After a week spent in Milan previewing the new Spring/Summer 2020 menswear collections, our only complaint is that we’ll have to wait until next year to wear them. Below, we’re sharing some of our favorite debuts by Marni, Isaia, Aspesi, and Palm Angels that we think you’ll love, too.
Seemingly typical styles were spun with a jocular twist at the hands of Marni, whose Spring/Summer 2020 men’s collection was presented on a polka dot runway, under a colorful plastic sky. Opposing worlds came together in uneven harmony while male became female, and vice versa, until the wearer decided otherwise—a collection of transformation and freedom of choice. Silhouettes like classic collared shirts, cargo jackets, and suit and tie sets became fresh and playful, when imagined in bold colors and mix and match prints. Slightly oversized cuts and layered looks (seen in looks like a red short sleeve shirt worn over a teal long sleeved button up, worn with printed wide-legged pants) were staples in the collection, and endless variations of camouflage came in multiple colors—although never traditional. A highlight of the collection was the series of oversized ritual hats and headpieces made of garbage, by artist Shalva Nikvashvili.
Aspesi embraced the beauty and perfection of imperfection for Spring/Summer 2020, offering a collection of discreet and non-conforming designs. With lightweight outerwear, slim cut chinos, and comfortable layering at the forefront of the designs, an accompanying palette of easygoing colors like red, navy, army green, and soft orange and yellow allow the wearer to remain stylish at either work or play. The collection featured more than a few staples that can be dressed up or down—our favorites being the black overcoat, the jade green polo, and a pair of sage colored pants paired with a chambray button down and yellow jacket.
For Spring/Summer 2020, Isaia found magic in the rich history of Naples’ Royal Palace of Capodimonte, through the brand’s patronage of the National Museum of Capodimonte. Centuries of art, design, and masterpieces by names like Simone Martini, Tino da Camaino, Michelangelo, and Raffaello informed the season’s designs, which featured a palette of tones like those found in a baroque floral still life—warm reds, invigorating purples, and smooth greens. A close attention to detail paid tribute to iterations of angelic cherubs and pristine golden stuccoes and frescoes, seen in elements like tapered lines on sports pants, sartorially constructed denim, and even glass buttons and handmade button holes. While acting as a celebration of the past, the Capodimonte Collection remained in the present through sharply tailored silhouettes and iconic men’s styles, like double-breasted suits, simple knit sweaters, and plaid blazers.
Intrigued by the way a vintage store can be equally familiar—filled with that vague smell of old perfume, a selection of odd Hawaiian shirts, tie-dye, and discarded army uniforms—and entirely new at once, Palm Angels’ Francesco Ragazzi aimed to recreate those sensations for Spring/Summer 2020. A comfortable feeling of normalcy sits at the base of the designs, while each piece remains entirely new and utterly exciting. The usual vintage store finds are altered and elevated—like tie-dye washed jeans, utilitarian work vests in white, and Hawaiian florals transformed into blazer jackets. Standout details included the eyewear reminiscent of a pair of virtual reality glasses, the lei-inspired necklaces constructed of knotted chord, and the recurring butterfly motif, seen throughout in the form of prints, patches, and graphics.
