Suits for All: The Sartorial Trend Shines at Milan Fashion Week
Trends may come and go, but tailoring never goes out of style.
From runway shows to presentations, sartorial pieces shone bright this season and proved their versatility as they encompassed every occasion — from office wear to bridal.
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Blazé Milano restated its expertise in perfectly cut blazer jackets, while gradually expanding its assortment and experimenting with new shapes and fabrics. This season, the brand introduced a collarless bolero-inspired blazer printed with a floral pattern by Mantero’s archives, as well as safari jackets bearing the brand’s signature smiley-shaped pockets.
Eyelet cotton was also deployed for the first time to craft pristine suits that were wedding-ready. In an additional wink to brides, a white bouclé blazer trimmed with sage green velvet would have had the stamp of approval of Bianca Jagger, whose portrait photographed by Andy Warhol was hanging in the Tommaso Calabro art gallery where the brand staged its presentation. The image fit well next to the Polaroid photographs taken by Blazé spotlighting its community of women interpreting the spring sartorial pieces with a personal touch.
Courtesy of Blazé
Kiton continues to evolve its men’s sartorial expertise with precisely cut designs in silk, cashmere and linen. Suits were offered in cady with a robe-jacket and waist belt for an easier look, but also in cashmere and silk Prince of Wales in a more severe style. The boyfriend jackets with wide shoulders were offered with roomy Bermuda shorts. Kiton once again zeroed in on precious fabrics, such as cashmere canvas for dusters and trousers and superfine doubles for sleek trenchcoats.
A master tailor for whom no exquisite technique is too daring, Gabriele Colangelo kept carving his lexicon for the Giada brand and insisted that his aim was to deliver “fluidity within architectural shapes, for silhouettes to caress the body and move in sync with it.” He introduced a new uniform in which fluid plissé pants and tops were paired with sleeveless overcoats crafted from double-face cashmere or wool and silk blends, their backs replaced with pleated chiffon panels — a chic alternative to the business look.
Once again, Daniele Calcaterra proved his sartorial skills with a beautiful collection that played with lightweight, papery fabrics and crafty details. He layered subtly fringed shirts and delicate bras with the oversize silhouettes of blazers, vests and coats, which were often punctuated with embroideries left unfinished for a raw, organic touch. The sense of lightness and nonchalant sophistication was further enhanced by the ton-sur-ton combinations of neutrals and earthy tones.
A sense of lightness also ran through the Eleventy collection, which aimed at conveying relaxed tailoring through deconstructed jackets and fluid fabrics rendered in discreet neutrals and soothing shades of solid or faded blue. The unfussy, off-duty look informed a range of different silhouettes, including linen blazers that were roomy in their proportions and asymmetric with their longer back, as well as bomber jackets crafted from pinstripe fabric subtlety brightened by Lurex threads.
The front row at the Genny show was crowded with Italian TV personalities, a good sample of the brand’s clientele, who came dressed up in the brand’s checkered pantsuits with towering heels. Creative director Sara Cavazza Facchini surprised them by parading double-breasted blazers paired with bike shorts. She described the look as the result of “months of confinement and an increased desire to be comfortable.” Chances are her loyal fans will be ready to hop on a bike for their morning commute to the office.
Courtesy of Yali
The characters drawn by Japanese manga artist Ryoko Okeda, known especially for the “The Rose of Versailles,” inspired the 18th-century vibe that Romeo Gigli creative director Alessandro De Benedetti infused into suits defined by a combination of masculine and feminine elements. Voluminous, draped shoulders and sleeves became the focal point of revisited sartorial attire, crafted from a fluid pistachio fabric or from beige cotton matched with denim for a more casual feel.
Tailoring continued to steal the spotlight in the effortless chic and functional spring collection designed by Federica Tosi. Playing with more intense tones, including a warm curcuma shade, or delicate pastels, such as baby blue, she presented a rage of sartorial options, spanning from a suit showing the blazers enriched with a delicate front panel and fringe to a robe-like jackets matched with coordinated short pants.
The youngest, coolest consumers aiming to approach the suit in an unconventional way will find several options in the lovely Yali spring collection, that founder and creative director Pia Zanardi showcased in a charming penthouse designed by Renzo Mongiardino. Focusing on the skirt suit, she developed it in a quilted variation trimmed in velvet, as well as in a reversible linen version featuring striking color combinations, including yellow and hot pink.
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