Isaac Hindin-Miller is in Europe covering the spring/summer 2014 men's shows. This is the latest of a series of ongoing dispatches.
We came, we saw, we conquered. Milano Moda Uomo has come to a close. So what did we learn?
1. It's a lot more fun if you've got a partner in crime. I did four or five seasons not knowing a single soul and it was a damn lonely experience. This time around, I had two constant companions: the illustrator Richard Haines, and the Australian male model Tom Bull, who drove the three of us around in a two-seater Smart Car (an experience that was just as uncomfortable as it sounds).
2. There are two distinctly different types of brands that show in Italy: those that move fashion forward, like Prada, and those that do a variation on a theme year in and year out, like Canali. The former is exciting, inspiring, and fresh, and changes the game on multiple levels; the latter is consistently excellent and proves that decades of experience trump all else when it comes to sophisticated men's-wear a guy wants in his closet. That said, it was interesting to see some of the more traditional Italian houses rev up the technological advancements in fabric and construction. Gucci and Zegna showed collections filled with high-tech cloth mashups, laser cutting, and all those other good things that you read about but don't really understand. The results speak for themselves. When you see a trench coat that literally floats in the air or a bonded anorak that looks that good and still keeps you dry, you realize that these are not clothes you'll find in your average chain store.
3. The Principe Hotel's bar is a perennial good time, just like everybody says. Editors, models, and movie stars hang there every night of the week, and it's a far cry from the Italian fashion parties that sound like fun until you actually show up. Oh, and fans of Sofia Coppola's Somewhere will like this: Stephen Dorf was buying the rounds last night.
4. Of all the showgoers that populate the week, fashion critics work the hardest. While everyone else is partying or enjoying fabulous dinners with luxury brands, guys like Tim Blanks, Matthew Schneier, and Godfrey Deeny retire to their hotels to write all night long. And don't even get me started on Suzy Menkes. I heard recently that her output for the International Herald Tribune is over 300,000 words per year. Forget about it.
5. Thom Browne-esque short pants with giant cuffs are coming your way, as are leather lace-ups with a sneaker sole — and satin. Watch this space.
6. The toilet paper party I mentioned yesterday — actually a celebration of a collab between MSGM and Toilet Paper Magazine — featured an all-Italian band playing American country music. Weird, but cool all the same.
Z Zegna SS14
7. The Z Zegna show that closed the week was an exercise in duality. There were casual pieces like a gray crewneck sweatshirt with painstakingly precise couture stitching patterns — and then there were suits made from nylon. One section was filled with rich colors like jade, purple, gold, and navy; another was devoted entirely to pastel cottons. The show notes suggested an irreverent take on dressing up for a night out — cue a set of pajamas designed to be worn outside of the house. A new pants proportion ballooned at the thighs then tapered down to a narrow ankle. This was relaxed luxury at its best, filled with humor and plenty of wearable options which, at the end of the day, is all you want to see on the last day of shows. Bravo!
8. You know you're getting old when you meet a male model backstage who tells you he's 17 and after the shows he's going straight back to England/Germany/Lithuania to continue his high school education. Oy vey.
Bring on Paris!
The article is from http://www.esquire.com/blogs/mens-fashion/milan-fashion-week-recap-062713
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