Tradition Holds Its Own in Spring Menswear
You’ve heard the expression: “No news is good news.” So, apparently, have Italian menswear designers.
At the recent fall, 1987, shows here, almost everything on the runways was a rerun from last year. Trend lost out to tried-and-true. Traditionalism--as in English country gentlemen’s attire--held steady.
The big look, yet again, included shearling coats, big cloth overcoats in luxury fabrics like cashmere and camel’s hair, polo sweaters, turtleneck tops and soft construction of tailored clothing. This last item includes the use of knitted fabric for traditionally styled garments.
Mixed Patterns
There were lots of pedigreed-looking checks and plaids, much pattern mixing in a single outfit and a basically neutral-toned palette. Black, gray and shades of brown predominate.
This elevated status of “status quo” looks has designers who are looked upon as international innovators talking like neo-conservatives.
“Aristocratic breeding in the truest sense, far from snobbish affectation as experienced by typical British understatement,” is the way Gianni Versace describes his fall clothes.
Says Gianfranco Ferre: “I believe in formal dressing in classical clothes that can and must be comfortable without mixing up roles, without confusing situations.”
Luciano Soprani talks about “creating new proportions without forsaking traditional sobriety.”
And Giorgio Armani seems to be soft-talking the would-be shopper with “clothes that won’t need face-lifting every year . . . stripped of pretension, of gimmicks, of disguise and ethnic pageantry.”
Two late stars are prominent; both Ermenegildo Zegna and Soprani mentioned the classically dapper Cary Grant as suitable inspiration. And the Basile line (also designed by Soprani) credits David Niven as a modish muse for being an “interpreter of the Anglo-Saxon gentleman.”
Old-Line Values
At the Pitti Uomo Italia trade show held in Florence a few days before the Milan shows, the massive display stage housing more than 300 exhibitors included a new, special section of 16 traditional resources with old-line values called “Classico Italia.” Not long ago, these same resources might have resented being segregated from more directional, fashion-forward lines.
But with the dollar continuing to dip on the international market (1,300 lira to the dollar was the exchange rate on the last day of shows), it may be a blessing to Italian label seekers that the latest looks, priced as much as 30% higher than last year for retailers and store buyers, most likely won’t be over-and-out after one season’s wear.
Words such as salable, wearable, quality, value and longevity are the spoken language of fashion these days. Fresh, new, directional and forward suddenly sound like slang coming from upstarts. Even the designers no longer refer to their offerings as updated classics, but in more restrained terms, such as refined classics.
New refinements at Armani include a silhouette change--suits with a higher button stance, a narrowing at the waist and a longer body on the jacket that fits snugly at the hips. Pants are cut very full. The refined turtleneck either buttons or zips at the neck. Armani has more fun with his jeans line, which includes lots of quilted denim looks and cleverly styled Gold Rush/Western looks.
Big coats in all lengths--the car coat is the newest “refined” classic--are a big look at Versace, who introduced a new couture line this season.
His solid suits in voluminous proportions, with matching coats, are clean lined and classy. The designer continues to experiment with fabric technology and texture mixes in his “optical-graphic” suits. For example, a Prince of Wales plaid suit has a bias overplaid. And a chalk-stripe model has a subtly mottled pattern. His extra-long white waistcoat that hangs below evening tails is a daring refinement of a classic.
Valentino also plays with texture in refined ways. Big, solid-gray wool overcoats are worn over leather blousons in shades of burgundy, dark blue or forest green. His combination knit-and-suede argyle sweaters--sometimes layered one over the other--were also strong texture mixes.
Valentino introduced his new Oliver line (named for his pet pug dog), which is aimed at a younger customer. Unfortunately, most of the collection consists of the same mixes of tailored clothing and sportswear seen elsewhere.
Soprani’s knit coats and matching suits are an elegant melding of tailored clothing and sportswear. He also does patterned suits and sport jackets in featherweight wool that make good sense for the Sun Belt. Soprani plays with new fabric ideas in some shiny black polo sweaters and blousons that get their slick look from nylon threads running through.
Disappointment Expressed
Some disappointment was expressed by retailers and buyers in the line of Gianfranco Ferre. The designer once again offers his street versions of Army surplus looks and clothes found in sporting goods or hunting-supply stores--but at prices far beyond what the rank and file can afford.
The Byblos design team, Keith Varty and Alan Cleaver, scored high marks for their classic twist on a Scottish Highlander-themed collection. Their spectacular still-life presentation on mannequins and live models puts plaids into fresh, new perspectives. Tartan plaid sport jackets worn with embroidered-placket polo sweaters and winter-white wool pants with knit-banded cuffs (reminiscent of what skiers wore in St. Moritz in the ‘20s) looked both elegant and fresh. He also reversed the look with winter-white wool zip-front jackets worn over plaid, knit-cuffed pants. A deep-toned plaid group also looked salable to those who like to be a little less plaid-happy. The beret or tam--an important accessory here--is definitely the top headgear of the season in Italy.
The Missonis also made a strong impression in a rather safe season by taking their classic knits to new levels in tailored clothing tempered with sportswear elements. Suits in confetti tweeds or plaids and checks can’t help looking new in the Missoni’s variegated color palette. Plaid suits with contrasting plaid polo sweaters and woven plaid pull-over shirts with solid knit sleeves, collars and cuffs were fun and refined.
Other noteworthy wearables for fall: Franco Moschino’s reversible shearling coat with the fluffy side out (he showed his collection on mostly female models--a sophomoric attempt from Italy’s “bad boy” of design to make some statement about sexual stereotypes in fashion); Mila Schon’s sporty flap-pocket suit and sport jacket look; Bill Kaiserman’s future perfect zipper-pocket suit and his fun faux astrakhan evening coat and pony-skin formal vest; Romeo Gigli’s A-line gabardine overcoat and car coat with shearling collar, and New York designer Cecilia Metheny’s ultra-luxe line, including baby alpaca navy blazers.
