Milan Menswear SS23: Brunello Cucinelli, Moschino, Etro, and More

The Brunello Cucinelli Spring/Summer 2023 collection was a true sign of the times—born from the convergence of new trends and thoughtful, artisan expertise. In a fresh, relaxed style, the protagonist of the season was the suit; blazers and trousers worn separately reflected modern versatility. Soft, summery knitwear displayed ample creativity in shirts, while boosting a sense of much-desired ease and comfort. Natural yarns, fibers, special textures, and mélange, or délavé, effects gave three-dimensionality to colors, and enhanced the most lightweight fabrics. Ginger-hued red, salmon orange, sunflower yellow, and a wide range of light blues such as periwinkle, oxford, and ultramarine, harmoniously combined with the grays, blues, and light beiges that represent the cornerstone of the collection. Light and comfortable footwear featured innovative and natural materials, enriched by rope details reminiscent of a nautical appeal.

The Moschino Spring/Summer 2023 menswear collection paid a dynamic and grand homage to the iconic oeuvre of the late artist Tony Viramontes: a fashion illustrator, photographer, and a visionary, whose discipline balanced free form with realism, grit, and camp. Creative Director Jeremy Scott collaborated with Viramontes’s estate for part of the collection; the motifs, faces and figures seen throughout were replications of the polymath’s pieces. In particular, Viramontes’s contribution to The Face magazine, and the legendary Buffalo styling movement of the eighties, spearheaded by Ray Petri, provided fierce inspiration for Scott. Abstract visages, bright yet slightly attenuated colors, striking squiggles, and expressive strokes, covered signature Moschino shapes. Fresh silhouettes experimented with length and height—everything from long to short shorts, pleated skirts to sarongs, tapered pants to roomier trousers. Tailoring took center stage, with an array of blazers, suits, and topcoats, all enlivened by polychrome treatments. Formalwear was reconstructed; sportcoats were styled with shorts or combat boots, creating a modern and mixed vernacular. “I wanted to shine a light on this brilliant creator,” said Scott. “He may not be a household name, but Tony Viramontes is a force.”

The “Wild Power of Poetry” gave vision and texture to the soft volumes and movements of Etro’s Spring/Summer 2023 men’s collection. In a circadian rhythm, the collection opened with white and neutral delicate pieces—shirts, jackets, and trousers—made starry with metallic threads. A luxuriance of flowers and motifs ran essential on the caftan, the kimono, and the souvenir jacket. The body was perceived through the perforations of broderie anglaise on t-shirts, beneath the the linens of suits, under the flow of crushed satins, and in the sensuality of the swimming trunks. Shoes with rope soles epitomized lightness. Otherwise, models went barefoot, reconnecting with the earth, celebrating poetry as a utopia of utmost importance, layered with gentle eroticism.

Tod’s rejoiced in the “Shapes of Italy”—architecture, nature, and contemporary style—for the Spring/Summer 2023 men’s collection. Fine, textured fabrics took inspiration from the browns of the earth scorched by the sun, the beige of stones polished by time, and the greens of the Mediterranean's lush environment. Creative Director Walter Chiapponi put forward a modern, bold image: an anorak parka with leather inlays, a raincoat in rubberized cotton, a field jacket with new proportions, and a biker jacket and trousers with rubber studs. The iconic T-jacket became ultra-lightweight in quilted cotton with an embossed logo. Summer shoes encapsulated Tod’s tradition for innovation and craftsmanship. The signature Gommino was reimagined as the Gommino Bubble, with a metal T Timeless buckle and a sole with oversized rubber studs in vibrant colors. Tote bags and backpacks, like the new, personalized Tod’s Di Bag for men, in soft shapes and lighter proportions, were the ideal choice for a long weekend getaway.

Taking a trip to the elegant Italian Riviera, Canali presented “The Ligurian Summer of a Gentleman” with its Spring/Summer 2023 menswear collection. “Smartorial” defined the casual, but elevated formal and leisurewear, reflecting how we actually pack and pair the clothes in our wardrobes. Everything, from design to production, celebrated 100% made-in-Italy. Powdery pink, sand, and sage hues of sea-facing fisherman huts and houses appeared on suiting and shirting. They were countered by terracotta outerwear, and balanced by off-white and ivory trousers, creating a medley of separates to be mixed and matched. Tangerine and aquamarine came together in short suits and suede seam detailing on relaxed open-neck shirts. Knitwear took its cue from the fishing shores, with sailor-striped two-tone boat necks and woven crew-neck sweaters. Beloved loafers and suede slip-ons ignited spontaneity in sun-sherbet shades. Throughout the collection, the 150-year anniversary of denim was celebrated, no better realized than in the iconic Saharienne jacket, a silhouette that embodies the brand’s heritage.