Marc Jacobs Archives - CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

If someone said to you we need a show to really kick Milan Mens Fashion Week off, one brand comes straight to mind. Now throw into the mix that this said brand are celebrating 20 years in the Fashion business and you could expect fireworks and good on those pesky Canadian twins Dean and Dan Caten of DSquared, they didn’t disappoint ! Offering up almost a Greatest Hits of a retrospective of their best work the twins send a host of ridiculously beautiful models down the catwalk including a bevy of Victoria’s Secret Angels to delight the crowd clad in allsorts of Hunter, Biker, Redneck attire, all of course with that Caten Canadian spin. Now if that wasn’t enough, acting as the finale to the proceedings a certain diva in the shapely form of Ms Mary J. Blige belted out U2’s “One“, without Bono, Thank God.

What a hard act to follow and talk about going to the other end of the Style spectrum, next up is Jil Sander, debuting Rodolfo Paglialunga first menswear collection for the label, his voluminous trousers might not have been everyone’s cup of cappuccino, but there is no disputing his mastery in Outerwear and offering a coat to suit everyman.

Onto an award winning American designer in Michael Bastian choosing to show his signature collection in Milan, which was quintessentially US Preppy Chic at its best. One could almost say a rival in the court of Ralph Lauren himself.

Next up a fellow Yank, more known for his Rock Star edge then Ivy League, John Varvatos channelled his inner Doris Stokes to summon up incarnations of Bob Dylan. This was a sterling collection for Varvatos offering a highly wearable but in no way boring look in a completely autumnal, sorry Fall like, colour palette.

Onwards to Bally then and WOW! Designer Pablo Coppola, looked to one of my favourite films for inspiration in Wes Anderson’s “The Royal Tenenbaums” and did not disappoint. Far from being a literally take on the film, not one headband in sight, OK the occasional tennis shoes, Coppola used this reference as a starting block for his collection and then built upon it, in a truly LUXE manner.

As sure as the Italians love Pasta, so to do Dolce & Gabbana love dipping into Italian culture for reference points. Last season it was the Spanish influence on Sicily, which for them was pretty damn loose, but this season the duo drank long and hard from the cup of vino and focused their attention on Il Famiglia. From the Holy Family to the traditional portrait of an extended Italian Family with Mama and Papa.

Flying the flag for the British contingent is the grand Dame herself Vivienne Westwood, who took a rather unusual muse, for her punk heritage ways, in the shape of HRH The Prince of Wales. The show started off rather tamely enough, in what could be described as Westwood’s take on Savile Row Tailoring and how in her mind she would probably dress Prince Charles if he was a regular customer of the Queen of Punk. However as the show developed, it became less the Princely figure we all know and more a character in Dame Viv’s reality of the world, including this brilliant suit complete in Pound note print. Gawd Bless her !

And from Viv we pass the mantle onto Italy’s very own Grand Dame, Miuccia Prada, who I never knew was a fan of the early 90’s Manchester Music scene as her male models looked highly reminiscent of Bez, Ian Brown, even an Ian Curtis for good measure was present. Like the fashions of this time where we saw lads and lassies wearing a unisex uniform, Prada showed not only her Menswear collection but her Womans Pre-Fall together. No not a pair of Joe Blogs Flares or tie dyed hooded top in sight but reference aplenty to Prada’s Nylon period of the 90’s.

Lastly, we have Marc Jacobs, no longer preoccupied with his Louis Vuitton duties, Jacobs can now plough all his energies into his own brand and for this Autumn/Winter 15 and he was very much in a dress down Friday sorta mood. For this season, even in the most formal of look he managed to give them a casual feel the most moody of teenagers would be proud of.

Ciao Ragazzi ! we follow on from the splendiferous LC:M of last week with what hopes to be equally captivating and awe inspiring Milano Moda Uomo. Unlike London the colour palette of our stylish Italian cousins seems to be of a more somber and some might say commercial and seasonally appropriate nature, that is apart from Prada, Versace ohhh and the Brit Dame Vivienne Westwood, more on that later folks.

First off on our whistle stop round up on the Italian style capital is Ermenegildo Zegna, capably helmed by ex YSL Creative Director, Stefano Pilati, who was inspired by the fusion of City and Nature on a global scale. The city-scapes of New York, Shanghai or Milan where Zegna suits are common place, the mixing of casual elements with the formal cuts which Zegna has made its name in.

Ermenegildo Zegna

On a more ROCKIER tip was John Varvatos, who despite worked with Black, Navy or white was channelling a very Glam rock vibe which culminated in Kings of Glam Rock “KISS” yes Kiss coming out to take a bow with the man himself.

Crazy, crazy night with John Varvatos(far right, just in case)

Now over to a Dolce & Gabbana, who always love a theme for their shows and boy do they know how to put on a show ! Literally all we needed was good King Goffrey sat frow (front row, God get with it) giving his Royal approval to complete this Medieval Merriment. The duo paid homage to everything of this epoch and ensured more Game of Thrones then Spamalot.

