Etro's nonchalant freshness, Charles Jeffrey's medieval style
On Sunday, the third day of Milan's Men's Fashion Week, dominated by the Prada show, a number of fashion houses came out on top, including Etro, with a collection that was both rich and fresh, managing to break away from the emblematic Paisley motif. Another was British designer Charles Jeffrey Loverboy who put on a colourful fashion show.
Marco De Vincenzo's second men's collection for Etro cleverly fuses the label's rich heritage with a relaxed, youthful wardrobe, with jumpsuits and pajama sets in printed silk or white cotton embroidered with folkloric flowers, long loose-fitting pants, fine knitwear...not to mention suits and coats with tapestry motifs from the archives of the weavers who have worked with the label for years and whom the designer visited this season.
The overall impression is one of freshness. Most of the looks exude lightness and a certain nonchalance, with models often bare-chested or in tank tops, sporting dark glasses and beach necklaces. "Everything is very fluid and glides over the body. There's no hindrance or type of construction. Of course there are volumes, but everything is unstructured", confirmed the designer backstage, who presented impalpable graphic knits and further lightened certain suits cut from precious fabrics by depriving jackets of sleeves.
A large yellow sun dominated the long, darkened showroom. The darkness was ideal for the shimmering reflections of silks and shirts woven from glittering threads. Or the metallic studs decorating the collar of a printed coat or jacket. Fascinated by optical effects, Marco De Vincenzo had a field day with geometric motifs, repetitive patterns, colors and textures.
Some sweaters, for example, seem to be made of terry cloth. Cardigans seem knitted from Christmas garlands. Vests ruffled with wool take on the appearance of a looped rug. The designer has also taken up the theme of blankets, developed last season, and transforms them into garments. "It's like a gesture: the plaid becomes a coat, poncho or cape," he says. Thrown over the shoulders, these thick jacquard blankets edged with tassels give the models a majestic allure.
For spring-summer 2024, Marco De Vincenzo also wanted to work on the concept of image. Echoing the images that overwhelm us today through the incessant flow of social networks, the designer had the idea of dipping into the allegories of the past, drawing inspiration from a 17th-century grimoire, L'Iconologia by Cesare Ripa, a copy of which he unearthed in an old bookshop in Messina, Sicily. And so the allegories of lust, sitting on a crocodile, that of auspiciousness grasping a goose, or even that of tenacity wrapped in ivy, are all featured on maxi T-shirts, short-sleeved shirts or flesh-toned second-skin tops, further enriching Etro's iconographic universe.
Charles Jeffrey Loverboy plunged us into the distant past, medieval times to be specific. A paper crown and costume glasses, distributed to each spectator should have given us a clue. The changes at the head of the British government last September and the death of Queen Elizabeth with the coronation of her son Charles prompted the designer to explore the theme of power and its representation, as always in his trademark ironic and extravagant style.
In white socks and knitwear, the models – men and women – strutted around with large feathered tricorns planted on their heads, royal blue frock coat layered over skirts with strips or dishevelled with woollen threads. Some tops have embossed collars, reminiscent of the 17th century strawberry collar. Lace borders the collar of a tartan jacket. A sheathed jacket with banded sleeves is reminiscent of a pourpoint. Swords, crowns and dragons are drawn by a child's hand on various pieces. Also included are helmets and rigid breastplates, as well as battle gauntlets and armour-style armguards made from tartan fabrics.
Beyond the playful folk side, Charles Jeffrey wanted to deepen “the Carolingian era previous to the 17th century. The Carolingian Empire experienced a kind of Renaissance with the reform of the monarchy, the opening of theaters, the arts and the culture, the new romanticism,” he explains behind the scenes. “Loverboy has always been linked to pop culture. The New Romantics are my favorite. They wore historical costumes to portray euphoria and express a better life.”
This spirit is reflected in the slightly crazy, exuberant collection, as well as in the palette of bright colours, with fluorescent yellow taking over entire garments, mackintoshes, skirts, jackets and so on. The graphic aspect is also very present, with jacquard jumpers featuring fun, almost pop illustrations, prints and motifs spread across denim or cotton canvasses. This universe is linked to a more sporty aspect, which also strongly influenced the collection, via leggings, as well as knitwear and cycling shorts. A theme developed by Charles Jeffrey since he started running marathons last year.
With this collection, Loverboy wanted to celebrate a coronation in its own way, "where everyone can wear the crown. A subtle way of proposing what a new Carolingian should be, rather than what we are told by the people at the top," he concludes.
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