Milan Fashion Week men’s A/W 2022: Prada to Fendi

Milan Fashion Week mens A/W 2022: Prada to Fendi

When it comes to the A/W 2022 menswear season in Milan, connoisseurs at home – and those watching IRL in the Italian city – have plenty of options to choose from. At Prada, a number of actors emerge from a futuristic glowing tunnel in the Fondazione Prada Deposit room, including twin peaks’ Kyle MacLachlan, dinosaur digger (and previously unofficial Prada mascot) Jeff Goldblum, Moonlight Ashton Sanders and Sex education’s Otis Butterfield. Meanwhile, at Dolce & Gabbana, the label caught the attention of Gen-Z fans, with an appearance of Machine Gun Kelly in a sequin suit.

While the A/W 2022 season has been beset by the threat of Omicron and rising infection rates in Europe, a number of giant and growing brands are presenting both physical and online shows from the Italian capital. DSquared2 celebrated its comeback live after the Covid-19 hiatus, and Prada presented its first physical menswear show under the leadership of co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons. Ermenegildo Zegna and MSGM love digital presentations, as does JW Anderson, the British brand originally slated to present its first physical fashion show in Milan – now set to take place in June 2022.

6 main takeaways from A/W men’s Milan Fashion Week 2022

Classicism is back on the menswear menu

Prada A/W 2022

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, designers have postulated the future of the menswear cannon, taking into account the relevance of tailoring and the durability of casual silhouettes. At Prada, the Milanese label is changing this concept, abandoning the seemingly endless conversation around comfort and casual wear, in favor of a wardrobe firmly rooted in work. ‘Language of tailoring fashion, formality that conveys significance,’ reads the brand’s press release, from a collection that mixes executive with utilitarian, featuring exaggerated leather raincoats, asymmetrical blazers with armband accents, hazard-toned trousers and glossy boiler suits. An essential accessory for your vending machine replacement? Triangular patterned coin purse attached to the belt.

At Fendi, Silvia Fenturini Fendi was also captivated by the idea of ​​classicism. The Roman house features a ‘treasure of future heirlooms’ that accentuates the elegance and sophistication of old-world silhouettes: Vichy plaid tweed coat, plaid tuxedo, pilot jacket and short suit, in raspberry, mocha, taupe and white. . In a dandyish style, the swept coat is pinned with a shearling corsage, Mary Jane brogues are tied with a watch strap and the bag has nighttime proportions. Elsewhere, Aspesi’s Laurence Steele is struck by archetypal silhouettes, combining subtlety with function, while Brunello Cucinelli mediates between the different dress codes, presenting luxury pieces from peacoats to down jackets, combining super-fine wool, shearling and Prince of Wales houndstooth. .

Burgundy and bold blue: choose your favorite hue

Great news for wine connoisseurs: a deep burgundy hue in favor of Milan’s catwalks, as demonstrated by brands including Fendi, Ermenegildo Zegna and 1017 ALYX 9SM. Zegna’s meditations revolve around the ‘new dress’, featuring soft stitching, drawing on an organic, terracotta and tangerine palette, while the 1017 ALYX 9SM – presented in Milan for the first time – draws lilacs, cherry reds and nudes. Elsewhere, navy blue is preferred, with Brioni’s Norbert Stumpfl creating bold suits, including a daytime double-breasted wool suit and a striking silk satin tuxedo in vibrant turquoise.

Check your new erogenous zone

Leather is a major element of the S/S 2022 show, and continues to provide an extroverted effect for fall. Erotic choice zone for the upcoming season? A piece of hot chest. At Fendi, this is demonstrated with a heart-shaped cut on the cable knit collar and V-neck in cricket white and shimmering raspberry. At JW Anderson – whose digital runway show oozes party silhouettes, fanciful embellishments, and quirks, the bust is revealed in a knitwear woven into chunky loops and a crop top hemline hula hoop in a bright box paint color.

Strength to the shoulder

Ardusse A/W 2022

Designers don’t care about playing safe proportions for the 2022 A/W, presenting a striking shoulder silhouette that even David Byrne would push. You have to be careful with strong-shouldered trenchcoats inspired by Prada work while you are in the office. Gaetano Colucci from Ardusse is also inspired by strong shoulders. The label’s collection fluctuates between decades, drawing on fringed prom shirts from the seventies, grunge and Ivy League-style long-sleeved tees from the nineties and strong shoulder stitching from the eighties, with a checkered mohair coat blown up in a square silhouette.

Meet me on Metaverse

Brands are constantly experimenting with the physical and online worlds: JW Anderson and Dolce & Gabbana recently launched NFT, Phillip Plein accepts cryptocurrency, and glitchy pixelated prints abound in the brand’s collection – just check out the chessboard and graffiti prints at Dolce & Gabbana. At Fendi – a brand that is constantly experimenting with the world of tech accessories – the label teamed up with Ledger Nano X, on the form of a Baguette bag that incorporates a digital hardware wallet for cryptocurrencies. JW Anderson also experimented with the digital world. In anticipation of the brand’s online show, the label released a short film of female avatars with an A/W 2022 design, jumping off iPhone screens and featuring stars. The video also shows blinking eyelids accented by heavy makeup, with the monogrammed JW logo anchoring in the center of their pupils.

Adventure is always on the cards

Happy campers have more reason to be cheerful, as a number of brands celebrate the great outdoors, enjoying a nomadic and adventurous spirit. The DSquared2 goes wild with a layered silhouette that refers to a variety of outdoor activities from rock climbing to camping, to bouldering and birdwatching, with sequined ponchos and cagoules, fitted sleeping bag coats and quilted shorts, which mix high-tech and hippy. . Missoni is also about the highlands. The brand’s Mountain Calling capsule collection features a psychedelic Nordic knit, featuring mountain views and a trippy logo.

Technical outerwear specialist CP Company, who continues to celebrate his fiftieth anniversary milestone and recently collaborated with Emporio Armani, also hosted the ‘Cinquata’ exhibition, which featured seventy iconic archival designs, sketches and memorabilia, which have marked half a century of the label. . right

Installation display from CP Company ‘Cinquata’ exhibition