PFW Men’s SS20: Berluti, Sandro, and dunhill

Berluti’s Kris Van Assche embraced an elevated reality for Spring/Summer 2020, continuing his journey through the house’s heritage. Classic codes were updated, icons were used as a starting point for new pieces, and the previous season’s adventurous designs were amplified in color and detail—like the patina suit (made to mimic the classic shoe) and the motocross trousers, now seen in colorful looks paired with matching marbled shirts and jackets. The diverse qualities of a contemporary masculinity yielded pieces like overcoats (in colors like fluo orange and cobalt blue) sans sleeves, Bermuda shorts in the place of pants, and trousers with split zipper details at the hem. Also resurfacing from the archives was the heritage scritto motif embossed on suits, used as graphics on shirts, and appearing as shadow writing on pinstriped tailoring.

Hints of a Mediterranean atmosphere and turn-of-the-century style graced the runway of Sandro’s Spring/Summer 2020 presentation. A palette of soft pinks, blues, and brown tones created nostalgia for old films, with silhouettes to match—like a salmon button down, open at the top and tucked into the natural waist of a pair trousers, falling just to the ankle. Prints were retro and uncomplicated, including several iterations of vintage stripes and a series of Hawaiian shirts. The collection featured a variety of jacket styles, like double-breasted suit coats, denim and leather jackets, and an overcoat in camel colored plaid. The easygoing feel was completed with a pair of versatile leather loafers, boots, or dress shoes.

Inspired by Japanese design and its influence on Britain’s clothing culture in the 1980s, dunhill presented us with a collection of opposing forces. Classicism was distorted, the austere was re-imagined with elegance, and the subtlest of details turned simple basics into the highlights of the collection. Relaxed, wrapped tailoring similar to the structure of a kimono took the place of the classic double-breasted jacket. Trouser hems were wide, grazed the floor, and sometimes layered with shorts. We saw plenty of oversized-yet-elevated looks like a pairing of black trousers, a brown vest, an overcoat in light gray, and a shirt with a silky green detail at the neck. The collection also featured a collaboration with Tokyo-based digital artist Kenta Cobayashi, whose images took on the form of prints, all distorting the brand name and iconography.