Milan's Men Fashion Week- Spring/Summer 2011 Runway

Bottega Veneta

The sublime luxury that is Bottega Veneta spends the new season examining the many possibilities of a man's wardrobe. Designer Tomas Maier has discovered an innovative medium between classic tailoring and athletic sportswear that resulted in fluid cotton suits in creams, claret red, sapphire blue, and army green. Then there were the highly original military jackets built with suedes and cottons in desert taupes, royal blue, and moss green — nice.

John Varvatos

For his tenth-anniversary collection, John Varvatos did not stray from his formula for success: rock and roll, with a healthy dash of sophistication. He treated the fabric for the season — linen — by making it worn and dusty, with gray Glen Plaid being the signature. Linen was layered under ultra suede jackets, coated and made into peacoats, knit into fair-isle cardigans, and mixed with cotton and wool. It was a true rock statement: mix and match to make something new and individual.

Versace

You could tell you were in for a treat as you entered the Versace Theatre: '80s archives everywhere, a sculptural stage, the black-and-white floor — it was all like some great old Bruce Weber image. But Donatella Versace kept the retro to a minimum on the runway, hinting at the '80s/'50s vibe but hitting hard with innovative fabric blends and iridescent skinny suits. If fringe isn't quite your bag (there were sleeveless dress shirts here), the fantastic sharp, skinny tuxes can surely please one and all.

The 'chun'-ted Chinese silk robe by Alexander McQueen. woots...

Alexander McQueen
The late designer's sharp and chic tradition is most assuredly in safe hands with Sarah Burton. At an appropriately subdued presentation here, she showed off amazing trench coats with a World War I flair, plus sharp suits in neutral hues, Chinese silk (it's everywhere) that showed up on robes as well as shoes, and a spectacular washed leather jacket that was a take on the waxed-cotton biker jackets of seasons past.

PRADA

The post-punk anthem "Bela Lugosi's Dead" set the energetic pace for Prada's show big here, the star of which was footwear. The shoes — either plain-toe or wing-tip; black, two tone, or three tone — all sported every type of sole a shoe can have, all at once (including espadrilles!). Their exaggerated proportions were mirrored by the clothes — suits, shorts, surgeon's smocks, graphic knits — whose silhouettes oscillated between slim and voluminous; between navy or dark denim and bright shocks of orange, yellow, and cobalt. With all these modern takes on work- and sportswear, there was something for everyone. And everyone in attendance wanted something.

Gucci
Creative Director Frida Gianini has found her groove for menswear at Gucci. Specifically, she's discovered the perfect balance between what a man needs and her love of the elaborate — the result of which was an eminently wearable collection with luxury details. There were great core basics — sharp tailoring in gunmetal grey with a slight shine, for one, didn't overdo it. And her sportswear looked cool when paired with the new faded Gucci jean. Then there was the eveningwear, which was smashing when tied silk jackets were paired with white pants.WOW! The one i favoured most.

D&G
The grass runway here was the perfect setting for Domenico and Stefano's '50s tiki garden party. Ginghams of every scale were mixed from blazer to shirt to rolled-pants hem. The washed-linen sack suiting had Hawaiian print collars overlapping the lapels and pleated loose trousers pegged at the bottom. Khaki and washed-out denim completed the looks. D&G is always an exploded concept, and like last season's ski bunnies, this period interpretation was high energy and, when dissected, full of desirable pieces like a tiki-lined cotton blazer or a crew-neck knit overprinted with gingham.