The Sustainable Lightness of Being

Why shout, when a whisper can be so much more effective? Judging from the Milan collections for s/s '08, the age of subtlety is about to begin. Now that men have digested formality, neo-formality, and metrosexuality, the time is ripe for a featherweight, neat, and positively romantic take on masculinity — with just a tiny bit of escapism. After all, it's not the stiff suit and pompous attitude that make the real man: it's what's inside that counts, and designers are finally acknowledging it.

That said, the shift might sound great in a purely theoretical realm, but manifested in clothes, it somehow bordered on the disappointing, as the rise towards sartorial simplicity often translated into a series of forgettable, diluted proposals. Design in subtraction, in fact, is rather tricky: the divide between purity and boredom runs perilously thin, and it takes a true master to navigate it appropriately — something Tomas Maier does to perfection. His concise, refreshing outing at Bottega Veneta was a luxurious ode to self-indulgence, sung via pale deconstructed suits — the best double-breasted — mismatched Madras ensembles, and deerskin sporty blousons, in a faded palette of washed-out, manly pastels. As Maier knows too well, "God is in the details," and his impeccable items carry enough charm — from topstitching on crushed cotton jackets to contrast stitching on two-tone shoes — to appeal to the true connoisseur.

Elsewhere, simplicity took an angular, rocking turn. At Calvin Klein, twisted purist Italo Zucchelli gave his trademark pared-down tailoring an athletic and subtly perverse tinge in the form of sweatshirt fabrics, shiny materials, and taped detailing. Donatella Versace, who now counts on Alexandre Plokhov of Cloak fame as her menswear consultant, charted New Wave waters via deep-pleat pants, neo-geo trenchcoats, and collarless jackets. But the effort, although hinting toward a positive new direction, felt too literal and referential. On his turn, long-time champion of rock-tinged angst Ennio Capasa relaxed the silhouette at Costume National, mixing moodiness and serenity in a convincing, utterly personal vision of skinny rockers ready for teatime in the desert.

Subtlety also opened the door for textural and formal experiments. See-through layering and seams turned inside out were everywhere, suggesting something of an X-rayed fashion moment. At Jil Sander, Raf Simons sent out geography teachers gone techno in short-sleeved shirt-jackets topped with identical patterned nylon ones, while Alessandro Dell'Acqua convincingly tried to fill the modernist gap left by Helmut Lang by playing with intarsia, color, and transparency in a very sensual and Italian way. And at Fendi, Silvia Venturini paired gossamer-thin tees worn over shirt-and-tie combos with minimalist suits, adding embossed leather vests and Ali Baba-style baggy Bermudas as an exotic accent.

There was also a nod or two towards bedtime and lounging around. Miuccia Prada led the pack with a quixotic, heartbreaking collection accessorized to perfection with a halo of melancholy. Here, textured suits have the softness and ease of a pajama, knit shirts come ribbed like vintage underwear, and patterned all-in-ones look like something made for action either in or out of the bed. Where Miuccia leads, others follow, so her new silhouette, lean and subtly flared at the bottom, will surely generate echoes. At Marni, Consuelo Castiglioni was in dream mode as well. Her seemingly absent-minded tourists pair suede t-shirts with shorts, socks, and sandals, and favor a moody but lovely palette of deep blues and grays.

Speaking of color, the season was all about neutrals, pastels, and bright brights. Nobody handles chromatic poetry better than Luca Missoni, whose breezy exploration of every possible shade of blue looked uplifting and very David Hockney. The ever-romantic and slightly bohemian Dries Van Noten managed to give a faded patina even to fluorescent yellow, while Giorgio Armani did what he does best: greige, beige, and the like, splashed all over deconstructed pieces. In some regions, however, subtlety wasn't even an option. Dolce & Gabbana's Desert Storm military galore exuded a blatant Italian gigolo whiff that even the flashing LEDs on cargo pants couldn't conceal. Frida Giannini, at Gucci, did the '60s once more, opting for a punky take on Mod that was more Via Veneto than King's Road. Over at DSquared2, the Caten twins seem to be stuck forever in a beefcake dream that, due to its constant repetition, is rapidly turning into a nightmare. And Roberto Cavalli was wild, bohemian, and tacky as ever.

Finally, let's not forget those requisite summer elements: sea and sun. In experimental mode, Christopher Bailey of Burberry Prorsum mixed somber gray tailoring with fluorescent scuba gear to puzzling effect, while Alexander McQueen, inspired by Leroy Grannis' vintage images of surfers, did the rockabilly '50s in a sunny way, stressing oversized proportions in the process. Closing the show with a lineup of guys in black suits who looked like they just came out of the water all dressed up, McQueen touched a chord. After all, summer is all about escapism, and there's nothing better than the vast, open sea to epitomize it.

-Angelo Flaccavento

Photos:
Bottega Veneta s/s '08
Burberry s/s '08
Jil Sander s/s '08
Fendi s/s '08
Marni s/s '08