Men’s Fashion Week AW23: All the highlights from Fendi, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and more
From Milan to Paris
And just like that, it’s Men’s Fashion Week once again and Milan had the privilege of setting the trends for the Autumn/Winter 2023 season. For fashion enthusiasts, it was an exciting time as Gucci held its first show post-Michele, and Fendi debuted clutches shaped like French baguettes, among other things that have happened recently.
In Paris, Louis Vuitton presented a collaborative collection, and Saint Laurent continued to lead the way for genderless fashion. Now that men’s fashion week is over, here are eight of our favourites from the entire affair.
Saint Laurent
A sequel of seasons past, Anthony Vaccarello presents his newest collection that pushes the boundaries in menswear design. Classic masculine and feminine themes came to life at Bourse de Commerce—Pinault Collection, where larger bows could be seen on a collection of tops made of soft silk and chest-baring silk chiffon draped blouses in shades of black, white, and soft beige.
Further to that, models marched down the runway in floor-length overcoats with wide lapel accents made of wool, cashmere, mohair, silky leather, and glittering patent leather—some with razor-sharp shoulders and others with more relaxed silhouettes. Across the collection, Vacarello presented a new depth of androgyny while staying true to his contemporary and minimalist aesthetic.
Louis Vuitton
A new chapter unfolds for Louis Vuitton as the menswear collection is a collaboration of creative minds. Designed by Louis Vuitton Studio Prêt-à-Porter Homme, with concepts by American designer Colm Dillane, styling contributed by Ibrahim Kamara, and creative director Lina Kutsovskaya, the runway captivated the spectators with its exquisite menswear.
Drawing on the notion of growing up, the boxy yet fluid collection combines the foundations that Abloh has built at Louis Vuitton over the years with Dillane’s touch of occasional bold prints and colour. The Maison’s iconic monogram could also be seen peeking through these design cues on everything from duffel bags to individual denim pieces.
Dior
Taking cues from the great rivers of London and Paris, Kim Jones tapped into the fluidity and movement of the water to create Dior AW23 Men’s collection. The exquisite line adopts a luxurious look with its fabric and skilled craftsmanship, as seen on split-sleeved cable-knit sweaters worn over oxford shirts and leather jackets paired with tweed skirts.
Yves Saint Laurent’s legacy was also honoured as Jones revisited the Maison’s archive pieces with the intention of making them more wearable. From wool tunics to raincoats with vents, the garments are anchored in a subdued colour scheme of beige, brown, black and grey.
Loewe
While staying faithful to the brand’s aesthetic, Jonathan Anderson explores the realm of the Old Master in the Loewe Men’s AW23 collection. Early Renaissance paintings serve as inspiration for the collection’s minimalist style, emphasising materials that bring silhouettes into the limelight.
Amid three massive paintings by American artist Julien Nguyen, models walked in velvet-finished and smooth wool overcoats that mimicked the robes in the paintings. In contrast, maxi-length coats, and clean-cut slacks paired with wool sweaters are seen across the runway. The angel wings that adorn the backs of the rear-fastening shirts also lend a dramatic touch to the assortment.
Gucci
Gucci kicked off fashion week, marking its first show since the departure of the iconic Creative Director, Alessandro Michele. As the Italian fashion house has yet to name a successor, the collection was designed by the Maison’s creative team.
This season, Gucci explores the idea of improvisation by drawing inspiration from the classic wardrobe of the contemporary gentleman. This is evident in the oversized coats with shoulder pads, split maxi skirts, and rectangular tote bags that have been introduced to Gucci’s accessory collection. Across the show, the Italian label also took a trip down memory lane, adding familiar touches like the crystal GG, piston lock detail, Horsebit loafers and plush Princetown slippers to reflect the individualities of the fashion house.
Emporio Armani
Emporio Armani’s ‘A View From Above’ menswear show transported us to the skies of Milan. Decorating the floor of the Armani Teatro with an aereal map of the city, it’s clear that the designer was inspired by aviation, with tailoring tracing back to the 1930s throughout the collection. Models ‘flew’ around the city, and a belted grey boiler suit with a furry collar, aviator cap, and pilot goggles stole the show.
The expansive runway showcased a variety of looks, starting with voluminous faux-fur lined outerwear and muted plaid jumpsuits, and eventually moving on to formal dinner jackets and evening wear. Whether it’s sheer shirts adorned with sequins or satin black lapels paired with neckerchief ties, all suggested that dressing in Emporio Armani would make a stylish entrance to dinner.
Fendi
Following the huge success of Fendi’s 25th Baguette anniversary, expectations were high for Silvia Venturini Fendi to unveil her menswear line. Luckily, the collection hit the spot as one-shoulder tops made their entrance and added drama and variety to men’s styling. A little layering with a long coat proves that the style can also be made corporate and then quickly undone for an evening transition.
Fendi embraced a mix of playfulness and sartorial norms by adding fringe and graphite beading to sweeping coats and capes. In the bag category, an actual baguette (yes, the bread) bag made of shearling makes its debut. There were also modern black and vintage brown leather satchels that caught our eye, proving that Fendi bags simply need to be seen.
Prada
Centred around exploring the fundamentals of fashion and the label’s DNA, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons joined forces to present the ‘Let’s Talk About Clothes’ collection at the heart of the Fondazione Prada. The dynamic duo aimed to revive Prada’s sense of simplicity while also providing moments of comfort and intimacy with this collection.
Ranging from boxy tailoring with oversized collars reminiscent of the 1960s to billowing bomber jackets in khaki, orange, and navy, the distinct collection featured a variety of looks that are simple to wear. Additionally, chunky footwear and new bags, such as totes and small crossbodies made an appearance to round up the vivid collection.
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