Milan Fashion Week for Men’s Fall/Winter 2020-21 kicked off late last week. Here’s what we saw over the weekend from ETRO, Dsquared2, Marni, and Alexander McQueen.
In an industrial space crawling with ivy, set against a backdrop of paintings hung salon-style, ETRO presented its Men’s Fall/Winter 2020-21 collection. Guests sat on benches draped in black-and-white patterned blankets, taking in looks that paid homage to ancestry, tradition, memory, and the charm of Argentina. Motifs of creatures in flight were paired with paisley prints—this being ETRO, after all—and ponchos complimented printed denim. Velvet and jacquard played with polish and punk, the latter further seen in studs and metallic detailing. A palette of ruby wine, forest chestnut, raw clay, peanut butter, and festive blue added to the sense of romance and coziness.
Dsquared2 celebrated 25 years with its Fall/Winter 2020-21 show in Milan. A crisscrossed runway featured a collection of iconic pieces reimagined, while a slideshow of Dean and Dan Caten’s life—from childhood to career highlights—played behind. A mix of sex and attitude, masculinity and femininity were blurred in platform biker boots, bustiers, minis, cropped coats, and vests. Mohair, cashmere, and ribbed silk added to an air of outdoor wilderness. Parkas, denim, oversized buckles, and suede details did, too. The inspiration for the season was the phrase “love is…” from the Kim Casali cartoon—a childhood favorite. The show appropriately ended with Sister Sledge performing their 1979 hit We Are Family.
Marni collaborated with Michele Rizzo to choreograph a performance of its men’s Fall/Winter 2020-21 collection. Moving in slow, muscular gestures to a soundtrack by experimental vocalist and sound artist Stine Janvin, models were silhouetted by overhead lights in a stark, warehouse-like setting. Stripes were bold, horizontal, and diagonal, and pants were oversized and belted at the waist. Rich creams, reds, and pinks were paired with dizzying black-and-white patterned jackets, pants, and sleeveless tanktops. Symmetry, scale, volume, and cuts were tinkered with, creating unsettling hybrids and peculiar moments of beauty.
The windswept landscapes of the North—think: Art Nouveau, Modernism, Henry Moore—inspired Alexander McQueen’s Fall/Winter 2020-21 collection. Wool, sharkskin mohair, Donegal tweeds, cotton poplin, suede, Irish linen, and leather were employed for sharply tailored looks, cut close to the figure. Waists were highlighted with belts and cross-body straps. Sweaters were full of texture and oversized, while pants were kept darted, slim, and cropped. A palette of red, black, silver, and white gave way to abstract patterns and painted prints paired with steel-toe boots and slicked back hair.