Dolce & Gabbana's black-clad men exude sober and sleek elegance

Black flowed once again down the runway for Dolce & Gabbana's men's show in Milan on Saturday, in an homage to both meticulous tailoring and noble Italian materials and heritage. "It's important to tell the story of genuine elegance of hand-made, of sartorial art - they are facts, not words," Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana said at the Metropol, a former cinema that is now the house's headquarters. Among the front-row guests were Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancee Lauren Sanchez, whose son Nikko Gonzalez was one of the models.

A far cry from former elaborate presentations with explosions of colours, this show was stripped down to a monochrome runway punctuated by a single raised platform which the models ascended and descended by stairs. It was all about riffs on the classics -- deep black tuxedos adorned with silk Lavalliere ties, or creamy white versions with jackets cut short to reveal perfectly pleated cummerbunds.

Several razor-sharp jackets and billowing shirts favoured plunging necklines, others gave up on sleeves entirely. Other modern twists included sheer lace shirts or knee-high patent leather boots, with many of the designs topped off with the house's signature gavroche caps. "Today, everything comes from the art of tailoring, but there is good wine and there is cheap wine. For us, it's important to distinguish the quality," the designers said.

"Young people are turning to this style, they are looking for elegant clothes," added the duo, who just a few years ago created a menswear collection aimed squarely at generation TikTok that embraced the screaming colours of street style.
"If you want the next generation to be better than us, you have to give them a beautiful film, a beautiful story."

Fendi in bucolic mode
Another highly anticipated show was Fendi's. The clothing played on the contrast between the peace of pastoral life and the fast pace of the city, with models switching between outdoor wear and city outfits.

Designer Silvia Venturini Fendi was largely inspired by the British countryside for her collection, which is both vintage and sophisticated. Breaking codes, the men wore checked skirts or long pleated shorts resembling kilts, along with hiking socks and leather Wellington boots.

As Fendi has repeatedly argued, the boundaries between men's and women's wardrobes are blurring. Velvet pants and wool cardigans were on display alongside fisherman coats, bomber jackets and waterproof jackets.
On the city side, shiny satin and lurex brightened up evening outfits.