ShortList's style director Adrian Clark gives his verdict on the final day in Milan
The last day of Milan fashion week kicked off with Dsquared2 (picture 2) putting on yet another big display. The show opened with a man dressed like a sharp school teacher, who walked the wrong way down the catwalk to the stage, only to have the curtains open to reveal an entire classroom filled with rebellious ‘students’, who then proceeded to strut down the catwalk, leaving a trail of cigarette smoke behind them. The collection was a commercial but handsome blend of wrinkled tailored coats, luxurious military-inspired outerwear and trucker jackets with a personalised edge, blended with their signature ruptured denim and ultra-chic mohair knits.
Giorgio Armani’s (picture 1) collection looked to the future while maintaining a sense of tradition. The fashion house toyed with classic fabrics through the emphasis of volume - the texture of tweeds was amplified and oversized while being dyed in tones of light blue and Cyan, peppered with dots of rust red and oxidised brown for modern effect. The show was a chic and futuristic take on the classic menswear silhouette.
Presenting their first ever dedicated men's catwalk show, Diesel Black Gold (picture 3) looked to the brand’s roots with a clash of styles, from leather biker jackets to stretch velvet suiting and pony skin peacoats. Loose fit and high waist pants were matched with super light and shiny nylon trenches, bearing utilitarian metallic detailing, all in a colour palette ranging from black and anthracite to vibrant reds and tobacco browns.
Tom Ford’s presentation came in luxurious shades of tonal grey wool and cashmere with a late Seventies and early Eighties feel, taking style points from the iconic film American Gigolo with drop-notch lapels on tailoring and hooded coats being featured in outerwear. The label is also set to launch a new luggage line called Ferry after musician and style icon Bryan Ferry, and will be a collection of holdalls and tote bags in varying shades of deep red and brown leathers - understated but extremely luxurious.
ShortList's style director Adrian Clark, explains how you can achieve this look from the Autumn Winter 2012 show:
In contrast to the stylised grooming looks that have been shown in Milan, Diesel Black Gold, which closed fashion week in the Italian fashion capital, opted for a more natural undone approach. The hair had volume and natural lustre was given the 'messed-up-but tamed' treatment, while skin had a youthful and fresh appearance. Finding the right product that won't weigh the hair down, yet still keep a 'just-got-out-of-bed' charisma is essential (along with a hairdryer) to achieve this look from home. After blow-drying, we recommend using a little L'Oreal Paris Studio Line Out Of Bed Fibre Putty £3.56 for 75ml, with its re-workable consistency and matte (but not dry) texture, to keep everything in place yet charmingly dishevelled. For the fresh and toned skin that compliments this look try L'Oreal Paris Men Expert Hydra Energetic Turbo Booster £14.29 for 50ml, which has a recharging effect for your skin providing an immediate boost of hydration.
L'Oreal Paris, 0800-030 4032
