Man Fashion

Men’s – Truman and Che. Marni SS20

| Design & Culture by Ed

Francesco Risso moved big topics in his spring-summer 2020 collection for Marni, but in his typical, poetic, metaphor-filled manner. A fishnet was hovering about the guests’ heads, full of plastic debris collected from the oceans and from waste. Called Act1, the show was a conscious approach to engage in a deeper conversation on ethical values and a sustainable fashion practice: “We are here today to confirm our position in the world and to move towards action,” said Risso. “Let’s be vocal about our beliefs.“The designer has been implementing sustainable thinking into the brand for the last few seasons, but this really was a statement that hopefully will bud into real consciousness at the Italian brand. Even though you could expect exhausted eco warriors walk down the runway, Risso sent down a line-up of looks that sparked joy. It was a marriage of Truman Capote and Ernesto Che Guevara, beauty and rebellion. Marni’s rebels wore fabulous, crazy ritual totem-hats, made by artist Shalva Nikvashvili outof stuff that could have been easily thrown away to the trash: scraps of paper, feathers, plastic, fur, leather. The clothes as well had sustainable origin, to some extent. They had a sense of carefreeness, but weren’t ridiculousor clown-ish. Safari suitsweresplashed with brushstrokes, and cashmere and alpacas were patchworked with plastic and brocades. It all blended into a rather non-chalantly elegant,layered wardrobethat would be the fitting uniform for the Truman and the Che in an ideallypeaceful, eco-utopia.But you know what? I can equally see those clothes being worn in real life.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Men’s – Italian Goodness. Salvatore Ferragamo SS20

| Design & Culture by Ed

I’m still in absolute awe. Salvatore Ferragamo‘s spring-summer 2020 collection for men (and resort 2020 for women) was the best thing I’ve seen for a while in fashion. It was that good. No fashion show has ever been allowed in Florence’s Piazza della Signoria before. The view had to be really, really impressive, noting that the models walked in front of David. Plus, comparing to other shows we’ve seen this month, this one had a real sense behind the location: Florence is the company’s home. Now, fashion. Paul Andrew and Guillaume Meilland have already proved that they’re a good match for Ferragamo in their previous. But this one was their best. I fell in complete love with all the jumpsuits the designers sent down the runway – especially the one in deep purple, with a zipper and a belt at the waist. The perfect balance between utilitarian and Italian elegance. Something you would love to wear to your vineyard in Tuscany. I adored all the leather pants and shorts, too. The colour palette, mainly mint, lavender and ochre, was a dream. There’s beautiful tailoring as well as pajama pants. While using the so-called “rave” sunglasses sounds like trying too hard to impress the younger audience, here they looked properly cool. Just wow.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Men’s – Malibu. Saint Laurent SS20

| Design & Culture by Ed

Like other fashion shows presented in far flung destinations this month, Saint Laurent‘s spring-summer 2020 collection for the boys (and resort 2020 for the girls) had its ups and downs. Ups: the runway’s spectacular venue, which was an ebonized boardwalk runway atop a Malibu beach, against a stormy horizon. Keanu Reeves sat front row. Anthony Vaccarello‘s ideology behind the collection, which well related to Yves Saint Laurent. The starting point for the collection was Marrakech in the ’70s (Yves’ ultimate favourite place to visit) reimagined as 21st-century Los Angeles, a city that resides on Vaccarello’s own emotional landscape. While that’s some geographical leap, it’s not an unimaginable one; both locations have that certain bohemian, free-spirited, almost mystical escape. “You come to L.A. for vacation,” Vaccarello said. “You can disconnect from the rest of the world.” And finally, Mick Jagger. The Rolling Stones musician gave Vaccarello access to his vintage Saint Laurent, for inspiration. Yes, it all sounds dreamy. But again, the problem of clothes hits – they seem to lose their priority in such events. Except for the abrupt comeback of super-wide, super-fluid pants (in gauzy knit or a crushed pleated silk), billowing and flowing from a high and often belted waist, there was barely anything exciting about this rock & roll-ish wardrobe. It all was a remake of Hedi Slimane-era YSL. And I guess you really need that Malibu heat to grasp the essence of this collection, and not only the imagery.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Men’s – Pastels, Shorts, Youth. Prada SS20

| Design & Culture by Ed

After Chloé’s resort 2020, Prada was another brand presenting its new collection in Shanghai – spring-summer for men, specifically. Over a blue-lit runway at the Minsheng Art Wharf, a parade of short shorts, nylon jackets in pastel pink, tank-tops that could pull off as baby doll dresses and printed jackets took place. This wasn’t a demanding Prada collection. Quite the opposite – this rather felt like the most commercial, menswear outing from Miuccia Prada for years, with a young client as the main target. Other than the khaki shorts that are much in need right now due to the summer heat, the only strong point of the collection was the black & white tailoring.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Men’s – Collector. Bode AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

It’s official: I want to wear Bode for the rest of my life. Taking home one of the two CFDA runner-up prizes in 2018 let Emily Bode expand her truly amazing menswear brand. But still, she keeps it true to her slow fashion philosophy. Bode is actually the only brand I’m looking forward to each season during the sleepy men’s New York fashion week. She knows what the boys want, plus, the designer is praised for her sustainable practices and focus on beautifully curated craftsmanship. The autumn-winter 2019 collection is dedicated to all the collectors, who just love gathering paraphernalia (basically, me). The band of long-haired boys played soft rock tunes during the presentation, while the venue (a garage/warehouse) was filled with tour posters and hand-picked vintage furniture. Bode can make wonders out of anything.  PVC raincoats embedded with pennies and milk bottle caps. Velvet suiting made out of patchwork, each piece completely different. Hand-illustrated corduroy jackets. By styling those unique clothes with fluffy mittens, Himalayan caps and furry baboosh slippers, the overall mood is somewhere between a chic nomad and a cozy guy with a soft spot for handicraft. Big yes.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.