Salvatore Ferragamo men's spring 2018

Some will say... well that is a crashing bore of a collection but I say that Massimiliano Giornetti cast the die that remains intact as the DNA for the brand now that the baton has been passed to Guillaume Meilland. Salvatore Ferragamo has reinvented itself as an apparel brand since its true claim to fame is shoes and they have done it by offering real clothes for real people. It is my belief that they understand who their client is and how to appeal to their audience.

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For me this latest incarnation holds a plethora of wonderful pieces that … oh wait a minute while I describe them in the most profane fashion speak … wearable, ageless, salable, grown up and sophisticated. One must look past the somewhat silly casting, though not as bad as so many other brands,  and see the sprezzatura of the collection; easy understandable clothes for men. You have blazers, pants which were fuller in shape, shorts, great knits, laser cut leather/suede and you can forgive the unfortunate printed velvets although the coat is very rock n roll. If you are looking for a collection to set the fashion tongues wagging … move on, but if you want salable beautifully made nuanced classics then you have landed in the right place. A particular favorite is that “cowlish” or soft turtleneck neck line used as underpinning that just screams easy and soft.

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On the topic of favorites … polka dot shirtings, great outerwear, the cotton fisherman sweater reimagined and of course the laser cut dotted leather or suede shirts. The extra wide cuff was a nice touch although just a design flourish for the runway and how refreshing to actually see a variety of footwear including real leather shoes and not just trainers/sneakers or athletic inspired. While on that train of thought, how further refreshing not to see yet still more jogging or track pants or hoodies.

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I tip my hat to the brand and this designer especially at a time when most collections are either so bland as to induce a coma or so me too as to have lost their identity.

Salvatore Ferragamo & Prada fall 2017

Guillaume Meilland’s freshman outing at Ferragamo is pitch perfect except for a few things that have nothing to do with the actual design of the clothes and more to do with the logic of how you show the clothes. When a collection is seemingly based of 50 shades of grey and I mean that literally, the clothes will tend to all blend in in one’s memory or become a blur. 

Make no mistake the outerwear is the star and Meilland dealt a  winning “full house” hand  including the most classic shapes as well those tweaked to be seen as modern such as the spencer and moto jackets and even the jean jacket reimagined in a variety of chic monotone pattern collages. 

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My issue is that simply why does classically based clothing have to be boring or even perceived as such? There comes a time when safe is too safe and making a point misses the point. Dissecting the collection will yield more than enough to make cash registers, if they still exist, sing and ring especially for men who need beautifully made stylish and timeless clothes.  These are the clothes of the fashionably grown up whom, for the most part, eschew trend and are always adding to their constantly evolving wardrobe that will never go out of style.

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On the flip side we have the so called uber revolutionary and always boundary pushing Prada which showed a collection that hums along to the tune of ugly is the new pretty and boring is the new trend. Yeah I get it; she purposely jars the eye and accentuates small details to the point of in your face. From the wookie shoes to the exaggerated bellow pocket details, your eyes are forced to see these first. 

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Yes the sweaters are the main even here and, well, the rest can be found at any number of thrift shops worldwide. On the whole if you take away the knitwear you have a lot of retread 50s and 60s clothes that were a lot better the first time around no matter the label.