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Mens A/W 13 Milan Wrap

Milan

If Milan had one message, it was suiting. There was a return to traditional, slightly conservative suiting, plenty of British-style tailoring and an elegant take on military style.

Here are the key collections:

Alexander McQueen

Sarah Burton put a strong emphasis on tailoring, with a bespoke mini-range that will be available through Huntsman of Savile Row. The rest of the collection took inspiration from the original Vanity Fair magazine, offering looks inspired by Regency and Victorian gentlemen and rogues. Some more modern shapes came in ombre-dyed checks and even wild galaxy prints for the label’s rock-star customers. All-in-all, an elegant, slightly sober collection.

Key colours: Deep burgundy and oxblood, French navy, charcoal.

Styling point: cropped trousers worn with knee socks to emphasize a Regency Dandy air.

Burberry Prorsum

Christopher Bailey offered slim silhouettes and military touches, in a collection called “The Gentlemen”. Proper English gents with their brollies, mixed with country touches: a quilted hunting jacket, a tweed cap, a hand-knit sweater. He introduced a look that we saw all through Milan and Paris: the slim-cut suit topped with oversized outerwear; a bit of a street edge from a giant down jacket or flight jacket. The slightly cowel-neck knit in a fine gauge and the almost folksy sweaters with owl and fox motifs brought in a softer side.

Key colours: rich forest tones of mocha, forest green, amber and sapphire

Styling point: casual, military influenced jackets over city suiting.

Dolce & Gabbana

The designers were influenced by opera, Sicilian families and a sense of the baroque. There was a sense of decadence, reminiscent of a Visconti film, ranging from the 1880s to the late 1970s. The embroidered jackets and coats had an elegant, military feel, worn over charcoal pinstripe suiting or silk pyjamas. The show finished with a parade of formal overcoats, finished off with velvet, astrakhan and brocade.

Key colours: sombre shades of charcoal and black with nude, teal, claret and bronze.

Styling point: outerwear over louche pyjamas.

Gucci

Another decadent, Visconti collection full of brocade, fur, oversized coats and skinny pants and that rich claret that became a key colour of the season. Giannini cited Visconti and 70’s Mitteleuropa; so we got a rich and slightly dark collection of well-bred equestrian pieces, Prussian military jackets, tapestry, jacquard, pony skin and devore velvet with a moody colour palette straight from Visconti’s “Ludwig”.

Key colours: bronze, Prussian Blue, claret, oxblood and ink.

Styling point: a silk foulard tucked into the neckline, in lieu of a shirt.