Milan Fashion Week: Roundup #1

So far, Costume National, Jil Sander, Dolce & Gabbana, Marni, Missoni and Burberry Prorsum have shown their F/W 09 men's collections and I don't quite know what to think. While much of the construction is very sharp, tailoring is strong, and fabrics tend to be heavy yet soft, the colors are dark and muted. While lack of color tends to be characteristic of most fall/winter collections, one can't help but notice the sartorial reflection of our economic plight. However, as Raf Simons said yesterday of his collection for Jil Sander, "I wanted to present something powerful." And maybe that's the reason Marni's collection, however meager it may have been (their few pieces could only warrant a showroom presention in place of a runway show), appealed to me the most: it inspired. The colors and patterns at Missoni also made my eyes perk up amid a slideshow of blacks and greys, but what else does one expect? If looking at a Missoni collection doesn't feel like one is looking into a kaleidoscope then something's wrong.

Marni

Burberry Prorsum

Missoni

Burberry Prorsum