It’s time to borrow from the boys. MOJEH.com took in the SS16 menswear shows in Milan and Paris: here we bring you our edit of the best from all the action.
By Natalie Trevis
Fendi SS16
Tales of the Orient
Dolce & Gabbana SS16
Prevalent among the inspiration for the collections was the idea of taking a journey. Donatella’s Versace army donned fluid kurta-length tunics and flowing headscarves in tribute to the travels of Lawrence of Arabia (‘No man needs nothing’, the lavish set proclaimed, quoting Prince Faisal). Likewise, Kenzo envisaged a futuristic explorer in a gentle riot of neutral tones, set in what was either the cratered surface of the moon or a mysterious Roswell, depending on quite how far one intended to travel. As Carol Lim told MOJEH.com backstage after the show, ‘I think the journey for us is supposed to feel familiar and yet unfamiliar and that’s why I think it’s nice. We like to play between the two, between places you might have been and places you want to go.’ Valentino took inspiration in part from the work of travel writer Bruce Chatwin (In Patagonia), which manifested in coats peppered with Aztec embroidery (one of which took two weeks to make, despite its ready-to-wear status) and soaring bird intarsia. Lanvin’s light-as-air creations certainly looked ready to travel at a moment’s notice, a sense heightened when paired with oversized utilitarian backpacks.
For many, this journey ended in the Far East. Dolce & Gabbana introduced us to the trend in Milan – where printed silk pyjama suits and lavishly embroidered hessian shirts combined to invite us into a world of vivid colours and oriental motifs. Not inspired directly by China, MOJEH.com discovered, but in fact a Sicilian palazzo inside Parco della Favorita in Palermo, which is exquisitely decorated in Chinoiserie. And so Sicilian folklore meets the bamboo prints, flora and fauna of the Middle Kingdom. Kim Jones at Louis Vuitton joined the party with infinitely wearable silk varsity jackets bearing majestic oriental birds and Gucci’s Alessandro Michele continued his reinvention of the brand not just with lace shirts and a boy-meets-girl aesthetic but with a tracksuit in regal red, bedecked with intricate blooms.
The Only Shoes For Summer
Givenchy SS16
The casualisation of luxury fashion is enthralling and unstoppable in equal measure. This played out most pertinently in the accessories offered for SS16. Shoes took an informal turn towards espadrilles and cross-over leather sandals in particular, with bonus points for an exaggerated ridged sole. Dolce & Gabbana paired espadrilles, ranging from the heavily embellished to the austere, with everything from tailored shorts to suits, while Riccardo Tisci’s single strap sandal brought to mind a reimagined version of traditional Arabic footwear at Givenchy.
Young Ones
Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane SS16
There was something in the air at the men’s shows this season and it smelt a lot like teen spirit. Indeed at Valentino Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri sent a bevy of tousle-headed models down the runway in couture-camouflage and zipped up tracksuits to the strains of Nirvana’s most memorable guitar hook. Saint Laurent inevitably follows, in fact creates, the zeitgeist and this season was no exception. Unstructured embellished cardigans and goggle-eyed sunglasses were reminiscent of Kobain’s much coveted Nineties punk-rocker demeanour. Silhouettes that endured throughout the collections included the bomber and varsity jacket, the drawstring parka (executed in pebble-print at Fendi) and boyishly cropped, slightly wide trousers. Even Hermés, Berluti and Brioni, some of the most gentlemanly collections on the circuit, included playful notes in their visions for SS16. Clever floral motifs on velvety nubuck t-shirts at Hermés paired with casual pyjama-style trousers and a joyful rainbow of brights were sprinkled liberally throughout the Berluti collection. Just a few of the lighthearted indications that next summer is going to be a fun-filled return to the school’s out mentality of childhood.
Front Row Fanatic
The front row is almost as illuminating an insight into the DNA of a brand as the carefully curated trends sauntering the runway. We spotted King Karl (Lagerfeld) supporting Kris Van Assche at the flower-strewn Dior Homme show at the Tennis Club de Paris (the fresh white roses of the set a facsimile of the embroidery that adorned jacket sleeves) while both Joe Jonas and Zayne Malik made themselves fashion fixtures at Louis Vuitton, Valentino and beyond.
Take it to the Street
We don’t need to tell you that sometimes the best fashion doesn’t walk the runway but the street. With so many dapper modern gents comparing notes and generally putting the fashion world to rights outside the shows it was frequently a struggle to tear ourselves away and take our seats. While the attendees in Milan displayed the best in Italian heritage style – think rolled up hemlines, fitted waistcoats and the most perfect burgundy loafers (groomed beard barely optional) – the Parisians offered a little more urban edge.
