Christopher Bailey always does English gentleman at Burberry so well so the strong suits on offer over the weekend at the brand's S/S13 show came as no surprise. While you can appreciate their craftsmanship (last season over 100 tailors were involved in the construction of each look), it could have quickly felt samey but true to form Bailey shook things up.
This season was all about metallics. The suits and tailoring were broken up by the incorporation of shiny shirts and metallic jackets in bright pink, purple and blue and along the collars of shirts. While they are definitely not the faint-hearted, there's no doubting that they lifted the most subdued pieces. Colour also took centre stage on a series of two toned colour blocked bomber jackets, that replaced the puffa jackets that he showed last season, and came in combinations like aqua green and blue, purple and pink and olive and aubergine.
Ennio Capasais sticking with a good thing: Pushing the relationship between fashion and technology to come up with some of today's most innovative menswear. The Costume National designer started experimenting with new textile techniques last season (laser cutting fine fabrics, using thermo-welding on his pieces), and at his Spring/Summer '10 show at Milan Menswear Week on Saturday, he continued pushing the limits. "This collection should be looked at closely," Capasa said. "It's full of inventions that take traditional Italian tailoring into the future."
How did that translate? Fine wool and silk took on a nylon effect, white tuxedo jackets felt fresh with burnt laser-cut hems, and even finishing touches like buttons and zips were high-tech and nearly invisible. As for colours, Capasa relied on a traditional menswear palette (cream, beige, grey and black), with the single, unexpected injection of lime green for interest. All of this felt like a burst of fresh air for menswear, and Capasa truly hit his stride as a legendary designer. Anyone who can successfully interpret sheer shirts for men - and have it feel natural - has our vote.
Milan menswear week kicked off Saturday, and Ennio Capasa has just reminded us why we love Costume National. Maybe it's the richness of fabrics (think mohair or alpaca) or the attention to detail (Capasa is big on "using nanotechnology in a new way"), but we're sold on his mix of classic cuts with a twist.
For AW10, Costume National focuses on opulent textures, strong detailing and a bit of worn-in ease. Or as Capasa put it, "the juxtaposition of the man-made and the organic, fusing the most modern techniques of fabrication available with the most classic tailoring traditions." Silk-wool jackets, cut slightly short, carried a rich sheen in all shades of grey. Pinstripes and micro-chequers drew the eye in close, as did sequin-embellished bomber jackets and parkas made of heat-sealed textiles. As for trousers, Capasa rolled out what we compare to a dressier version of a jogging bottom: loosely cut and elasticised at the ankle. Top the whole look off with tough army boots and black leather gloves, and you have a thoroughly modern, hard-edged style icon.
Adrien Brody and Chace Crawford both boosted their fashion cred this week by making a trip to see the latest collections. Brody stopped over in Paris for Hugo BossEmporio Armani in Milan two days ago. today, while Crawford hit
