Earlier this January, the Louis Vuitton Autumn/Winter 2024 menswear runway show explored the American Western roots of workwear, blending the Maison's craftsmanship with dandy-esque elegance, utility, and comfort. The Men’s Workwear Capsule Collection—a core part of the Autumn/Winter 2024 menswear collection—reflects the meticulous LVERS ethos guided by creative director Pharrell Williams.
Focusing on the versatility and durability of the refined suits and overdyed jacquards, the capsule collection features reimagined workwear staples in browns, blacks, and beiges. Western-inspired yokes and leather appliqués adorn trucker jackets and coats with sculptural cuts, echoing the American workwear's functional lines. They're complemented by turquoise-like buttons, pearls, embroideries, and studs as a beautiful showcase of the Maison's savoir-faire.
Doubling down on the workwear inspiration, Louis Vuitton introduces the Keepall 50 Toolbox: a utilitarian take on the Maison's iconic bag. Crafted in natural leather with its preserved earthy nuance, the Keepall 50 Toolbox echoes the rugged functionality of American workwear with multiple exterior pockets, rivets, and lined in coated Monogram canvas.
The capsule completes the accessories line-up with an engraved flash and cigarette case reminiscent of the American West, along with a silk scarf paying homage to its key accessories.
The Men’s Workwear Capsule Collection by Pharrell Williams is further enhanced by a collaboration with Timberland. Synonymous with workwear, the American brand is a fitting partner to showcase Louis Vuitton's craftsmanship applied to the real-life practicality of its footwear.
The reimagined LV x Timberland 6-inch boot—developed with Timberland and crafted in the Maison's Italian shoe atelier Fiesso d'Artico—is available in two designs. Each iteration features premium Italian nubuck leather, an insulation system, and seam-sealed waterproof construction. The boots are distinguished by their signature rubber lug outsole detailed with LV Monogram embossing (a treatment that's also visible on the underside of the tongue), LV eyelets, and leather tag adornments.
Amplifying the 6-Inch silhouette by 15 per cent is the LV x Timberland Boot. Available in five distinct styles, each features a robust rubber lug outsole. An ankle boot in wheat or black grained leather is adorned with a Monogram-embossed tongue lining and leather tag details; a ranger boot features an extended shaft, lace hooks and strap embellishments; a pull-on mid boot is topped with bag puller accents; and a pull-on harness boot with side buckles and a harness. All of the five styles are available in either wheat or black colourways.
But the most impressive and available in limited-edition quantities of 50, is the LV 6-Inch Exceptional Edition. Designed in collaboration across Louis Vuitton's shoe, jewellery, and hard-sided experts, this unique boot features Classic Monogram premium Italian leather with bespoke rubber lug outsoles for an extra distinctive touch. The boots are also adorned with 18K gold LV tongue initials, eyelets, lace tips, and tag hardware. Engraved on the LV tongue initials is "THE SUN IS SHINING ON US", echoing sentiments from Williams' debut Louis Vuitton show last June. And true to form, this Exceptional Edition is housed in a custom Monogram leather and plexiglass shoebox with VVN trims, as showcased on the Autumn/Winter 2024 runway.
The Men’s Workwear Capsule Collection by Pharrell Williams is now pre-launched online and on the LV app. The capsule collection will be available at the Louis Vuitton Marina Bay Sands Island Maison from 8 August 2024.
“From the very beginning, of course there was some pressure,” Harold Israel tells me. We’re sat in a room at the Fondation Simone et Cino Del Duca in Paris, a 19th-century private mansion that became the site of Berluti’s Spring/Summer 2025 presentation this past June. The vice president of marketing and image at Berluti regaled me with details of the challenges that the Maison had to overcome in creating the outfits for Team France for the opening ceremonies to the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Israel doesn’t downplay the monumental pressure that the Berluti team felt from the moment that the House was chosen to outfit the French national team. Parent company LVMH’s signing on as premium partner of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games—an announcement that was made in July last year—involves the participation of a number of its maisons through different facets of the Games. Louis Vuitton’s trunk-making expertise sees it crafting Medals Trunks as well as Torches Trunks to house the competitions' medals and relay torches respectively; Chaumet’s design studio took charge of the medal designs; Sephora created activations that will travel along with the Torch Relay; Dior has adopted more and more athletes into its fold as ambassadors; and Berluti will dress 1,500 athletes representing France. Arguably, Berluti’s task seems the heaviest.
On 26 July, 400 members of Team France will officially make their debut to billions of spectators worldwide. Not only will they be representing France, they’ll be representing the host country and by association, French style and elegance that have long been regarded as one of the blueprints of fashion as we know it. And thanks to Berluti, they’ll be doing so in a rather elegant manner.
