Versace men’s fall 2019

Think of it this way … Tom of Finland meets Hermès meets Jeremy Scott meets Donatellamamamia, meets Walter Van Beirendonck meets Gianni Versace and they all crowd onto a bus and throw piles of clothes in the aisle and tell the models to pick what they want, pile it on and to  be as outrageous as possible!

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Comic book colors, feathers, smoked see thru vinyl, printed harnesses, Medusa prints and still with trainers and knit hats ... la signora proclaimed in past days “yes Versace will remain a luxury label” and so my question is... what collection was she speaking about?  The feathers peeking out of herringbone coats and neon colored sunglasses, bottle cap printed jackets and leathers with car logos just about sealed the deal that she needs to get a grip or she will be depending on theft to get rid of this stuff. Who in hell wants to spend this kind of money to look like a fool? 

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Let’s also speak of the homeboy/homie/hip hop drooping waists to expose the underwear and the cargo pants and jogging suits and Frankenstein shoes. What happened to Gianni's dangerously close to overtly sexual razor sharp menswear? It was slick, precise and teetering on the edge of acceptability and now we have a riot of color and a circus worth of costumes for a crowd I didn’t exists or maybe it’s a clientele that doesn’t exist yet. Whichever it is, you can be sure that coming from someone who ONLY wore Versace starting in the  70s through the 80’s, I would be ashamed and embarrassed to even be caught dead in this shit.

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Good luck Capri Holdings!

Ermenegildo Zegna fall 2019

Berluti’s loss is Zegna’s gain.

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Keep in mind that Zegna will always be classic clothing brand as in suitings but in the past decade or so they have expanded their reach by expanding their vision of how their clientele might dress when not in a suit. Yes, there is Z Zegna but that tends to skew younger than the eponymous brand

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Alessandro Sartori comprehends what it means to massage a trend ... meaning it still is more stylistically forward than the norm but it does not push the envelope to the point of absurdity. Sartori understands nuance and details as well as that massaging of newness can still be achieved while retaining the DNA of the brand… whether it’s the 1/4 top pockets on a blazer or suit jacket or  its asymmetrical closure. You might even notice an inch and a half or two inch cuff on printed pants where it’s barely noticeable, the outerwear and knits are outstanding in their diversity and design even though there may not be all that much that’s new here but it is how the pieces of the puzzle are assembled. 

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Sartori's skillset allows him to offer chic mendwear, he understands sprezzatura and he gets the concept of turned out and while Zegna may not be a monetarily accessible to most, the collection possesses “looks” of distinction. He tweaks the proportions, the layering, the prints, the colors and silhouettes. The clothes are modern and yet classically rooted offering an appeal to some who might never have dared to buy pieces such as these.

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I tip my hat to the powers that be and to Signor Sartori for giving us well designed fresh and appealing clothes that span age categories and will for the most part withstand the test of time

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Versace fall 2016 MFW

Well, it started out promisingly and then gradually and then suddenly devolved into one more Donatellamommamia extravaganza of bad taste and clothes geared to those “Russian” ladies and the like. She may have lengthened the runway and lowered the heels but the same cannot be said of the hemlines.

 

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The dresses, coats and suits actually looked like day clothes and were better than usual which  means they might even sell … imagine that.  As the parade progressed we were introduced to more and more color until there was this explosion of baby blue and coral and then into the abyss of pastels starting off with a printed onesie oddity and then some

dégradé mink and then it all went to hell. Let’s call it as it is, most of her collections haven’t been chic for decades and even worse is that they are overdesigned and over the top… and not in a good way.

 

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Besides all the tricky hemlines, the ghastly prints and the heinous styling ... I mean what was that? ... Che cosa era che ? Pocahontas takes a trip or worse yet is that it might be hippie time AGAIN!  Jeez Louise, does anybody see what’s in front of them or is everyone so afraid to tell her that this is just fugly!! Yeah … really ... FUGLY! There are mostly comic book clothes in the most literal sense except there is nothing amusing or entertaining about them unless you consider them to be some form of self-flagellation and believe that to be a fun activity! What is that comic book “earthquake” pavement cracking effect ... well no matter what it was ... for the most part it wasn’t good or pretty. In fact one might wish the earth had opened and swallowed up most of this.

 

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PS... When one of the so called media elite spends 80% of her review speaking about the models, nip slips, the length of the runway and the height of the heels... well kids that just means the clothes aren’t so memorable … now, are they?

Milan men's fall 2016.. Armani

And then came Giorgio! 100% pure, UNAPOLOGETICALLY and unadulterated Armani! This is just a collection that can be used an object lesson for those less “endowed” who need to be reminded that consistency, good taste, nuance, DNA and confidence can all take center stage and win the fashion sweepstakes hands down!

 

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Armani just continues to amaze in how he massages and evolves each season. To some the collection might seem boring, but to me he is the quintessence of a now heritage brand that continues to advance without reimagining itself and without bells and whistles. The man understand styling, design and yes image! BTW, he also knows his client!

 

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Maybe better said would be the collection has attitude with a capital A. There is variety of shapes, silhouettes, tailoring, proportions and all within a very limited color palette. And to drive home the point all you need do is examine the casting choices and the styling of each model. It is a cohesive message sent out with each exit.

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If you never loved Armani, I am sure I won’t convince you to do so but as stated there are qualities of his presentations that make him a leader if not THE leader of the pack. There is no need for me to examine or dissect it any further as the images more than prove and make my point.

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