A quiet start to the new fashion calendar year, Men's Fashion Week Fall/Winter 23/24 in Milan brings back some familiar faces and introduces newcomers.
The usual buyers, journalists, influencers, actors, and stylists are present, many coming directly from Pitti Uomo in Florence, but the years we spent apart during Covid means that a whole generation, mostly digital natives, has already arrived. If you're on TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, B.Real, and yes, still Instagram, there won't be many surprises but a lot of familiar faces.
Even though we returned some time ago to live and in-person shows after years of pandemic lockdowns, the entire sector has experienced many changes in the last year that make it feel like fashion is still far from finding it's footing. From Alessandro Michele leaving Gucci to Vivienne Westwood leaving us all for the great catwalk in the sky, it seems like the industry has been on a quest for identity that was already under siege for practical reasons including doubts about environmental sustainability, working conditions, low pay, a slow migration to Web3 technology, and nepotism.
Fashion itself even seems unsure of what to do next, repeating trends from the 60's to the 00's and relying on collaborations with other brands and celebrities that can assure relevancy and visibility. The themes of "reusing" and "repurposing" are clearly heavy on everyone's minds but seem to be expressed more frequently via creative concepts than with applied materials. While there have been mostly positive and luke-warm reactions to the collections being presented, the innovative style seen on the streets is a hopeful sign that the next generation has their own clear ideas for the future of fashion.
Known for being a more comfortable and less crowded event compared to Women's Fashion Week, attendees still served. Not afraid of color, careful attention to detail, and tailored looks that tell stories across generations, the view looks bright.
Photographer Riccardo Perdisa captures a glimpse of the street style from Men's Fashion Week in Milan.
Seen: Anna Dello Russo, Calum Mullin, Rahi Chadda, Ulisses de Melo, BryanBoy, Tamara Kalinic, Yoshiaki (よしあき ), mi0306chi (Michi or YoshiMichi), Cheng ( 范成章), and Mattia Stanga
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