MILANO+PARIS+LONDON+FIRENZE+NEW YORK MEN COLLECTIONS A/W 2020.21
ntil just a few seasons ago, every fashion show presented its own masculine archetype that took its audience, from the first exit to the last, through formal to casual to evening wear, without ever deviating from a certain style. It was much simpler to pick out a trend because roles and identities were more clear cut. But times are changing and fast. Now, a single collection might contain any number of different styles and personalities, offering a mixture whose only common denominator is resistance to any kind of labelling. This broader approach is reflected in the words designers use to describe their work: ‘multi-referential’, ‘modularity’, ‘variations’ and so on. The only certainty is that there is no certainty, especially when it comes to the most hotly-debated topic: sexual identity. Society is fluid, roles are fluid, and so are genders. There are no longer just two of them but many, because what counts most, especially for the young, is not feeling masculine and expressing their virility is not only about blurring the lines between masculine and feminine but much more: it is about searching for our feminine side but also returning to an ideal childhood, because it’s only when we are children that we can escape labels. Eroticism and body awareness also come into play. The desire to please others and ourselves, the freedom to bare flesh or cover up with fur and spangles, to resemble a schoolboy or a glam rock star on sky high platforms. And, of course, the desire to breathe new life into formal wear, the milestone that all men sooner or later must cross. nods to couture but also streetwear and (once again) womenswear. So, we have real or fake jewellery, ruching and pleating, draping and flaring, even in the most solemn of overcoats. These touches can also come from an soul, which injects flair and originality and, when you look closely, offers a bit of everything: childlike qualities, feminine sensitivity and delicacy, freedom and infinite interpretations of the human soul.
