E. Marinella

The day started beautifully in the Verdi Suite of the Grand Hotel where Maurizio and Alessandro Marinella – father and son representing the third and fourth generation of the family – showed off their latest designs of silk and knit ties. The marvelous patterns of these rich silk ties are achieved through a hand silk-screen process performed by local artisans.

Emporio Armani

Emporio Armani has a big year ahead. Mr. Armani is creating the uniforms for the Italian national football team and the Italian athletes who participate at the Olympics in Tokyo. A major coup for a fashion company. In fact, Emporio Armani has become a rather big player in the sportswear world. The tension between tailoring and sportswear is executed not within the garments here but the sections of the show. Emporio’s lineup of all dark and crystal-encrusted evening wear was stand out while the parkas and skiwear plus the closing section with maximum volume work wear from recycled materials hit the Zeitgeist.

Dolce & Gabbana

Dolce & Gabbana see themselves as the Italian Chanel so they put forth their ateliers in the latest men’s wear show, which riffed on their classic Sicilian peasant and aristocratic dressing. While women were knitting in the lobby of their Viale Piave show space and watchmakers showed off their precision handwork, the big chunky sweaters and caps in the show looked like they were produced by the very women knitting in the lobby – underlining the fatto a mano spirit.

Marni

Marni has become Milan’s concept brand where Francesco Risso is slowly but surely reinventing the fashion show template. Working with a dance ensemble that enacted a post apocalyptic rave party all dressed in dead stock silk from the 50’s plus the signature two-tone leather trenches made for a beautiful fashion moment and firmly positions Risso at the core of the international avant-garde.

Neil Barrett

Neil Barrett outfitted his show space like an art gallery and his faux Vermeer graffiti sweater with pants and hand knit wool socks gave his show a nice lived in feel where generally sleekness rules. He has managed to reach a significantly younger customer since leaning his show more towards sportswear.

The day ended with a brilliant initiative by the Camera della Moda, which teamed up with the British Fashion Council to bring the most talked about names of London men’s week to Milan, Charles Loverboy and Edward Crutchley. The London dates were too early so it was good to see these talents here in Milan, which brought along a jolt of London energy.