Milan Men's Fashion Week to feature reduced programme

Milano Moda Uomo, the Milanese menswear fashion week, is doubtlessly the event that was hit the hardest by the profound changes which have been shaking up the fashion industry for more than a year. Between defections, shows that changed format or were rescheduled to the womenswear week, the event kicking off tomorrow evening in Milan has significantly shrunk, to the point of losing its traditional Tuesday closing day.

This season's Milan menswear calendar for the summer 2018 collections will extend over one evening and three days, from 16th to 19th June. It will feature 32 catwalk shows, compared to 36 last season, plus the Dolce & Gabbana off-calendar show and the Ports 1961 event.

And though Milan can proudly welcome the return of Philipp Plein, who showed in New York last season, it must record no less than 8 defections, added to the 11 from last summer. Moschino decided to show in Los Angeles again, while Etro and Missoni have both gone for a co-ed show next September, during the womenswear week.

Jil Sander has followed suit: already a no-show in January, the German label will not feature on Milan's men's calendar this season either. Cédric Charlier, who chose Milan to unveil its very first menswear collection last January, has opted for a move to Paris, where it will stage a presentation.

Federico Curradi too is giving Milan a miss, having just shown in Florence at Pitti Uomo 92. Emerging Italian-Chinese label Miaoran will not grace the Milan catwalks, but will exhibit at the White trade show. Billionaire, who debuted in Milan last season, will be showing off-calendar. As for Antonio Marras, this season he chose to let the young line I’m Isola Marras show instead, under the creative aegis of the designer's son Efisio Marras. Nevertheless, Milano Moda Uomo will open with a gala evening on Friday 16th.

"We lost one day, Tuesday, but we have brought events forward to Friday, with the opening show by Ermenegildo Zegna, the event organised by Ports 1961 and the ‘Milano Moda Graduate’ fashion academies show, held for the first time during the Fashion Week," said to FashionNetwork.com the President of the Italian Fashion Chamber, Carlo Capasa.

Yet many labels will show their menswear and womenswear collections together at the next Women's Fashion Week, while no less than eight labels will stage mixed shows this week (Diesel Black Gold, Neil Barrett, Marcelo Burlon County of Milan, Damir Doma, Dsquared2, Malibu 1992, Palm Angels and Sulvam).

"Fashion has become fluid. It's quality that counts. We must not forget that, during the fashion week, Milan will also showcase nearly 2,000 collections at its 800 showrooms. Not to mention countless presentations. And we have made up for the departure of some designers by introducing a plethora of emerging talent," said Capasa.

Among the new names, Palm Angels and Malibu 1992, who took their first steps on the Milan catwalks last January, as well as Sunnei and Wood Wood. Alongside them, another four labels will be cutting their catwalk teeth: South Korean designer Munsoo Kwon, a finalist at the Woolmark Prize 2014, invited by Giorgio Armani at its theatre; Japanese label Sulvam, which first showed in Europe last winter at Pitti Uomo; Poan, selected by the White show; and emerging Italian label GCDS, founded in 2015 by the brothers Giordano and Giuliano Calza.

They will all show on Monday 19th June, the week's last day, which will end with a flourish with two uber-select events. One will be the exclusive dinner party thrown by Gucci for a happy few, inside the complex of the sumptuous Santa Maria delle Grazie church, home to Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece 'The Last Supper'. The other event will be staged at ultra-chic restaurant Da Giacomo, for the launch of Tom Ford's latest fragrance. A major dilemma for Milanese fashionistas, who will have to choose between these two events, heralded as the glitziest of the entire Fashion Week.

Milan Men's Fashion Week to feature reduced programme

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