As a Creative Director, I have learned to edit and filter trends and some of the noise around our industry. I let the brand speak to me about what is right and wrong, occasionally pushing a little on a new item or trend and ultimately building collections that get in front of our client’s needs and create desire and aspiration around product. Easier said than done, as every minimal part of the collection is pondered and selected as I create this mosaic each season.
The Men’s SS24 season has just wrapped in Europe between Pitti Uomo, the men’s global appointment in Florence to the Milan and Paris shows. It’s a complicated calendar with multiple events and seasons sometimes crossing over, which can seem chaotic to an outsider, but actually, the show slots, the event spaces, and scrupulous planning are negotiated months and years out for each new season. Each brand presents the latest version of themselves to buyers and press who, twice a year, descend upon these fashion capitals to plan and buy for the retail season ahead. The Runway shows, in particular, tend to focus on more unwearable looks catering more for the show and be-seen aspect of fashion, whereas the Pitti Uomo trade show caters to more solid brands with a much more commercial outlook. Most brands have abandoned men’s runways as their more sellable collections focusing on fabric and color are not designed to startle on a 5 minute segment on a catwalk, but rather be appreciated up close in showroom set-ups, which most brands ultimately opt for. Menswear is rarely exciting on the runway unless you go for showy tricks and theatric settings, which few need or indeed can afford.
So what’s going on in menswear? Like I said last week, menswear tends to ebb and flow with more evolutionary collections rather than revolutionary each season, and I personally have learned to focus in on recurring themes and watching brands that I can relate to. The first thing I am noticing emerging from the last few seasons is a softer way to dress: looser silhouettes are showing up everywhere, from red carpet events to SNL hosts, and I even saw Michael B Jordon in a Chase ad over the weekend wearing a high waisted wide pant. The look is a little retro, reminding me of 40’s movie starts, as guys begin to wear their pants a little bit higher in the waist, with open-neck shirts, resort-style. This doesn’t seem to be affecting suit silhouettes but more casual dressing, as seen in Zegna and Giorgio Armani’s latest presentations.
We can achieve this softer look through our Hybrid Blazer, which we have updated to a two-button version and slightly slimmed-down lapel. Catch it in Fall in new exclusive knit fabrications for a casual soft blazer without going through a sportscoat fit. We will introduce a new curated fashion pant for any client you may have going for the wider leg, higher waist look and watch for a few Conference attendees wearing it.
Neutrals and greys are still playing an important part in color with softer accents; dusty would be my description. Navy is turning slightly inky, updated with a more greyish hue, and soft berry tones for accents. Watch out in Fall for that chalk pant showing up in our fall collection with a wearable take on the white pant I frequently saw on my last trip to Milan. This pant works particularly well with black or black and ivory sportscoats, and I am particularly loving the look worn with a new loafer which we will have coming in Fall.
