Fashion week is always hectic and rushed, as you run from venue to venue, hoping to make it in time for the shows (which usually start late). Often times, I dejectedly realize there is just no way I can make it to everything, and you have to pick and choose, especially when two great shows happen at the same time. Although Messagerie coincided with another show we wanted to see, in the end we felt Messagerie would be best to feature, and we certainly chose well.

The Messagerie Men’s Spring/Summer 2015 line was inspired by Casanova (how very “Italian” of the brand), and had a modern take on luxurious, beautiful clothes. I love the prints and patterns, and the use of linen within the collection. The show was in a beautiful square courtyard of an Italian palace, which entirely captivated the “Casanova” vibe.  The blazers within the collection were original, light and airy. Although it seemed very Italian, the designs could easily be worked into itineraries like a dinner date in Tokyo or a weekend in the Hamptons. I appreciate collections that have a strong point of view but are also wearable in many situations, and that was Messagerie entirely. I can’t wait to see what they come up with for Fall and Winter!

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Posted by Lori Zaino and photos by Paloma Canseco.

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Bertoni is a family company that dates back to 1949. The newly launched elegant line of luggage and bags is luxurious and beautiful. From vintage-esque trunks and travel wardrobes to more modern items like iPad cases and functional leather briefcases, the line is beautifully crafted. Between the more basic black and brown, there are pops of bright orange, army green and blue, creating a perfect, wearable spring line.

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These items are created for a successful and confident man, a traveler, someone who jets from A to B and needs high end, durable travel items. The trunks are obviously not practical, but gorgeous just the same, and are made-to-measure pieces that would look incredible in a library or office.

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Posted by Lori Zaino and photos by Paloma Canseco.

I’ve always loved the Caruso tagline, “In menswear, do as the Italians do”. (In fact, being Italian American myself, I think the saying should simply read, “Do As the Italians Do”-but of course I am clearly biased). However, no one can deny that when it comes to fashion and style, the Italians, indeed do it well. Caruso is clearly no exception. Their luxury menswear has been a staple to Italians for many  years, and will soon be accessible to New York, as they are opening a flagship in New Year in early 2015.

The focus of their collections is the suit. The most elegant of all pieces, they have many different takes on the suit, also creating items to supplement it like accessories, shirts, hats, belts, and sportswear. The SS15 inspiration was the man himself, strong, sometimes rough, and filled with light. Blues and beiges dominate the line, and soft, loose shapes give a relaxed and manly feel.

BDMOTP favorite: the shirt with the Anchor print, and every. single. suit.

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Posted by Lori Zaino and photos by Paloma Canseco.

The SS15 line from Antonio Marras may just take the cake for my favorite collection here at Milan Uomo this season (okay, I still have about 12 more events and collections to see…but so far).

The Marras line, dedicated to GiGi Riva, famous soccer player (a “hero” deemed by Marras), had a distinct soccer vibe. Imagine Savile Row, with a little sporty edge, and you have the SS15 Marras line.

Aptly located in a outdoor park, models walked to a joyful street band, CLANG, which played percussion atop metal garbage cans. Guests sipped on beer and chips as they watched the designs pass by.

I adored the patterns that accompanied the suits and sportswear looks. The shorts suit, one of my favorite menswear trends, made several appearances, as did colorblocking and geometric prints.

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The end of the show included models walking out in soccer jerseys, while a team of trickster soccer youths acrobatically jumped and tossed soccer balls around. After the final carousel, the models even joined the soccer team and kicked the ball around, as did the designer himself.

BDMOTP favorite: Literally, everything.

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Posted by Lori Zaino and photos by Paloma Canseco.

The Alberto Moretti SS15 collection was bright, bold and colorful, everything a perfect spring/summer collection should be. The first group of shoes that caught my eye and ended up being my favorite of the line were the Papillon shoe, a cocktail slipper made of suede with a leather sole topped with a silk bow tie. This is a sort of throwback of the iconic Velvet shoe, one of their most successful shoes to date.

I really enjoyed the brightness of the collection. So many designers fear color, even in a spring or summer collection, and it was extremely refreshing to see something vibrant and exciting for SS15.

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Posted by Lori Zaino and photos by Paloma Canseco.

Vivienne Westwood is a wonderful person and designer. I always love seeing her shows because not only do I adore her designs but I love how she fiercely fights for what she believes in. People that feel strongly about a cause do not often have a platform in order to have access to a lot of people, but Ms. Westwood is able to express her concerns about the world and share her views through her designs and runway, and I appreciate the way in which she does so.

