The Report – Milan Men’s Fashion Week

Naples has pizza. Florence has frescoes. Venice has gondoliers and Rome has ruins. And Milan, well, Milan has fashion. And nowhere is this better showcased than at men’s fashion week. This June, the biggest and punchiest names in all the retail world showcased their Spring / Summer 14 menswear collections. And if you thought pepperoni was spicy, you’d better think again: it was a veritable banquet of exciting talent.

The big houses got their guns out and pouted their way into the celestial catwalk in the sky. At this men’s fashion week, all the major designers showcased collections of inveterate wit and verve.

Versace was, frankly, insane – in the best possible way. Neon stripes covered otherwise sober white t-shirts and there was more gold than you’d expect to find on a yacht in Porto Fino. Sandals were open-toed and trousers baggy, but nothing would remind you less of your grandfather.

Over at Armani, meanwhile, things were a little more traditional – if you don’t count the odd scuba-diving-style mesh t-shirt. Black, white, navy and tan dominated the collection, alongside alien-eyed sunglasses and blacksmith-inspired visors. The cutting was sharp and louche and the accessories chic but discreet. A standout show.

Prada was a little bit 1930s with its bowling shoes and done-up shirts. The show opened with a take on the Hawaiian shirt and from there became increasingly bold and irreverent, as only Prada can. The clothes were fun but wearable: think Jude Law as Dickie Greenleaf in The Talented Mr Ripley crossed with some of Sean Connery’s camper Bond outfits and you’re nearly there.

Moncler Gamme Bleu went for English cricketing clothes…with a well-tailored twist. (Part of the twist was the models wearing dark purple lipstick… Marilyn Manson, watch out). Seeing those whites-and-stripes, one could almost taste strawberries and scones and a thundery English day on a village cricket pitch. They were old-fashioned but not sentimental: smart but not trussed-up.

The smaller names were busy making their mark, too. Andrea Pompilio has been drawing recognition over the last couple of seasons and this collection is proof of how well deserved it is: simple shapes in bold, colourful patterns that are cheerful and bright. Agi & Sam bring a minimalist, Eastern aesthetic to some of their designs while others reference acid-house and primary-school colour blocking. And Iceberg was – perhaps unsurprisingly – coolness defined: sleek, sporty and unselfconscious. Who said men’s fashion week was dull?