Giorgio Armani

« Disconnected Thoughts » was the title given to the Giorgio Armanifall/winter 2016 collection. The concept was all about loosening up and forgetting the final destination in favor of enjoying a relaxing journey.

In Armani’s eyes, an important part of having a peaceful trip is clothes that allow for movement, come in soothing fabrics and feature understated ethnic embellishments that hint at faraway lands visited long ago. Using his always discreet color palette of neutral and natural hues, with a slight preference for profound shades of blue, the designer crafted a collection filled with forgiving shapes.

His choice to cut his front pleated pants with a full leg, show boxy suit jackets and blanket-like sweater vests, and create outerwear that was decidedly oversized gave his work a languorous slow-paced grace. But what really struck home was the harmonious way in which Armaniincorporated a number of womenswear designs into the show.

Walking down the runway in tandem, each pair wore outfits that complimented the other in a polished way. Design touches seen on the man would be subtly echoed on the woman’s garments. Much like a couple in love begins to dress in harmony, Armani’s models had a sartorial synchronicity.

After all, when going on a trip, isn’t it always better to travel with someone you love?

Dsquared2

Out of a black lacquered bamboo forest came the latest Dsquared2 menswear collection. Its Asian, more specifically Japanese, inspiration was a first rate starting point and resulted in a smart show filled with clever pieces for anyone wanting to channel their inner Shibuya boy.

There have been times when designers Dean and Dan Caten let a show’s concept get too out of hand, ending up more camp than commercial. But today the mix between fun and functional had the perfect yin-yang balance.

The foundation of the designs was solid. A great pair of denim jeans, a practical, if voluminous, duffle coat, a classically tailored suit jacket. But then the duo gave those garments the Japanese treatment. The denim pants were cut wide, like those that might be worn for Judo. The duffle was crafted from colorful manga images and the jacket was finished off in some tone-on-tone sequins that produced a lacquered effect.

But the leitmotif of the show was a recurrent pleated skirt element added to the mix. A panel would appear at the back of a pair of trousers, finish off the front of a coat or a classic kilt style would be worn over slim pants. The duo even gave a nod to the Scottish heritage of the skirt by injected a bit of green plaid into the lineup. This concept was so well executed that there is a good chance the pieces will convince a few skirt phobic men to change their tune.