“The two main points that were really on our minds throughout this project were elegance and comfort,” explains Israel. “The outfits for the French team during the last Olympics were very much sports driven, given that the partner was different. Being the partner for this edition, our expertise isn’t sporty, so we really pushed for a more elegant aesthetic.” He goes on to say that the Maison was given carte blanche in the design, save for the usual guidelines enforced by the International OIympic Committee.
The decision was to go with what Berluti knows best: craftsmanship. Working within the framework of its time-honoured craftsmanship across footwear, leather goods, and tailoring, the tuxedo became the starting point. Israel tells me that a lot of considerations were made with respect to the nature of the event—it’s a ceremony and not a red carpet event after all. At the end of the day, Berluti wanted the athletes to “dress up, feel very beautiful, and be proud and empowered”.
The tuxedo is undoubtedly a powerful piece of item that’s by definition the epitome of elegance in dress. Berluti’s challenge was to tweak the idea of the tuxedo such that it could be manipulated to fit into the grandeur of the ceremony while paying homage to the nature of the Games, and at the same time, incorporate codes of the Maison. “We didn’t want to put 'Berluti' on it—we felt it was a bit cheap and not elegant. We needed to brand in a very subtle way. Berluti is about savoir-faire and we are quite well known for the patina effect that we’re the only one to master, so we decided to apply this on the silk shawl collar of the tuxedo, making it very singular and outstanding,” explains Israel.
I asked if the Scritto—another Berluti signature—was ever considered to be part of the design. Israel quickly reminded me of the subtleties that Berluti wanted to imbue into the final design. The Scritto might have been considered “too much Berluti” for an event that was not about the Maison, but rather, the French athletes. A fair point indeed.
The chosen patina cleverly utilises the three colours of the France national flag and was done in the same handcrafted manner typical of patinas seen in every Berluti creation. It stands out against the midnight blue hue of the tuxedo but not glaringly so. Israel tells me that once the patina and silhouette of the tuxedo was set in stone, the small details fell into place and were carefully designed—a small team emblem stitched right on the bottom-left pocket, a detailed label specially designed for the Games and positioned inside of the tuxedo, and even belts, scarves and pocket squares rendered in the “French flag” patina to tie the entire look together.
True to the Maison’s personalised nature, semblances of it have been adapted into the opening ceremonies outfits. Female athletes have the options of choosing between a pair of trousers or a wrap-around skirt. Together with the coaches, they will also be afforded the option of wearing either the Berluti Shadow trainers (also trimmed with the specially designed patina) with the trousers or the more formal Lorenzo loafers to be paired with skirts. Male athletes will stick to the standard tuxedo and paired with the Shadow trainers—a mash of elegance and comfort that’s the very basis of the project.
Expectedly, one of the greatest challenges was in dressing a very diverse group of individuals, not just in terms of body measurements, but also in very specific ways. “From the beginning, we had a lot of interactions with the athletes because they are the ones who will be wearing the outfits, and some of them have experiences from previous Olympics or Paralympics opening ceremonies,” Israel expounds. “They came in with a lot of feedback and expectations. Once we collected all those notes, we started to understand what we were supposed to do and what not to do.” The Paralympians, for example, had to be given a more bespoke treatment due to their individual needs. “I think, in that sense, this was also what was expected of us, not to do a one-size-fits-all approach,” affirms Israel.
The results speak for themselves. Looking at the outfits up close, I could tell that the make was every bit Berluti—the fine attention to details, the handcrafted tailoring, and the use of fine materials. But that’s me, someone who won’t be wearing it on a boat sailing along the Seine for the opening ceremonies. Israel informs me that reception from the athletes were very much positive.
“One of the first things the athletes told us when we met them is that a competition can be won from the very first day of the Olympics—even before you enter the field. And they always mention a kind of power that the US team has because firstly, they have fabulous athletes and then they’re all dressed up in Ralph Lauren. Or the Italian team with Armani. The French Team didn't feel they had such a charisma before, so they felt it's super important from the beginning to feel empowered with the way they’re dressed. Now, they’re looking forward to 26 July and 28 August to show the world that they are proud and happy to be in Paris, and they will compete by being super elegant and super comfortable,” expresses Israel.
For a small Maison like Berluti, that in itself is a win. Then again, it’s not exactly surprising that Berluti could craft something that feels characteristically French while at the same time exuding the kind of elegance befitting of a significant global event. If anything, it proves that despite its relatively small size compared to the rest of the maisons under LVMH, Berluti is able to take up just about any sartorial challenge and to do so in the way that stays true to the spirit of the Maison.
