ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA COUTURE FALL WINTER 2016-17 MEN’S COLLECTION – MILAN FASHION WEEK

A cutting-edge Couture Statement.

In the era of images, where everyone seeks to embellish, distinguish and advertise himself, Stefano Pilati defines the Ermenegildo Zegna Fall Winter 2016/17 collection by making the act of embellishment a “classic”.

The Couture line, pinnacle to the Ermenegildo Zegna offering, is now harmoniously blended with the concept of “embellishment”, becoming the manifesto of a unique “Haute Couture for men” proposal: an exceptionally sophisticated wardrobe ruled by fearless style.

The traditional manual tailoring statute of the brand is charmingly translated into an exhibition of patterns, primary inspiration behind the FW16 collection. The most iconic masculine motifs from around the world have been collected and fused into the lushness of the fabrics that keep emphasizing the Haute Couture attitude in an effortless and yet ‘extremely Zegna’ way.

All over the fabrics are embellished with three dimensional hand embroideries realized in Italy, ornamental motifs and woven patchwork of jacquards patterns: from super fine Lanificio Zegna wools to recycled polyester.

The result is a truly authentic Couture collection, where the clothes themselves deliver the essence of an intuitive elegance unregulated in its formality, able to emphasize the Zegna identity and, at the same time, to meet the intrinsic Vanitas of secret male fantasies.

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Tags: ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA COUTURE, ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA COUTURE FW 2016-17, FALL WINTER 2016-17

Wed, April 13 2016 » Fashion Blog

N°21 FALL WINTER 2016-17 MEN’S COLLECTION – MILAN FASHION WEEK

MOD’S NEW ERA

Mod, as in Modernism. Mod as in Modern Jazz, or new swing music giving origin to the term. Mod as in culture of renewal. Mod, as in youth movement refusing life’s usual surrender, not succumbing to the obvious, and by contrast pursuing ever renewable solutions. Mod as in kind and gentle male culture, peace-loving and reflective. Mod as in casual ease, randomness, at once a way of living and style of dress where imperfection and apparent disorder become the means for making a quick yet content-rich personal statement on modernity.

«I wanted a man very masculine of image and attitude, hardly aggressive, comfortable with his own culture; a man who deals with reality minus the conflictuality of the times and who, without any sense of gender conflict, mixes masculine and feminine but does not confuse personalities and physical appearances», Alessandro Dell’Acqua says about his No. 21 fall/winter 2016 collection.

From here came a collection that’s an invitation to express kindness and courtesy: very mannish clothes in combo with others having typically feminine references, meanwhile drawing freshly from the Mod aesthetic: that pursuit of refinement which remains the last elaboration of a non-conventional male elegance. Applications of gros grain, velvet and crepe de chine passementerie make for precious yet poorish-looking embroidery trim on anoraks, parkas, melton coats, combat-pants pockets.

The crumpled twill of long lingerie style tanks and of classic or bomber-cut shirts offers a fine hint of disheveledness under the striped or speckled mohair sweaters. Shearlings cover crumpled wool shirts, melton or crumpled wool pants with a bicolor flair at the waist. There are also animal print parkas, anoraks, bouclé coats with passementerie trim, leather jackets.

All items come in a palette of hues sweeping from khaki to powder pink, from black-green to cinnamon, all the way to bold black for the classic coats, for sweats and shirts complete with tone-on-tone embroidery. This is a man who dares mixing masculine and feminine references to construct a look bordering on the offhand – which may seem less than perfect at first glance but which results in a coherence between his feelings and the image of himself he wants to convey to others.

He is a man who sports sneakers in a fabric matching his clothes and with the same type of passementerie trim as on his parkas and anoraks, likewise for the leather sneaks. And on his shoulders he carries an oversize canvas or leather rucksack to hold his everyday needs, whether for a week or just a day. Always thinking about that only apparent randomness which entails coherent projects and plans.

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Tags: FALL WINTER 2016-17, N°21, N°21 FW 2016-17

Tue, April 12 2016 » Fashion Blog

CORNELIANI FALL WINTER 2016-17 MEN’S COLLECTION – MILAN FASHION WEEK

A MAN OF STYLE

The centre of gravity for trousers and jackets is considerably higher, shoulders are wider, as are waists to a lesser degree, and lapels are more obvious: for AW 2016 the Corneliani man builds his style by looking to the fashion of the 1940s.

He analyses, masters and revitalizes it, interpreting it through the lens of contemporary language, where elegance wavers between two extremes: essential versatility and the supreme quality of the details, an increasing indicator of class and shaper of personality.

This is the framework for a much softer, more rounded, deconstructed, lighter style, fashioned most appealingly from exquisite, enveloping materials.

The retro feel – from crocheted details on the waistcoats to micro-geometric effects borrowed from the archives and herringbones, so subtle they look like pinstripes both micro and macro – reflects 1940s elegance in the shape of caramel, bark brown and tobacco coloured suits and peacock green and lead grey jackets, both single and double breasted.

Mid-length cashmere coats are oversized and designed to be tied at the waist; the nylon trench is ultra-lightweight, while stitching and astrakhan touches play down the sporty look of the bomber jacket.

The stiff, textured feel of post-Second-World-War fashion is hinted at subtly in the contours of the designs, which break away from the body to restore a sense of independent strength to fashion, all with a whisper of nostalgia.

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