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January 20, 2013

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Tradition takes center stage

CLASSIC was the keyword at the Milan launch last week of menswear collections for next winter. Tried and tested suit and coat silhouettes and plenty of pullovers - all characterized by subtle detail - abounded on the catwalk. But amidst the "no fuss" ethos favored by many houses were splashes of color; whether bejewelled tops filled with religious iconography or indeed, a jaunty hat.

DSquared2

Every season, Canadian designing twins Dean and Dan Caten, creators of the DSquared2 label, present their wares in a different runway setting. For next winter, the show theme is a 1940s jazz club complete with pretty girls and white-tuxedoed band.

The DSquared2 guy has just come home from the front and is looking for a good time. At first, he still sports his crumpled military jacket, trim trousers and combat boots.

But he soon gets the swing of things and comes out on the dance floor in a double-breasted wide-lapeled suit, accessorized by an exaggerated bowler hat and slick foot wear. He now wears his pants low-slung, and his shirt tails stick out from under his fancy cashmere crew-neck sweater.

No matter what the current theme, you can't spell DSquared2 without jeans. This round they come loose and worn out, but also carefully pressed to match the classic camel hair coats and luxurious Astrakhan furs featured in the show.

The contemporary secret of the look is techno fabric, which allows an outfit to be ultra-light while maintaining its formal structure. The latest DSquared2 "Napoletano" jacket appears tailored, but is in fact unlined, giving it the feel of a cardiga Colors are mainly black, white, gold, red and green. Accessories include waistcoats and pocket watch chains.

Giorgio Armani

Next winter marks the "return of the classic suit." That's just what Giorgio Armani does best.

Fame came to the designer in the 1970s with his invention of the lining-less jacket. Shortly afterwards Armani became a fashion icon when he dressed Richard Gere for his role in the 1980 film "American Gigolo." Ever since, an Armani suit has been a must among the jet set.

The designer's latest collection featured super-light single and double-breasted suits with tailored trousers. Suit jackets and pants may appear to be the same, but techno treatments mean the textures may be slightly different.

Armani sticks to his urban color guns using black, warm grays and shades of brown. The surprise comes in flashes of ruby red, for pants, jackets or just a detail.

Bottega Veneta

Superlatives don't work with Tomas Maier, a designer of discretion, just like his collections for Bottega Veneta.

The streamlined look of the collection fits in with the general message coming off the current Milan runway to keep things classic. Subtle details are what make all the difference.

The designer said he wants "no fuss, no gimmicks, but a richness that reflects the world we all work in."

The basic silhouette is a tailored suit cut close to the body in either single-, double-breasted, or three-piece styles. However, the jacket might have a skinny lapel, or no lapel, and the buttoning could be asymmetric while the buttons themselves might be covered in fabric. Sporty outerwear becomes sophisticated when fashioned in suiting fabrics, and worn with vests and dress shirts. A gray flannel suit is spiffed up by a patterned shirt and tie.

Maier's latest detail twist is to reinvent classic suiting fabrics, by creating new tweeds, woven in cotton or wool and incorporated in the fabric. Materials in the collection include flannel, cashmere and worsted wool, as well as super supple leather.

Gucci

"Modern with a romantic soul," is how Gucci designer Frida Giannini describes the man she has in mind for next winter.

The new collection was marked by a return to classic styles from the 1960s, contemporized by a sleek silhouette and techno fabrics. A simple silk kerchief tied around the neck becomes the hip theme of the season.

The latest Gucci suit comes in oversized Prince of Wales tweed, with a tailored jacket and comfortable trousers. Pullovers abound. Whether crewneck or turtleneck, bulky is what makes the difference.

The winter palette was one of the brightest during menswear fashion week, adding ochre, orange, red and green to the staple black, blue and gray.

Dolce&Gabbana

Dolce&Gabbana's menswear collection for next winter is pure masculinity, infused with southern romanticism.

With motifs of winter roses, illuminated Madonnas and baroque embossing, next winter's menswear collection evokes Sicily, a tip to the designers' roots.

The collection show maintained simplicity even in the face of great detail. In its most basic iteration, it featured black pants paired with white blousons or dark ribbed sweaters.

And there were also rich brocade jackets and thick furry overcoats and velvet suits.

A southern Italian sentimentality was conveyed in tiny golden lockets worn on chains or pinned to shirts, while devotion was writ large on shirts bearing religious iconography. Some variations were adorned with golden embroidery and jeweled accents fitting of ecclesiastical vestments.




 

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