Moved by a photo of James Dean at his childhood home and his iconic quote—“I think the prime reason for existence, for living in this world, is discovery”. Chitose Abe weaves a tale of growth and self-discovery in Sacai SS25 Men's Show. Her youthful collection captures the essence of Dean’s early years, as models emerge from a deconstructed home, embodying the spirit of coming age.
While the collection paid homage to the classic 1950s American style from Dean’s era, Abe infused it with that Sacai twist.
(SACAI)
Abe found herself captivated by James Dean’s iconic Harrington jacket from Rebel Without a Cause. This legendary piece of cinema fashion enchanted Abe so much that she couldn't resist incorporating it into the men’s collection. The timeless appeal of Dean's style and the rugged, utilitarian aesthetic of WTAPS—a Japanese streetwear brand renowned for their military-inspired style blended seamlessly, creating a distinctive fusion that paid homage to both classic Hollywood and contemporary streetwear.
Meanwhile, Sacai collaborated with Levi’s, fusing Type I, II, and III jackets with classic denim pants to create a unique hybrid piece. Models, clutching books and sporting glasses, evoke the spirit of academia and youth—discovery in motion. With loafers trending, Sacai added their calling card to the traditional J.M. Weston penny loafers. And just when you thought it couldn't get more exciting, the Zegamadome sneaker was born. Thanks to the cutting-edge collaboration between Nike and the brand.
Sacai unveiled groundbreaking collaborations at every turn, ensuring Abe's zest for revamping remained undiminished on the runway. Hybridisation doesn’t end with Sacai.
Giorgio Armani, the man, is a living legend. Speak the name to anyone at all, even one who is completely out of the fashion loop, and it’s highly unlikely that they’ve not heard of him. After all, the Armani name is now associated with luxury products that run the gamut from suiting to underwear, from home furnishings to hotels, to chocolates and cosmetics even. It is a veritable Italian empire that has extended far beyond the confines of fashion, making it a truly remarkable success story.
This story began just shy of five decades ago, when Armani founded his eponymous brand in 1975 at the age of 41, after years of designing for other Italian brands. He tells us that he’s not one to “really suffer regret” about starting the business relatively late. “I’m very happy with how things have turned out,” he says.
It has been good indeed. In 2014, the Giorgio Armani Group acquired the entirety of the Armani Exchange brand after a multi-year partnership with COMO Holdings’ husband-and-wife duo Ong Beng Seng and Christina Ong that began in 1994. The Giorgio Armani Group now owns almost every facet of its business, while engaged in license partnerships for its beauty and eyewear divisions. It’s a feat to be relished. Rumours were abound throughout the decades of various companies wanting to own a stake in the Giorgio Armani empire, yet Armani held steadfast in maintaining full control at the helm.
At Emporio Armani’s Autumn/Winter 2024 menswear show in Milan, Armani took his bow in front of the set’s lighthouse, a spotlight illuminating him. He flashed the same charismatic smile he’s been giving at the end of every show for decades, except that now, he’s on the cusp of turning 90 (on 11 July, by the way). It’s quite a sight to behold, that in the darkness of the show space, Armani’s presence felt like it filled the entire room—that’s how you know you’re looking at a legend.
ESQUIRE: What is an average work day for you?
GIORGIO ARMANI: That is hard to say as every day is different. My days are full, very full, but I like them like that. I follow a strict routine that affords me the time and space to work in a concentrated way, and this is what makes me happy.
ESQ: With fashion having gone through various changes and challenges in the past decades, what keeps you inspired even after so long?
GA: I rarely lose my inspiration. Though when it does happen, I resort to my pillars, starting with my tried and true, and by doing, again and again, new inspirations begin to arise. My first and greatest inspiration comes from the world and from observing people. I have always accompanied social changes, providing an elegant response to real needs. That is what I continue to aspire to.
ESQ: You had no formal fashion education before starting your own brand. And now, we do see such creative directors at the helm of big-named fashion brands. Do you think a formal fashion education is not requisite to be a good fashion creative?
GA: For me the creative process is instinctive. I know what I am aiming for, and I know what I like and when I have achieved it. I also know when it is not right and how to correct it. I am not sure that talent and creativity have anything to do with formal training, but I am certainly not averse to people getting formally trained. Picasso, after all, was formally trained, and he used this as the springboard for his extraordinary innovations.
ESQ: Are there young designers out there who have captured your attention?
GA: There are some I am curious about, but I would not wish to single anyone out.
ESQ: In a recent interview with Business of Fashion, you mentioned, “I don’t feel I can rule anything out” when it comes to the future of the business, including an acquisition or an IPO. Do you think about the future or are you one to take things as they come?
