Men's Milan F/W 13.14

This year's Milan Menswear shows were extremely difficult to narrow down to a top 5. After looking through all the collections I settled on a top 6 and had to add my other forerunners as honorable mentions.

Fendi

Silvia Venturini Fendi's Collection for AW 2013-2014 featured heavy outerwear through the use of furs, knits, felts and leather evoking a frigid, cold environment. The looks were contrasted with weathered suits and topcoats. This year Fendi stuck to a darker, outdoor color scheme mixed with yellows and neutral lighter colors.

Belstaff

Always a delight and quickly becoming a favorite designer of mine. Martin Cooper's collections for Belstaff continues to redefine their motorcycle heritage. This AW 13-14 collection featured leather trousers with ridged detailing and classic motorcycle boots. Belstaff also has updated their traditional jackets in a variety in lengths in colors.

Canali

Canali's influence for the AW 13-14 collection is quickly obvious as the models parade down the runway. With the specific tailoring and jewel tones one can see Russia is the main inspiration for Elisabetta Canali. The models are wearing furs, velvet and wool in brick, purple and deep blues. Canali also incorporates some military inspired coats reminiscent of a czar's attire. 

Neil Barrett

My favorite element of Neil Barrett's collection is his use of leather. Barrett adds the leather to sweatshirts in a blocking patter and under coats to resemble armour or a breastplate. Neil Barrett's color palette is neutral with his use of camel, white, black and navy. Barrett's signature trousers and shoes can also be seen. 

Kenzo 

Opening ceremony's Humberto Leon and Carol Lim first collection for Kenzo use their travel's and fantastical elements as their inspiration. Leon and Lim use the Kenzo theme of the jungle and incorporate it with the sky as can be seen in the cloud print. The pair also add romantic mythical elements mixed with street wear to create a powerful image.  

Les Hommes

Tom Notte and Bart Vandebosch's collection for Les Hommes look to Belin in the 30s for inspiration. The duo use dark velvets to provide a dark, elegance and combine it with military sensibilities as seen in the boots and double breasted waistcoats. Notte and Vanderbosch play with proportions in the widened trousers and the tailored coats. One of the standouts of their collection is their capes and geometric graphics.  

Notable mentions: Dirk Bikkebergs Sport, Prada, Jil Sander, Burberry Prorsum, Z Zenga, & Gucci.  

Pre-Fall 2013 Highlights

3.1 Phillip Lim

         For his pre-fall collection Phillip Lim drew inspiration from bikers, and biker girls. The inspiration comes through subtle though, through his use of leathers, phoenix embellished sweaters, and the boxy, more androgynous silhouettes that inject an overall 'tough girl' vibe into his looks. One thing that Lim stressed is that even if the Phillip Lim girl has a thing for the biker life, she never forgets her jewels. Jeweled necklines are seen throughout the collection, and the element I found most exciting and must recreate a.s.a.p.: jeweled turtlenecks.

Erdem

       For me, I don't think there will ever be a time that I tire of the Erdem floral print. Erdem Moralioglu is clearly the master of floral prints in fashion. While his collections do keep similar key notes season after season, this collection is not without experimentation. For this collection Erdem made use of some unexpected fabrics such as sheer organza, pvc, leather, and mesh. His lady-like prints in conjunction with these new materials keeps his collection looking fresh and modern.

  

Belstaff 

       Belstaff's Martin Cooper revived the brand in 2011, since then he has redefined British heritage with his well constructed collections. This collection stands out because of the distinct feminine and masculine touches as seen in the leather jackets, skirts and boots combined with the furs, silks and quilted coats. The theme can also be seen in the color palette of black, navy, and brown mixed with red and beige.

Proenza Schouler

      Proenza Schouler's Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez create a fantastic and truly beautiful Pre- Fall collection. The duo begin the show with a graphic print that is seen throughout the collection and continue to evolve the collection with checked patterns to the final looks done with a distinct metallic color and pattern. Proenza Schouler's collection is at its best because it offers essential wardrobe staples.