This season, her collection was inspired  by the fight to end cruelty to pigs and the inefficiency and pollution caused by factory farming. The designs are eclectic and modern, colorful and fun. Some of the models sport tee-shirts supporting the cause saying “Moral Outrage”, and some even wear top hats and an ironic pig nose. Our favorites are always the innovative suits, this season with extra big squared prints, a-la-window pane-esque. Westwood’s patterns are always exciting and fresh. I think the designs speak for the themselves really, and if you want to support the cause and/or sign a petition boycotting meat from animal factories, please visit Pig Pledge.

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Posted by Lori Zaino and photos by Paloma Canseco.

The Santoni collection for SS15 was unique and original. They experimented with patterns, ending up with original materials and silhouettes, such as basket woven shoes. A big trend right now is cutouts within clothing for both women and men, and Santoni interpreted this by adding small cutout shapes into the footwear, which is both cool in a temperature sense for hot summery days, and trendy as well. They attempted to create what they call “Contemporary County” and definitely succeeded: country and urban sytes combined into super shoes.

One of the BDMOTP favorites was the patchwork tan and black squared shoes mixed with the micro-basket effect. I can honestly say I have never seen a shoe like it! Very dapper.

The shoes were elegant and the collection was quite large, encasing a broad spectrum of different footwear varieties for any style a man would ever need. They even had a few beautiful leather bags that would look great on the arm of a handsome fellow.

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Posted by Lori Zaino and photos by Paloma Canseco.

The new shoe trend is all about mixing sporty with elegance for SS15. Fratelli Rossetti is offering two lines are: Brera Sport and Hobo Sport, and focus on combining classic looks like their signature tassels, with a hip hop, casual vibe.

The rubber soles, which are a new edition, embrace the modern and trendy current “sneaker style” fashion. The Hobo shoes are the lace up shoes, but without laces, which were inspired by a nomand traveler, versatile and comfortable for those on the go. Both lines come in a huge variety of distinct colors, which allows the customer to choose a shoe that fits their mood and personality.

“Fratelli” means brothers in Italian and this business is a family one, ensuring the quality and focus of the brand.

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Posted by Lori Zaino and photos by Paloma Canseco.

Philipp Plein always goes above and beyond to make sure his runway shows truly embody the inspiration of the coming collections. Upon arrival in Milan I checked out the invitation, which had a picture of a shark and the phrase “Bite Me” on it. I knew this was going to be good!

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The venue was a large swimming pool (which, having lived in cities like New York and Madrid, I fully understand that finding a pool that large in a big city is no easy feat), decorated with sharks and the Philipp Plein logo. Everyone was excited to see what was to come.

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The show began with syncronized swimmers performing, followed by rapper Theophilus London, who rapped while a jet ski drove him around the pool, and a big finish of acrobatic jet ski performers. Oh, and a fashion show with beautiful men sporting clothes too.

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Let me just say, the theatrics of the event in no way shape or form took away from or overtook the clothing. They seemed to simply enhance it. Philipp himself explains that “water represents energy and power, this is why the man I imagined favors marine details and prints. He is a modern captain, a water world captain.” Was the event amazing? Yes, it was, but the clothes are what really drove it along.

The collection was large and featured a number of different styles and options. The blazers were fantastic, especially the detailing on them. There was a denim blazer, a red blazer and a black one with sequins that stood out to me. Bomber jackets were also cool and edgy. Ripped white jeans added a little grunge to the otherwise flashy and studded clothing. Plein also added a bit of whim with printing the embelm, for the collection, the shark on some of the garments.

After the show, the after party was epic, and completely fufilled my high expections. Philipp Plein never holds back, and that is reflected in his fun and glamorous designs.

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Posted by Lori Zaino and photos by Paloma Canseco.

 

The John Varvatos SS15 collection was inspired by a night out at the opera, but rather, a “day” out at the opera. The idea was to take the refined elegance you might see during an evening out on the town, and translate that into a casual, yet still elegant daytime collection.

Light, linen jackets were layered over soft tees and vests. Earthy colors like brown and army green, along with white, black and grey dominated the collection. Asymmetric, breathable tuxedo jackets made for a casual-meets-classic vibe. The looks were slim enough to be trendy but also comfortable and movable. Detailing like buttons,fringe and zippers set the designs apart, giving off that rock’n’ roll attitude that Mr. Varvatos is oh-so-well-known for. There were even “corsages”, a la Sex-and-the-City style reminiscent of Carrie’s big flower, but toned down to be appropriate not only for men, but for a little edge to a casual daytime outfit.

BDMOTP favorite: every single jacket

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Posted by Lori Zaino and photos by Paloma Canseco.

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