milan menswear fw 09
milan menswear fashion week may have just passed by in incredibly quick succession (4 days!) but it still had a lot to say.
if it’s anything we’ve learnt, it’s that there are hard times ahead.
(left to right : prada fw 09, bottega fw 09, burberry prorsum fw 09)
like i predicted in my “2008 in review” entry, blacks, greys and neutrals ruled the runway – painting a picture of sombre dedication and silent manhood. most designers tried to play with silhouettes or shapes or little details (prada’s cohesive collection, if a little basic, played with studded details). everything was meant to be more practical. all-purpose coats, self-shine shoes, work-to-play shirts. etc. such conflict and purpose within each item. i particularly love the oversized prada bag (featured above) which functions as a work-briefcase, a day bag and a travel bag all at once.
it’s what we probably would call “Recession Chic”. lots of things were really really cute, just not particularly exciting or dramatic. nothing opulent.
highlights for me begin with Alexander Mcqueen’s amazing victorian inspired collection.
(alexander mcqueen fw 09)
people often forget that mcqueen is one of the best tailors and patternmakers of the 21st century. this collection allowed him to express his avant-garde vision whilst remaining relevant and not-costumey. obviously if you wear and style these pieces the way they went down the runway you’d look a little crazed, but his pieces are still so mysteriously masculine. strangely seductive collection i must say. wearablity is questionable but still. fierce.
(jil sander fw 09)
i also give raf simons props for his Jil Sander collection. i always love the structured pieces of jil sander, the construction and minimalism is so beautiful and xyse. this time raf was really in his element. the colour hues he played with were still muted but well matched, such that the drama was present but not overwhelming. still sobriety was the backdrop of the ever minimalist brand.
(john richmond fw 09)
the john richmond collection was also very cool. he pretty much stayed to black and brown, but there was a glam-rock practicality to his designs. the aesthetic was very urban-harsh but the effect was still that the clothes were soft and accessible at the same time. i die for the coats.
the collection that really rebelled within the Recession Chic mode was Iceberg. iceberg has been around for years and it’s always marched to it’s own beat. this time, they played around with colour, particularly the colour (other than black,grey and neutrals) that seems to rule 2009. blue. prints were cartoony but very well designed. such a fun sensibility despite the overtones of black and grey.
(iceberg fw 09)
i love the kidult-esque outfits and the wonderful knitwear. which isn’t surprising since iceberg started out as a knitwear company before going fullon into fashion.
all in all though, fall/winter 09 doesn’t strike me as particularly fun. there are definitely classic pieces in the collection, but i love myself a little drama in what i wear. not over the top, but still a presence. but i guess fashion and the world can’t possibly accommodate the frivolous requests of man anymore. we have to wear what we wear because we have to wear it now. the utilitarian movement.
and we better be happy doing it.
the designer that perhaps best summed up fall/winter for men was Thom Browne. the american designer’s first time in milan saw him doing a collection-installation.
40 models. identical suits (very sexy. signature grey shrunken thom browne suits with a camel-toned overcoat). walk in. remove coats. sit. type.
go.
