Giorgio Armani continued with a less formal approach to menswear at its Spring/Summer 2017 show in Milan, prompting many to wonder if the label is looking to trend with a young demographic. The Italian designer tapped into the current trend for laid-back tailoring by deconstructing blazers and suits and replacing them with fluid styles that draped softly over the shoulders. “A light, deconstructed silhouette is the result of a skillful redesign and re-tailoring process that creates a clear, natural image,” the fashion house explained.
This looser approach was echoed by wide-legged trousers that slouched at the waist; lightweight trench coats belted raffishly and haphazardly; and pants so silky looking they could have been sleepwear. Blazers were replaced with comfortable buttoned cardigans, linen track pants walked the line between casual eveningwear and athleisure staple, and stuffy shirts were ousted to make room for soft rollnecks. The mature approach was underpinned by a romantic palette of grays, blues, and neutrals, accented by dashes of Pompeian red.
While the continued shift away from the minimalist elegance of Armani was evident, the desired audience for this new collection was slightly more subtle. Instead of the classic 1980’s power suit, the collection featured staples from the wardrobe of a man in his 20s: bomber jackets, backpacks, sweatshirts, and bucket hats. The collection even had a self-referential moment with a t-shirt displaying Georgio Armani’s face on it (see below). Armani did pay homage to its 80’s heyday, though, with billowing trenchcoats and pleated pants. The shift comes at a time when the company is continuing to expand its lifestyle brand to lessen the blow from slowing sales in the Asian markets.
Armani is far from alone in peddling the new elegant aesthetic in menswear—on Monday evening Fendi debuted its springtime collection, which featured plenty of silk trousers; minimalistic blouson jackets; and lightweight playsuits teamed with slider sandals or basic sneakers. Versace also unveiled a lightweight collection earlier in the week that focused on fluid layering, with a dreamy result. Ultra-light long parkas of near transparent nylon, silk shirts reborn as zip-up blousons, and silk knitwear tied around the waist combined to offer a more typically feminine alternative to masculine fashion, and encouraged the mellow trend taking over menswear for SS17. —Relaxnews, with additional reporting from RealClearLife
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