Milan Menswear A/W '08-'09: Round up report

The menswear shows in Milan are storming on with back-fastening shirts and ra-ra skirts (yep, skirts!) at Prada, debonair knitwear at Missoni and sophisticated rock 'n' roll at Moschino.

For a closer look at all these shows, make sure to check out our superb menswear blog, Brandish.

[Image: Catwalking.com via Getty]

Paris Menswear A/W '08-'09: Round up report

Always the entertainer, John Galliano's menswear show in Paris had all the marks of a theatrical feast for the eyes.

His show titled Ice, featured models with painted white frozen faces in a Tudor-inspired collection (pictured left). Colourful characters in Jester-style hats, masks and breaches.

Elsewhere, the Dries Van Noten show failed to impress Brandish blogger Jason Dike: "too many of the pieces simply do not work". Read his report here.

While Tim Hunter gives us his thoughts on designers forgoing catwalk shows in favour of other means of display. For example the Givenchy show which used mannequins instead of models, read the review here.

[Image: Getty]

Milan Menswear A/W '08-'09: Day four report

Aside from the Spice Girls hitting the catwalk in Milan yesterday, a host of designers including Moschino and Gucci made their runway presentations for autumn/winter '08-'09. Gucci's silk shirts and Russian folklore jackets were inspired by the Gypsy style of Eugene Hutz, the Ukrainian lead singer of Gogol Bordello, a New York band. Meanwhile a day earlier, Alexander McQueen's (pictured, click image to enlarge) strong tailoring had a slightly Andes feel about it. Click here to read our catwalk report from Brandish.

[Image: Catwalking.com via Getty]

Suzy Menkes chats to Spice Girls at Cavalli menswear show

Yesterday, we asked what the Spice Girls were doing on the catwalk at the end of Cavalli's menswear show in Milan. Well Suzy Menkes from IHT caught up with the girls and Cavalli at the show to quiz them about their collaboration, and more importantly to ask Victoria Beckham what she really thinks of her hubby appearing in billboards in his Armani pants. "I'm proud to see his penis about 25 feet tall... It's enormous," she replied. Okay then... enough said!

[Source]

Milan Menswear A/W '08-'09: Day three report

Our fantastic menswear blog Brandish has got the lowdown on all that's been happening with the menswear shows in Milan, which began over the weekend. The Bottega Veneta autumn/winter '08-'09 show (pictured above) yesterday gave Brandish's own Tim Hunter something to drool over thanks to designer Tomas Maier's high-shouldered formal wear. Click here to read his report.

Armani menswear goes south

Sand under the runway and swathes of canvas for the ceiling at Belstaff's menswear show set the scene for designs that took inspiration from Lawrence of Arabia and gave them a modern, savvy twist.

British-born Belstaff, whose trademark biker jackets were a favourite of soldier and writer T.E. Lawrence, is now owned by Italy's Malenotti family.

Its spring/summer 2008 show featured scarves in creams or black and white squares that were thrown around the neck above open shirts in linens and cottons. Many of the models carried motorbike helmets with leather trim.

Egg white chinos were topped with a black leather zipped biker jacket; white bermuda shorts were worn with a lightweight blouson the colour of sea-soaked sand.

A more urban spin came from a Prince of Wales check in blousons and trousers, or stamped into a black leather jacket, while for the beach, Belstaff turned up cuffs on bermuda shorts and threw a blue and red checked sarong under a short cotton jacket.

Beachwear at Giorgio Armani stuck to bermuda shorts in dark grey linen or in cream with a subtle chalk stripe.

Armani, taking a "South" theme for his show, put lazy looks together from soft, wide leg trousers and loose jackets in pale greys and cool creams, worn with gold Turkish style slippers or moccasins and canvas gym shoes.

The designer, one of Milan fashion's long-established names, was true to form in turning out flowing designs with impeccable tailoring that were easy on the eye and easy to wear.

His take on the waistcoat - becoming a regular feature of this week's shows - was shawl-collared and fastened at a wide waistband with four buttons.

Models wore the waistcoat in traditional style under suits, or open over shirts or even on its own as a skimped shirt.

Against a backdrop of Grecian columns and sunsoaked white walls, Armani splashed a summer sky blue into his show in open-neck shirts.

For evening wear, the blue shifted to midnight for silken shirts with leaf designs in a satin shine.
D&G flashed back to the 1980s in its menswear show earlier on Tuesday with shiny metal zips and studs on trousers, bleached battered jeans and plastic jackets.

Silver baseball boots, sandals with broad studded straps and trousers put together jigsaw-like by zips were worn with hooded black shiny jackets or drill cotton with big metal buttons.

The spring/summer 2008 designs from the label had some echoes of their stablemate Dolce & Gabbana, whose show on Sunday kitted men out in military-style.

But D&G's look had heavy punk undertones, from metal plated belts to chains swinging from waists. Union Jack motifs were picked out in sparkling stones over black leather in a huge shoulder bag or on the front of a white vest.

Milan's spring/summer 2008 menswear shows run until June 27.

Reuters

Power dressing opens Paris menswear run

Top fashion designers Jean Paul Gaultier and John Galliano were in combat mode as they brought military flare to the opening day of the Paris menswear shows for next summer.

Gaultier paid tribute to the Beatles' legendary Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club band, celebrating its 40th birthday this year, with his collection, unveiled here on Thursday.

Just like the Fab Four on the album cover, his models were got up in military tunics with mandarin collars, epaulettes, and guardsman's trousers with gold braid trim. Some of them even sported the moustaches and long-hair of the epoch, but the punk touches of chains slung from the waist or shoulder were more reminiscent of Gaultier in his Eurotrash presenter days.

Favorite fabrics were inky black and indigo denim faintly spangled with lurex and liquid silver satin, for shirts rippling across the pectorals and flowing trench coats.



Among the more whimsical combinations he showed a denim jacket with sleeves like classic beige driving gloves with brown leather elbow patches while a midnight blue satin dressing gown was styled like an army greatcoat with gold chevrons.

The sarong, as braved by David Beckham, was draped round mock military uniforms: incongruous or sexy, depending on one's point of view.

For swimwear Gaultier moved into high camp, with sailors' peaked caps, jackets festooned with frogging and gilt buttons over slippery black satin trunks laced up the side, straight out of the Village People's "In the Navy."

Against the calming arches and windows of an old church on the outskirts of Paris, Galliano's rough and ready soldiers of fortune donned beige military pants over camouflage-covered blousons.

Bearded and with blackened chalky eyes, the heavily pierced models wore kaffiyeh-style scarves on their head or face, berets and caps. The British designer offered baggy North African-style trousers, while straps criss-crossed black leather jackets and long parkas and coats were equipped with plenty of big pockets.

More laid-back was Yohji Yamamoto's take on masculine style for next spring-summer, where a dove spreading its wings across a dark jacket set a more peaceful tone. The veteran Japanese designer offered comfortable ample trousers, perhaps zipped at the calf, punctuating the wardrobe with white and red stripes for a shirt.

Other big names on the busy four-day lineup of menswear designers include Louis Vuitton, Ungaro, Kenzo, Yves Saint Laurent, as well as Dior Homme where all eyes will be on Hedi Slimane's successor, Kris van Assche.

Shows wrap up on Sunday.

©AFP