MILAN — Amid ongoing wars, hardening political divisions and accelerating climate change, Milan designers tried to escape on Saturday, the second day of Milan Fashion Week, mostly previews of menswear for the spring-summer 2025.
Many were inspired by decades that seem more reassuring now, when the future brimmed with possibilities. That future is now and reality has arrived. The message of climate change has permeated style studios: men are offered thigh-baring shorts, open-weave tops and shoes, and clever construction that allows ventilation as needed. Despite the gravity of it all, fashion houses seemed to say, “Have fun.” The missing ingredient: exuberance.
sweet & Gabbana’s collection for next summer was as smooth as a saxophone solo on the runway soundtrack. The loose silhouettes and artisanal fabric brought tranquility to the summer.
Designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana created looks for the most elegant Italian coastal destinations, from the Amalfi Coast to the Venetian Lido and Liguria’s Portofino. The designers said in notes that they were inspired by “Italy’s golden period” of the 1950s, epitomized by Marcello Mastroianni.
The star of the runway this season were the knits: woven raffia jackets, shirts and tunics in summery shades of tan and black, which were reflected in the footwear and bags, which paired well with pretty scalloped crochet knits and leather fabrics. The silhouette played a strong supporting role, evoking a bygone era with wide, pleated pants rolled up to a casual hem. Boxy blouses balanced with shorter shorts. The bold diagonal stripes strike a nostalgic chord.
Clean linens and suedes maintained the collection’s calm tones, punctuated by occasional bursts of coral beads and sequins. The nature-inspired color palette included calming juxtapositions of eggplant and wine, forest green and olive.
Models strolled along a path created by six rotating mirrored pillars that offered a kaleidoscopic view of Fendi’s menswear collection that went nostalgic with a mix of checks, stripes and geometric prints.
The masculine silhouette of the artistic director Silvia Venturini Fendi spoke of a yesteryear in which shirts and ties were de rigueur, but not only. The basics of yesteryear were updated with oversized shirts that stood out under light bombers, combined with straight pants or Bermuda shorts. Garment architectures took an inventive twist, in asymmetrical knitwear that buttoned to the shoulder for a hideaway effect, or sleeves that opened at the elbow to go from long to short, from warm to cool.
Wide diagonal stripes over checks were reminiscent of the 1970s, while a new shield invented by Fendi was repeated to create a geometric print. The calming color palette of khaki, lime and sand, with hints of peach, provided a monochromatic palate cleanser from the busy prints. Leather slip-ons or paneled sneakers completed the looks, accessorized with fluffy sneakers or a chic patchwork bag made from leather scraps from Fendi’s ateliers.
This season’s show moved from the brand’s intimate showroom to a new 7,000-square-meter (75,000-square-foot) space that, according to show notes, has been recognized for its energetic and environmental design. Despite the change of venue, hundreds of enthusiastic and screaming K-pop fans made the trip to greet artists like Stray Kids’ Bang Chan.
MSGM brand founder Massimo Giorgetti woke up the fashion crowd with strong bursts of paintballs splashing colors on the glass walls, his way of spreading positive energy.
As his brand celebrates 15 years, Giorgetti said the new collection (Spring-Summer 2025 for men, Resort 2025 for women) aims to “ask everyone to reflect on the now and look toward a new horizon, in the hope that be better than the current one. “
The collection projects optimism with bold stripes, large collars, daisy prints, intarsia knitwear and playful illustrations by British artist Luke Edward Hall. Her looks are youthful, with short, wide skirts and sailor t-shirts for her, or a knitted vest with a sun sail and marine motifs combined with khaki pants for him. But there is also sophistication, for example, in a long knit dress accented by a yellow wave on the side, or a boyish bright red suit with a touch of colored boxer waistband.
“It’s not an easy time,” Giorgetti said. “I really hope this collection is an escape.”
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