IT’S A MAN’S WORLD
THE BRANDS, THE TRENDS AND THE BUZZIEST NEWS TO KNOW NOW
TRIPLE THREAT
A recent three-way collaboration has brought together three Italian fashion powerhouses from the realms of outerwear, footwear and streetwear. The Tod’s x 8 Moncler Palm Angels capsule is a reinterpretation of two of Tod’s most iconic shoes by Palm Angels’ creative director, Francesco Ragazzi, for his brand’s latest release under the Moncler Genius umbrella. The two shoes are Tod’s signature Gommino loafer, newly adorned with an eye-grabbing flame motif; and its W.G. boot, now a cross between a snow boot and a mountaineering boot. The rest of the 8 Moncler Palm Angels collection is a re-examination of American uniforms and archetypes—resulting in new takes on the puffer, parka, varsity jacket, tracksuit and five-pocket jeans.
FLUORO FEEL
Kick off the year on a bright note. The most arresting shade of the season is something between a highlighter yellow and an acid lime—guaranteed to add a zing into your wardrobe whether worn as a statement piece or an accent. For the daring, Versace presented a cut-out bodysuit worn with loose-cut black trousers. For those looking to dabble, look to the fluorescent kicks from the Nike x Ambush collaboration, or to accessories from the likes of Aries and Homme Plissé Issey Miyake.
FRENCH CONNECTION
Ever since he rolled a pink runway through a lavender field in the south of France, Jacquemus has become known for his viral runway moments. Since then, the designer has shown in a wheat field, a salt mine, and on a beach in Hawaii. For his latest show—for spring/summer 2023, that was only presented last month as the brand moves towards a see-nowbuy-now model—Jacquemus made it rain raffia. The designer has steadily been building out his menswear proposition, giving it more of the personality and quirk that makes his womenswear so attractive. Here, he sent out linen suits with playfully enlarged lapels, double denim worn with a shaggy raffia wrap, tank tops beaded with the outline of a bra, and gigantic hats worn with tiny shorts.
END OF AN ERA
When Alessandro
Michele announced his departure from Gucci last month, it sparked an outpouring of emotion. In his seven-year tenure at the helm of the Italian House, Michele didn’t just reverse the flagging fortunes of the brand and send profits skyrocketing, he also ushered in a new standard of beauty that reverberated throughout the whole industry. Michele brought gender fluidity into the mainstream, and the rich, ornate and romantic worlds he created were ones in which everyone could find a place. His aesthetic blended the historical, the fantastical and the contemporary—a blend that could range from Renaissance art to Donald Duck, Victorian regalia to sportswear. From his very first collection— with boys in pussybow blouses, bookish glasses and fur-lined slippers—to his last, a poignant ode to twins, Michele has left a lasting impact on fashion that will live on even though his
Gucci days are over.
BAGGY RIGHTS
This year, designers are officially saying goodbye to the skinny jean. The biggest news in denim coming down the runways are, well, big, as designers champion loose, baggy silhouettes that evoke Nineties skater style and early Noughties hip-hop swagger. Jonathan Anderson paired irreverent tops with big, blue jeans while the studio team at Louis Vuitton sent out shrunken jackets and vests worn with oversize denim. Man of the moment, Glenn Martens, gave his blown-up jeans a twist—literally, with twisted seams at Y/Project; while at Diesel, he showed multi-pocketed versions.
COUTURE CLASH
Kim Jones is no stranger to collaboration. His tenure at Dior Men has been underpinned by some of the industry’s buzziest partnerships. For cruise 2023, Jones tapped one of the most exciting young designers working today, the American polymath Eli Russell Linnetz, whose label ERL, has made waves with its playful, nostalgic take on Americana. The result was Parisian couture meets Californian surf and skate culture—there were pastel plaids and fuzzy basketball shorts, baggy trousers and chunky sneakers, thick gold chains and dainty tinsel bags, and veiled pillbox hats worn backwards.