Fendi

Choosing to highlight its rich legacy instead of racing towards the future, Fendi paid homage to its artisans at the latest Milan Fashion Week.

• The event showcased Fendi’s new €50 million Tuscan leather factory alongside a novel menswear collection, celebrating a century of Fendi heritage.
• Designs beautifully married tradition and innovation, featuring revamped workwear, natural dyes, and detailings steeped in Fendi’s history.
• Woven mink, shearling, and vegetable materials stood out, displaying the brand’s unique artisanal expertise where technology meets craftsmanship.

Beyond presenting trend-setting styles, the show paid tribute to the artisans working behind the scenes, reinforcing that the heart of fashion isn’t solely about the brand or designer, but the dedicated craftspeople who breathe life into creative visions.

Zegna

Zegna’s collection, showcased in outdoors amid linen bales, emphasized sustainability in fashion.

• Predominantly crafted from Oasi Linen, eco-friendly proprietary linen, the collection embodies Zegna’s commitment to innovative, green fashion.
• Alessandro Sartori, Zegna’s creative powerhouse, aims to revolutionize tailoring’s language.
• The Spring 2024 line-up advances this mission, focusing on light, fluid designs that herald individuality and self-expression, offering a fresh perspective on global tailoring.
• Approximately 70% of the collection spotlights linen, demonstrating its versatility in construction-free leather jackets lined with linen and boxy jackets with wool-like thickness.
• The colour palette, blending neutral tones and bright hues, mirrors the linen’s natural charm.

Zegna’s Spring 2024 collection was a powerful statement on the future of fashion.

JW Anderson

JW Anderson’s collection turns the mundane into the magical.

• Drawing from domestic life and his cultural background, Anderson injects playfulness into familiar motifs.
• The collection, partly influenced by rugby – his father was Ireland’s Rugby Union captain, sees rugby shirts reimagined with Bar-jacket-style hips and oversized V-notches on sweatshirts and knits.
• Knitting takes centre stage, forming around 70% of the collection.
• Novel uses of yarn create tops, a ’70s sofa-inspired weave, and mophead-style pieces, showcasing Anderson’s knack for transforming everyday materials into high fashion.

The collection further encompasses

• footwear like clogs,
• pastel-coloured Miami-style shirts and shorts with a faux-crocodile texture,
• shirts without collars and shortened at the waist,
• dresses featuring asymmetrical folded hems with a pinstripe pattern, and
• waist-length overcoats made of leather, designed with a tabard front.

JW Anderson redefines the ordinary, creating a daring, unconventional fashion landscape.

Dsquared2

Dsquared2’s latest collection takes traditional preppy aesthetics and infuses them with bold elements of adult entertainment.

• Twin designers, Dan and Dean Caten, daringly reimagine sportswear, mixing striped polos with buttoned shirts, jean shorts, and argyle socks.
• Denim designs offer a provocative twist, with features like zip-away backs, stud-covered jeans, and cut-out star patterns.
• The collection showcases vibrant, wave-like prints on jeans, shirts, and tank tops. Coordinated sets in retro floral prints and bronze leather underscore effortless style.
• In a daring collaboration, adult film star Rocco Siffredi’s influence graces pool slides, belts, and high tops.
• The iconic Rolling Stones tongue logo as a men’s tank reflects the collection’s rebellious spirit.

Dsquared2 celebrates individuality and audacity, offering a fresh and provocative spin on menswear.

Etro

Marco de Vincenzo brought the power of symbolism and whimsy of dressing up to the fore in Etro’s collection.

• Drawing inspiration from Cesare Ripa’s 17th-century Iconology and juxtaposing it with modern-day visual communication, the collection is a quirky fusion of old and new.
• Key pieces include jumpsuits, fuzzy sweaters, and relaxed blazers, creatively woven with allegorical symbols.
• Cosy coats crafted from thick blankets are a standout nod to cooler weather.
• The accessories reflect a playful spirit, blending solemnity and fun.
• The finale boasted tapestries converted into hoodies and capes, with hidden design details woven masterfully.

It is a celebration of symbolism hidden in plain sight, subverting traditions within traditions.

Dhruv Kapoor

Dhruv Kapoor’s ‘Fantasms’ collection offers a cosmic blend of 70s sci-fi prints and a balanced interplay of masculinity and femininity.

• Kapoor takes us on a surreal journey through time, using prints that play with past and future concepts, adorned with vibrant botanical drawings.
• The collection features an array of standout pieces, including ultra-baggy cargo pants, fringed denim, panelled tracksuits, and padded vests with floral embroidery.
• Kapoor’s sustainability commitment is apparent with 40% of the collection using reclaimed fabrics.
• Collaborations with Italian brands Marsèll and Huma Eyewear add bold accessories and footwear to the mix.
• Signature pieces include versatile skirt pants, sequinned co-ord sets, and shirts adorned with covers of 70s sci-fi novels.

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