels’ menswear show (left) and a creased, silver foil backed by cardboard for jewellery label Ambush

Paul Smith: Keen-eyed, longtime followers of the eponymous British designer might have recognised the glossy, red apple motif that appeared on his womenswear invitations from London’s salon and Paris’ runway show. Sir Smith, in fact, had first used it in 1982 and his recent collection took a bite out of his past endeavours

Art and soul: The Technicolor brushstrokes were flying as Paul Smith, Marques’Almeida, Céline (poured tinted rubber technically), and Hermès all jumped on a painterly trend for their respective show invitations this season

Acne Studios: There was no telling what to expect from Acne Studios’ show thanks to its poster invitation, illustrated with two wildly different scenes. Were we in for a psychedelic romp in Paris or something more darkly seductive?

Rick Owens: The American designer announced both of his A/W Paris shows on matching, soft leather invitations

Givenchy: Riccardo Tisci heralded his show with a black-and-white poster pin-up, painted over with a powder pink hue

Material matters: Luxurious swathes of suede and felt won out many of the invitations this season, including (pictured, from top) Victoria Beckham, Marni, and Jimmy Choo

3.1 Phillip Lim: It was only fitting that the American designer would send out a boxed bamboo invitation with the show details printed inside on a glossy, lacquer-red duplex card, framed with a black border. As it turned out, his A/W outing was infused with plenty of references that included Japanese craft and kimonos

Fendi: The Italian house announced itself – quite literally – with a white duplex card featuring its name playfully adorned in a lemon yellow felt inside a comic speech bubble

1205: The elusive Paula Gerbase gave nothing away ahead of her menswear debut in London thanks to her minimalist acetate invitation

Zest sellers: Several houses heralded their shows with a bold tangerine or vivid orange, including (clockwise, from top left) Marques'Almeida's paint-streaked offering; MSGM's fabric-pressed card; Miu Miu's soft suede invitation; and Carven's graphic poster

Edun: The label adorned its womenswear invitation, the runway and closing looks of the show with a design from Ethiopian Grammar by artist Wosene Worke Kosrof. The Ethiopian sculptor/painter is best known for his interpretations of Aramaic script; here, he conjured a pastiche of phrases like 'mother love' and blended it with the Amharic alphabet on duplex card

‘Craftsmanship, heritage, passion and perfection’ are the central tenets of Gianfranco Lotti, the luxury leather goods house established in Florence in 1968. Italian to its core, the company’s namesake founded the label to ‘give something back’ to his Florentine home – the city in which art and craftsmanship are synonymous. From hand-worked python skin clutches to exquisitely crafted men’s weekend bags, Gianfranco Lotti values artisanal quality above all else.

In 2013, the brand welcomed new creative director, Melissa Loyd Maish, who previously held senior positions at Salvatore Ferragamo and Bally. With her arrival came an expansion of the company’s offerings and the introduction of its ‘One Piece Only’ service. This foray into the bespoke market offers the brand’s committed clientele the chance to work alongside Maish in creating unique leather goods, from initial design sketches through to final manufacture.

The process begins in the Salon Privé of Lotti’s flagship on the Via de’ Tornabuoni in Florence, the heart of the city’s fashion district. Historically home to royal processions from the Palazzo Pitti to the Ponte Santa Trìnita, the street now houses an array of high fashion boutiques among which the Lotti design studio is nestled.

Located a stone’s throw away is the house’s atelier; such proximity makes for a highly integrated and communicative process between creatives and artisans, ensuring control from concept to realisation. The process constantly emphasises the value of handcraft, minimising machine interference with the brand’s ethically sourced leathers.

All creations bear the house’s signature lock – a symbol for the brand’s commitment to tradition and heritage as hallmarks of quality. Yet if Lotti’s manufacturing process remains traditional, the house’s aesthetic is distinctly contemporary.

INFORMATION
For more information, visit Gianfranco Lotti’s website

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

Fashion week, these days, 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 S/S 2015 womenwear collections.

WEDNESDAY 17/09

No 21
'Running Up That Hill' by Kate Bush; 'Come Undone' by Trentemoller; 'Love Is A Battlefield' by Pat Benatar
Music production: Mode-F

THURSDAY 18/09

Max Mara
'Requiem Pour Un Con - Remix 91' by Serge Gainsbourg; 'Laide, Jolie Laide' by Serge Gainsbourg; 'Pink Elephants' by Mick Harvey; 'Histoire de Melody Nelson' by Serge Gainsbourg; 'Paris Quatre (Instrumental)' by Malcolm McLaren; 'Intoxicated Man' by Mick Harvey
Music production: Frédéric Sanchez

Emporio Armani
'Brutal Hearts (FlicFlac Radio Edit)' by Bedouin Soundclash; 'Universe Lovesong' by Laid Back; 'Neeve' by Woolfy vs Projections; 'What's My Name (Extended Disco Mix)' by The Kenneth Bager Experience & Sofie Grabol; 'Lion' by Pang!

