Like Beckham

When the first model came out onto the runway wearing frayed jeans and a red T-shirt emblazoned with “David 7,” it was clear that soccer star David Beckham is the male fashion icon of the moment. At least according to Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, who presented their spring-summer menswear collections in Milan this week. The message here and elsewhere: spring 2004 will be about the kind of easy, sexy swagger embodied by the tousled blond athlete.

At Gucci, Texas-born Tom Ford’s vision was cowboy luxe: crisp, creased jeans, crocodile boots, floral Western shirts, a bandana print tux jacket and even a Stetson. Fendi also went West, channeling an urban cowboy with leather mesh tank tops, checked duster jackets and straw hats.

Donatella Versace touched on Middle Eastern themes with shirts and ties in mosaic patterns. Tunic tops were layered under jackets and paired with baggy pants and woven belts with tassels. At D&G;, models paid homage to Jim Morrison with bandana headbands, psychedelic blazers and shirts open to the navel. Dan and Dean Caten of Dsquared2 took the audience back to the 1950s with leather biker jackets, skinny ties, black blazers and thick Buddy Holly glasses. Miuccia Prada proved that a man can look relaxed in a suit. Flat-front pants and button-down shirts layered under cashmere cardigans may be a far cry from the hunky Beckham. But Prada is, after all, the vanguard of refinement. Her version of summer ease was a kind of Mr. Rogers chic.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.