Fall men's Milan ... Zegna, Ports 1961, Costume National

Well maybe it was the palette. Maybe it was one of the extremely rare times that I can say the models for the most part were hot. Maybe it is just because there were some great pieces that can be worn by those who really have great style. I know it wasn’t the cropped pants or another bomber jacket. I know it wasn’t the faux stylized Japanese prints. I just know that there was something about this polished Ports 1961 presentation that spoke to me as fashion... albeit fashion without a brand but fashion.

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If there is one complaint about Zegna,  it would be that the casting of the show is silly and worse than that it is foolish. These clothes deserve to be shown on med not pubescent teen agers but men who look like men. So Pilati, a man of nuance, is all about a subtle almost Armani-ish palette, a more relaxed silhouette and pleated pants. The designer has reimagined the brand and catapulted it forward to a brand that now has fashion under its awning instead of just wardrobe staples for the well-heeled man. And yes, the Zegna DNA is intact and the designer has put his imprimatur on the heritage brand without making it look foolish. Pilati is a fabric man and yes it shows and it shows off his skill as a designer who designs rather than some piker who thinks they invented thread.

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Costume National, Ennio Capasa, does what Hedi wishes he could do and that is to design beautifully made sexy clothes for men who want to look hot and cool not like some wannabe rocker strong out on heroin. To be 30 years younger, I would be all over these clothes provided of course I had the lifestyle to wear them. This is a collection with obvious niche appeal that serves the fashion enlightened rather than the trendoids.  And yes, I believe that the client harbors some inner rock start which is great and now they have what to wear without looking like they are wearing their kids’ clothes. Sadly it is my belief that these designers are really doing themselves a disservice by casting these young boys who look barely old enough to shave.

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Stefano Pilati .. Ermenegildo Zegna spring 2016

Welcome to reality! Yes folks, imagine that after most or really about 90% of what was seen or shown in London, we have reached our destination … the real world!

Stefano Pilati has found a home at Ermenegildo Zegna and he hits the mark time after time at this fabled heritage brand. Here is a perfect example of how a relatively staid and somewhat boring brand has evolved into an international mega fashion brand while still retaining its genetics. Pilati offers up options! He gives us a range from the beautifully cut and crafted classics to fashion that reflects the times as well as the clothing budgets of those who can afford such luxury. There are no gimmicks here, no schtick, no schlock and most of all, no shock.

The mood ranges from decidedly relaxed and almost slouchy to a modern classic silhouette. It would not reflect well on me if it didn’t mention that Pilati owes a bit of debt to Armani and Gaultier but who cares? IMHO these clothes sing. These are ageless, timeless and classic with a twist; they are not boring but they are decidedly sophisticated, urbane and appealing to a wide spectrum of fashionable men.

Will the dyed in the wool Zegna customer wear the more fashion pieces? It is a distinct possibility that some of the more fashion styles will find their way into the closets of some professionals.  Even the most modern takes on a “leisure suit” are of great appeal. The athletic references are present but not taken to the extreme as we have seen of late. Again, no games here! Just straight up modern clothes for men.

One might think that “well there is no gender bending” which may cause one to think that these clothes are way off base if one follows the so called trends. Maybe not as much as one might think as there is the element of the glaring whites, some with a bit of sheerness and there are pieces that would easily appeal to the ladies as women’s choices in general leave out those who favor raffiné rather than trendy.

The bottom line is simply this... no, the collection will not set the fashion world ablaze but it shows us that there are designers and brands who understand that fashion is a business of selling clothes and that concept does not necessarily equate to boring.

Ermenegildo Zegna by Stefano Pilati fall 2015

The funny thing is that Stefano Pilati was the topic of conversation this past week and my biggest observation is that he looks or seems so comfortable at Ermenegildo Zegna. This is meant in the most complimentary of ways as the collections have never looked better and never before exuded such a modern yet classic aura. The collections are filled with nuance rather than the latest trend and that alone sets him and the brand apart.

For fall there is shine! There is tonality! There are clothes that are ageless and modern! This is a riff on classic Italian tailoring without distorting or pulverizing the DNA of the brand. Think about that if you will!! The tonal velvets were chic as hell when it would be so easy for them to have been tacky as hell, the banded neck or cardigan blazers might have looked retro 80’s but they look fresh and very 21st century and that shine or maybe luster is more accurate might have gone off the charts to tacky but it remains a subtle touch.

In essence, Pilati shows the fashion world that there is a way to update or modernize or at lack of a better word... “Fashionize” a brand without turning it into a mockery and for that alone he deserves the greatest of praise. If there is a gripe about the presentation, one might just question the fanny packs and the front worn back packs but such is the wont of most designers to inject these stylistic flourishes when doing a show. That being said, what remains are clothes …. Suitings and sportswear that befit the heritage of the brand and show off the skills of the designer.

PS... The overall silhouette has certainly loosened up... yes there are some slimmer... not skinny... Looking suits but overall the look is looser and more relaxed... not sloppy... and much more wearer friendly and less restrictive

Ermenegildo Zegna Spring 2015 men's

Since the arrival of Stefano Pilati at Zegna, the clothes have taken on a new polish, a new clarity and some great fashion. He has infused the collection with any number of details that have modernized this one staid conservative men’s collection and Spring is no different in many ways and then in some it is head and shoulders apart from what was.

What struck me this season is that unfortunately Pilati has decided to play the nubile young boy game instead of the cosmopolitan dapper man who he began with and has since dumped. Sadly, many of these boys appear not to be comfortable in what they wear and that forces the collection to suffer. Couple or add some flourishes like the unhemmed pants, the scarf above the collar line, the wretched Birkenstock like sandal and the ubiquity of sneakers are all detractors from the main event. 

Then there are the very subtle almost subliminal flourishes that set Pilati apart from the flock. His use of tech fabrics and then transferring  the men’s classic pattern onto them, the curving of the double breasted hemline, the elongated silhouette, the slightly boxy shapes and an amazing palette are all things that need to be taken into account and are probably very telling of the season ahead. 

I also noticed a bit of Gaultier in the beginning and perhaps there was a bit of the modernists as well but that is hardly bothersome. It is the overall styling that disturbs me far more and causes a malaise of sorts. There is a deficit of crispness and defined line that was so evident last season.

Personally, I preferred that the collection had a bit more swagger rather than trendoid influences and that Pilati had not chosen the “blend in” styling including the use of such young men as exemplars of the brand. Did I like the collection?  … Yes!  Did I love the collection? … No!