Fendi
'Car Ambient #3' by Babe Rainbow; 'Minnesota Winter' by Babe Rainbow; 'Need This (12" Dub)' by Bok Bok Feat Trago; 'Boring Angel' by Oneohtrix Point Never; 'Cocco di Mamma' by Laura Betti
Music production: Michel Gaubert

Dsquared2
'Hideaway' by Kiesza; 'When A Fire Starts To Burn' by Disclosure; 'When A Fire Starts To Burn (C2C re-edit) by Disclosure; 'The Roof Is On Fire' by Rock Master Scott and the Dynamic Three; 'Children Of The Revolution' by Mark's; 'Boongie Drop (feat Jay Z & DJ Military' by Lenny Kravitz; 'Breathe & Stop (J Period Remix)' by J Period & Q-Tip; 'Partition' by Beyonce; 'All About That Bass' by Meghan Trainor; 'Flawless (MIA Partysquad remix)' by Beyonce; 'Wiggle' by Jason Derulo (feat Snoop Dogg); 'Flawless (MIA Partysquad remix)' by Beyonce

Prada
'Kiss Me (Maggot Brain)(Edit)' by Psychic TV & PTV3
Music production: Frédéric Sanchez

Ports 1961
'Down In The Traffic' by To Rococo Rot; 'Besides' by To Rococo Rot
Music production: Frédéric Sanchez

FRIDAY 19/09

Sportmax
'Mambo' by Wally Badarou; 'Speechless' by Kruder & Dorfmeister; 'All Under One Roof Raving' by Jamie xx; 'Private Life (Dub version) by Grace Jones; 'Grillwalker' by Modeselektor
Music production: Michel Gaubert

Marco de Vincenzo
'We Share Our Mother's Health' by The Knife; 'Dreamy' by Go Dugong; 'Quad Boogie' by Populous; 'Fall' by Populous.
Music production: Stefani Libertini Protopapa

Missoni
'Les Ondes' by Motorbass; 'Force Marker' by Brian Eno; 'Shanzhai' by Fatima Al Qadiri
Music production: Frédéric Sanchez

Tod's
Speech from 'La Notte' by Michelangelo Antonioni
Music production: Frédéric Sanchez

Versace
'2020' by Suuns; 'All I Hear Is Drums' by Kasper Bjorke; 'Sex-O-Matic (Club)' by Melt; 'Video Fear' by Bitches From Queens

Philipp Plein
'Right Here, Right Now (Orchestral Version by Thomas Roussel)' by Fat Boy Slim; 'Enjoy The Silence (Orchestral Version by Thomas Roussel)' by Depeche Mode; 'Blue Monday (Orchestral Version by Thomas Roussel)' by New Order

SATURDAY 20/09

Bottega Veneta
'Triumphant Procession' by Tuxedomoon; 'Libertango' by London Concertante; 'Piazolla-Libertango' by Yo-Yo Ma; 'Libertango' by The Swingle Sisters; 'I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango)' by Grace Jones
Music production: Sebastien Perrin

Giorgio Armani
'Hazey' by Glass Animals; 'Open' by Rhye; 'Candy (Steve Moore Remix)' by Lower Dens; 'Save' by Frankey & Sandrino; 'Tell Her Today' by Tom Baxter; 'Wicked Game' by Queen of Hearts; 'Last Words' by Amirali; 'Electric Sunburst (Phoreski Remix)' by Coyote; 'Blow Up' by Kid Francescoli

Roberto Cavalli
'Trap' by Camp Claude; 'Lost and Found' by Camp Claude; 'Hurricanes' by Camp Claude
Music production: Michel Gaubert

Jil Sander
'Four Solos' by Ars Nova & Tamas Veto; 'Living Room Music IV' by Ars Nova & Tamas Veto; 'Fermi' by Pan Sonic; 'Shaker Loops' by Dan Smiley, Lowendusky, Judiyaba & Ridge String Quartet; 'Release, Depart' by Scanner; 'Spacings' by Takehisa Kosugi
Music production: Frédéric Sanchez

Emilio Pucci
'Hey Now (Tensnake Remix)' by London Grammar; 'Hey Now (Arty Remix)' by London Grammar; 'The Cloud Atlas Sextet (Elektro RMX JK)' by Tom Tykwer, Kristjan Jarvi & MDR Sinfonieorchester; 'Ultraviolence' by Lana del Rey; 'All The Days' by Haerts; 'Dreams (Axwell remix)' by Deep Dish feat Stevie Nicks; 'Andare' by Ludovico Einaudi
Music production: Jeremy Healy

SUNDAY 21/09

Marni
'Moonrise Kingdom' by L'Orchestra Numerique
Music production: Frédéric Sanchez

Salvatore Ferragamo
'Teenage Lightening 2005' by Coil; 'Say Aaahh Again' by Chicago Damn; 'Mars' by Caribou; 'Merta' by Picchio Dal Pozz

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