Gotta say I loved the D&G balaclava, there I said it

And so from the King of ROCK dressing to what has to be the Queen of dressing Rock Stars, Donnatella Versace, who was in a Wild, Wild West mood, I think can only sum it up. No one could ever accuse Ms Versace of not having a sense of humour which is often lost in the Fashion industry, where people take themselves far too serious.

Just off down the corner shop, does anyone want anything ? Yes, this was one of the more conservative looks.

Italo Zucchelli for Calvin Klein, drew on the Urban Explorer trend we are seeing rather a lot of this season, but also explored the heritage that made Calvin Klein so iconic using the names of three of their timeless fragrances in, Obsession, Eternity(my personal fave) and Escape to be emblazoned across some of its sweatshirts.

Calvin Klein

Now we all know I hate to start off on a negative and sorry for that Prada, but what was that soundtrack all about ? I needed some heavy duty Mexican painkillers for the headache after I left ! And have to say it did interfere with the enjoyment of the show, which was my favourite Prada collection of recent years. Trademark signature colours, which so shouldn’t work but so do, lil military detailing and a move away from that skinny-Malinke silhouette.

Prada

Penultimately we have the first show from Marc Jacobs since he parted company with Louis Vuitton to concentrate on his signature line. This is a man who knows a thing or two about Fashion design and this collection has to be one of his most commercial and wearable to date. Take away the styling details of the turn ups etc this a collection that every man with a modicum of taste will LOVE, honestly, I promise.

Marc Jacobs

Ahhh and once again we reach the end of our non stop tour of some of the biggest names in men’s style and what better way to finish then with an Italian Super brand synonymous with style, class and excellent taste, of course, Gucci. While watching this show I couldn’t help thinking of two inspirations throughout it, firstly, obviously Frida Gianinni was draw towards the influences of London’s Swinging Sixties of Carnaby Street and the Beatles but secondly and somewhat more obscurely was the Hovis boy of the TV ad fame, sorry I know but couldn’t stop referring to him.

By’eck son it’s None other then Gucci

José Neves

The Subject of Today’s Buyer’s Guide is José Neves, the founder and CEO of farfetch.com, ohhh but please don’t think this is José’s only accomplishment, far from it. A seasoned fashion entrepreneur, Neves has long had the vision of bringing together his interests in technology and fashion to support the creativity and diversity of the international fashion industry. José has been involved in the fashion since the mid 1990s when he launched footwear brand SWEAR. In 2001, he went
on to open the world renowned b store in London, which in itself went on to receive numerous accolades and awards including the British Fashion Award for Retailer of the Year in 2006. Then, in 2008 he launched farfetch.com, a project which brought
together all his past experiences. Having learnt first-hand of the huge challenges facing a bricks and mortar retailer wanting to expand into the online space, Neves brought to them a single portal offering independent fashion boutiques and designers an opportunity to compete in the online arena with the leaders of fashion e-tail. Today, farfetch.com comprises of 250 boutiques, spanning a total of 17 countries and delivers globally. We asked him to select his top 10 buys for the forthcoming season;

I’m always learning of new, emerging designers. Qasimi is a cool British brand that I’ve been wearing a lot of at the moment and has recently become stocked within our network of boutiques on farfetch. It fits perfectly without being overly tailored and the combination of colours gives it an informal, relaxed feel.

These timeless black trousers are given a completely modern twist with the drop crotch and turned up hem. Plus they’re linen so are bound to be an excellent purchase for hot summer days, to taking you seamlessly from a morning business meetings to evening drinks on a London terrace.

I expect my clothes to carry me from season to season and I like to invest in key pieces. This Balmain leather jacket is a wardrobe staple and perfect for ever changing climates as I travel from country to country. The colour of this piece is everlasting and will work with any outfit.

I travel extensively, often to another of our other global offices so it’s essential that my wardrobe serves me well. A lot of my shoes are from Swear, I like the brand because their products are both stylish and comfortable. This black leather boot is very versatile and works well straight off a flight and into the office. I love how the perforated heel and contrasting beige sole gives a modern feel to the timeless shape

I cycle around London all the time, so I need my backpack to be practical. This black leather Valas looks amazing with the multiple pockets; it’s great to throw over my shoulder and makes the ideal weekend bag

Nothing beats the iconic Wayfarer.

Denim shirts are a staple of mine, they’re easy to wear and they maintain their shape. I really like this shirt because the mandarin collar makes it different from most.

Constantly travelling, I always carry my iPad to enable me to work on the move. This sleek, leather case is great for holding my iPad and the zipped front pocket keeps all my travel documents together.

I really like this Walter van Beirendonck jacket with the matching shorts. I think they’d be great to wear together with a crisp white shirt or they’d also be nice separately. I’ve just got back from Marrakesh and this is what was missing from my wardrobe!

The shorts

Milan Menswear Shows Hightlights – Autumn/Winter 2015

Milano Moda Uomo (Milan Menswear Shows AW14)

The Buyer’s Guide to Summer 2013 – José Neves – Farfetch.com

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