Milan heralds longer, more balanced Fashion Week Men

By

Dominique Muret

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Dec 13, 2019

Milan Fashion Week Men is regaining lost ground. It has been shrinking for several seasons, penalised by the loss of a number of labels that moved to other destinations or adopted new presentation formats, and in the last few months its organisers have multiplied their efforts to convince various labels to re-join the calendar. Gucci, which has been showing its menswear at the Fashion Week Women, as well as N°21 and Salvatore Ferragamo, responded favourably to their entreaties.

Carlo Capasa, president of the Italian Fashion Chamber  (CNMI), underlined this success as he presented the programme for the week, which will run from January 10 to 14: “Many labels are again presenting their menswear by staging dedicated shows and abandoning the mixed-gender format, because menswear is a booming segment,” said Capasa.

Besides the three labels mentioned above, the come-back list includes Iceberg, back in Milan after three seasons in London, Miaoran, absent from the catwalks last season, Prada, after its Shanghai show, and MSGM, which chose to celebrate its 10th anniversary at Pitti Uomo.

The Milanese event can also be glad for the addition of an extra half day of shows to the programme. In previous seasons, it used to end on a Monday evening, but it will instead finish on Tuesday January 14 at noon. And it will do so with a bang, as Gucci isn’t only coming back, but will slot in on the event’s final day, which will also feature the debut show of the new menswear line by Marco De Vincenzo.

Also, thanks to an agreement with the British Fashion Council, Milan will be welcoming London’s rising menswear star, Samuel Ross, showing with his label A-Cold-Wall on Monday 13. Another new name on the calendar will be Han Kjøbenhavn, the Danish streetwear label that has tried to make a breakthrough in Paris by showing off-calendar in the last two seasons. Han Kjøbenhavn was founded in Copenhagen in 2008 by Jannik Wikkelsø Davidsen, first as an eyewear brand, and later also introducing an apparel line with a typically Scandinavian design.

Among the other fashion week rookies, CNMI also announced Italian designer Fabio Quaranta, who showed in 2013 at the White show in Milan. Quaranta is well-known for his understated, comfortable style featuring quality fabrics and tailored details. Another newcomer to the Milanese catwalks is high-end streetwear label Reshake, owned by Chinese apparel giant Mark Fairwhale. The label was founded in Shanghai in 2013 and already operates over 130 stores in China. Last February, it showed in London as part of emerging designer platform On|Off Presents.
 
Next January, Milan will also feature several prestigious names on its presentation calendar, like Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen, and it will host a series of major events, like the 25th anniversary of DSquared2 and parties by Michael Kors, Brunello Cucinelli and GQ.

Nevertheless, the Milan Fashion Week will once again be faced with a real talent drain, as no fewer than 11 labels have withdrawn. The calendar published on Tuesday does not include, among others, Versace, which will show its menswear during the women’s Fashion Week, and Pal Zileri, whose creative director Rocco Iannone left for Ferrari.