Day 1 of Milan Continued| Dolce and Gabbana, Versace, and More

Day 1 of Milan Men's Fall 2014 Shows Continued

At Dolce and Gabbana, the duo came out with a Norman inspired theme. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have been playing it safe with their Sicilian inspired themes over the last couple of seasons. And I’ve been a fan of this brand for quite some time, but for some particular reason, I felt this was not their season. They came up with beautiful prints – such as the Norman Kings that were sent out at the beginning of the runway – but it is the loosely fitted silhouettes that are not working if you understand. Half of the collection centered on thick embroidery and relaxed forms, but thankfully the other half was more reminiscent. 

Prints were nostalgic as they came out the runway in my opinion. That’s what I thought at the first sight, but then I decided to take time to go over the collection again and imagine an average customer trying on one piece separately. It made sense for me, just not the way they paired it for the show. 

Taking away those lazy oversized pieces, printed button-down shirts, fitted multi-color striped pants, and two silk printed pajama sets had potential. Fitted suits – pinstriped with colored lapels, printed ones, and final velvet numbers – and one silver embroidered jacket (shown above) were the highlight of this collection. This didn’t sound too intriguing did it? Thinking again, if this were made for a king's invasion, it'd be perfect. 

Costume National Homme (left) and John Varvatos (right) Men's Fall 2014 Collection.

Costume National and John Varvatos didn’t want to stay behind either. At Costume National, Ennio Capasa, did his best to bring notice. I felt the brand improved much this season with a number of nice colored outerwear coats, simple turtlenecks, soft tailored suit jackets, and a warm long black, fur-trimmed coat with a blue quilted lining underneath fit for any occasion. Not bad coming from this retro label.

John Varvatos decided to play homage to KISS with an intricate amount of coats etched with leather, razor sharp suits, shearling lined jackets, and silver numbers to spice the mood. It was a collection made with a mien thought where Mr. Varvatos had several fresh ideas that would suit his loyal customers next season, but he also could attract newer clients who’d want a brisk feel of rock luxury in one of his lustrous silver crocodile jackets. 

Meanwhile, it was Versace who closed Milan with an outstanding southern inspired collection…….cowboys. It was just not any kind of cowboys, because Ms. Donatella Versace made sure hers were more rebellious. And that you had to love.

This past spring collection Ms. Versace seemed to stay away from oversized clothes, and she did the same for fall, focusing on clean and sexy silhouettes as she probably imagines them. She understands good proportion sells, and this one will be one to have young guys – even mature men - oozing over. 

Denim seems to be her greatest comfort zone, as I found great pairs of leather etched jeans and washed jacket a sensation. Coats and suits deserved head turns as well. I simply loved how a slim red coat paired with an energetic embroidered motorcycle sweatshirt, dark pants, and glossy boots looked. Giraffe printed suits and appliqué patches – stars, horseshoes, and cactus – may have been made more for the true Versace man, but she thought about sharing the cake with comforting suits etched with leather on its shoulders, or dandy silk ones. Her signature printed silk shirts and turtlenecks were worth a second look at. Accessories opened up a kinky imagination. Case in point: a small embroidered bag  a model wore with golden cuffs attached to his wrist, or cowboy riding materials.

Overall, I could vision many more men becoming part of the label next season. And looking back at her past collection and this one, Versace seems to be heading in a wonderful direction where men can feel masculine and sexy without excess drama. Just confident in every form and manner.