Taking a step away from the more traditional suits that are so synonymous with the Italian fashion scene, the collections presented during Milan Men’s Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2017 were some of the boldest and most creative menswear shows we have experienced so far this season. From Damir Doma’s soft tailoring and elongated silhouettes to Moto Guo’s distorted silhouettes, and even Gucci’s whimsical springtime explorations, there’s a lot on offer in the way of men’s outerwear, easy-to-wear athleisure and, yes, tailored suits. Here are a few of our favorite collections from MFW S/S 2017.
1. Damir Doma
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Men and women were sent down the runway wearing rich monotone looks with each garment appearing as an accompaniment to those worn by the opposite sex. Considering it’s Damir Doma’s first show since he relocated his brand from Paris to Milan, his Spring/Summer 2017 runway collection also marks the first time the designer has showcased men and women’s clothing side by side. Come September, he’ll replace his standard runway presentation with appointments and re-sees, but for now there’s a lot to love. Elongated silhouettes, mixed-media vests and Doma’s signature soft-shouldered tailoring in outerwear have made this a collection filled with several spring staples: namely his boldly hued bomber jackets, transparent paper-thin silk shirting and saturated denim.
2. Moto Guo
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For his first time on the official Milan calendar, Malaysian designer Moto Guo brought his A-game to the catwalk, complete with the childlike innocence and the distorted silhouettes similar to the ones which made him a forerunner for the 2016 LVMH Prize earlier this year. Although the prize would later be awarded to British menswear designer Grace Wales Bonner, the competition brought Guo out from Southeast Asia and into an international arena. This season, he introduced a game-changing collection into the Milan Spring/Summer 2017 schedule, where, instead of presenting classical tailoring and traditional suiting, Moto Guo offered a lineup of outsized jackets, paperbag waistline pants and bib-like tops. The models walking down the runway (to shuffled nursery rhymes no less) sported exaggerated bedhead and acne-covered faces; this was not your ordinary, run of the mill show—and it couldn’t have been any more perfect.
3. MSGM
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Like our first two designers in this list, Massimo Giorgetti and his label MSGM can still be considered rather “new” as a member of Milan Fashion Week, but his Spring/Summer 2017 collection presented an array of energetic looks. From oversized tops with color and sporty influences to a range of retro-cool knitwear, this season was all about the youthful spirit and several nostalgic influences. Teaming acid wash jeans alongside floral nylon tracksuits, windbreakers and fanny packs, Giorgetti’s seasonal offerings took on an overwhelmingly Nineties vibe – but it was definitely one of more authentic and wearable collections to be presented this season.
4. Versace
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Speaking of “authentic and wearable,” it seems Donatella Versace has toned down the traditionally flashy accents and typically high level of bulging biceps for the recent presentation of her Versace men’s Spring/Summer 2017 collection. This season, she’s tuned into the ever-present activewear trend that’s striking the fashion industry at large, trading structure silhouettes for ease and comfort, but still keeping true to her roots in Italian style. Altogether more sophisticated and refined from seasons past, this collection highlights a bright future for the new Versace—and one where we are certainly big fans.
5. Gucci
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Although tying with Versace as the best-known names on this list, Gucci and its creative director Alessandro Michele presented a Spring/Summer 2017 collection that was as bespoke as it was personal. It’s rare to see a large company like Gucci taking on such a whimsical collection like this, but it couldn’t have been more perfectly timed as they prepare to fold in their menswear presentation with their women’s shows in the future. Inspired by the idea of exploration, Michele’s seasonal offerings seemed to be stitched together from souvenir-like influences, from the iconic Donald Duck appearing as graphic motifs throughout the collection to various inspirations from major travel destinations (such as tropical prints, kimono details and British wallpaper prints). Multi-faceted as it was, this was one of the strongest collections this season has produced – from London, Milan or beyond.
Brent Taalur Ramsey is an American fashion journalist based in Paris. Follow his latest runway adventures on Instagram.