Milan’s ‘refreshingly different’ menswear season – VOGUE BUSINESS
Tue 20 Jun
Menswear is finding its feet somewhere between tailoring and technical for Spring/Summer 2024. In Milan, this translated into standout shows from established brands including Prada, Valentino and JW Anderson, while paving the way for a wave of fresh talent.
Marco Vianello, vice president of sales and business development at brand accelerator Tomorrow, says this gave more space to emerging labels and those looking to scale internationally. Italy’s luxury manufacturing capabilities are attractive to young designers, he points out. “Milan seems to be the place to be right now,” he says. “This season felt refreshingly different from the previous ones.”
A springboard to international success
Milan Fashion Week provides a “prestigious backdrop” that elevates the perception of brands on a global stage, says Vianello. Scottish designer Charles Jeffrey agrees: “I think doing a show [in Milan] brings you a certain level of respect and attention. If you show in Milan, people automatically see you as worth a look.”
Jeffrey decamped from London to Milan in January of this year, with the help of Tomorrow, which acquired an undisclosed stake in the brand in 2021. “I knew that Milan would bring more attention to the brand but I had no idea how much. It’s like fashion week on steroids!” Jeffrey said the day before the SS24 show. The business grew 47 per cent last season following his Milan debut. Within that, his business in Asia-Pacific surged 147 per cent.
He staged his second show in Milan on Sunday evening, inspired by a modern reimagining of the 17th century Caroleans (the name for any era under a King Charles). Guests had tall paper crowns on their seats and the show, filled with vivid colours, regal silhouettes and anarchy, featured a semi-theatrical performance from the cast. In line with the shift to technical high fashion, Jeffrey incorporated performance fabrics on vests and shorts into his collection for the first time, and used performance textiles in knitwear to make it more breathable.