GA: I am involving, in my plans for the future of the company, a team that can steer the ship. Because my approach has been so determinedly consistent and clear, it is not hard to see how we can maintain the right course. A foundation has been established, and I have very capable heirs and close collaborators who will lead Giorgio Armani into the future and ensure that what I have created lives on; that the Group is kept stable over time and consistently adheres to the principles that are particularly important to me and that have always inspired my work as a designer and an entrepreneur.
ESQ: Italian fashion brands, more so than others, are more interested in keeping their businesses privately owned. Why do you think that is so?
GA: Our culture in Italy is of a fashion industry that is full of family businesses—often with the founders or family members still actively involved. This makes it difficult to see how a group might be formed, as the instinctive position of a family business is to preserve its independence.
ESQ: The Armani brand—across the many different lines—has a consistently elegant persona. What does elegance mean to you?
GA: For me, elegance is a disposition of the spirit that is reflected outwardly, something profound that is echoed in a manner of dressing, but also in the choice of an object. It is a way of being—an innate gift that has a great deal to do with an ability to combine items of clothing and colours as well as to choose shapes in order to give life to one’s own style, a signature character and look which leaves an understated yet lasting impression.
ESQ: Is there a particular male muse in mind when you’re designing menswear?
GA: My father, who was always well-dressed in tailoring from that time.
ESQ: Navy blue is essentially an Armani colour. What drew you to navy blue as a colour of choice for yourself as well as now a signature of Armani?
GA: Navy blue is my go-to colour and daily uniform: a deep, vibrant colour that I find calming and that I have always loved. Blue is a great alternative to black, with all the neutrality of that hue, but with an added element in that it is a colour. It matches my personality—pragmatic and reserved—and focuses other people’s attention on my actions and words.
ESQ: Are you sentimental about the past?
GA: I am not a nostalgic person. Nostalgia leads you to dwell on the past, and from the point of view of a designer, it can be very dangerous: you forget to move on, to develop, to explore. That is why I am resolutely focused on the present and the future. I do value the past, as the present is always built on the lessons of the past. And I have fond memories of my life and my work, my friends, travels and achievements. But I prefer to focus on what I will do today and tomorrow. I live in the moment, and the moment to come.
ESQ: If you were to look back on your fashion career, is there a moment that stands out to you?
GA: Undoubtedly the first positive feedback when I was starting out; that was the moment I realised that I had made a solid contribution to liberating men and women from rigidity in the way they dress by offering clothes with simple, natural elegance, and achieving my vision. And then the various awards that were confirmation that my job was always going in the right direction. Dressing Richard Gere for American Gigolo opened up a world for me to work with cinema and allowed me to reach beyond Italy... as well as gave me notoriety, which culminated with the cover of Time magazine in 1982—these are moments I will never forget.
ESQ: You’re still going strong. Is retirement something that you’ve considered?
GA: I don’t think I will ever stop working because dressing people is my life’s great passion. I feel that I have so much still to do and I am genuinely as excited about getting to my studio every day as I was when I first started out all those years ago. In some sense, more so, as today there are fewer worries about whether I will be able to pay the bills.
ESQ: With your wealth of experience and knowledge, what’s one wisdom you’d like to impart?
GA: One life lesson that I have learnt is that for success, hard work is essential: talent is real, but I don’t believe that on its own it is enough to guarantee success. Work hard and possibly harder, believe in your ideas, work a bit harder, and you’ll get to the top. And even if you don’t get to the top, there is nothing to worry; being true to oneself is the best reward. Be yourself. Follow your passion. Stick to your beliefs. Dare to dream.
ESQ: At the end of it all, what would you like your legacy to be?
GA: The legacy I’d like to leave is one of integrity and commitment, of respect and attention to reality.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Louis Vuitton Malle Courrier isn’t just one of the most enduring of the famed French fashion house’s designs—it’s the literal foundation of the entire company. And it’s the story of this trunk that’s at the heart of the first episode of Esquire’s new series, Iconic, which details some of the most recognisable and resilient items in the fashion world.
Back in the middle of the 1800s, before his initials were one half of the name of luxury juggernaut LVMH, Louis Vuitton himself revolutionised the luggage industry with a flat-topped, stackable trunk better suited to the uptick in rail and boat travel than its rounded predecessors. And the biggest innovation? Instead of using leather to protect the wood it was built from, Vuitton’s trunk employed lightweight-but-tough canvas that wasn’t prone to rotting in a baggage hold midway across the Atlantic Ocean.
The Louis Vuitton trunk was such a smash hit that other companies soon began copying the distinctive striped pattern of the original canvas. This led to the creation of the unmistakable Monogram canvas that we all know so well. A combination of the letters "L" and "V" with Japanese-inspired flower motifs, it was like nothing else on the market and an instant status symbol.
These days, though, identifiable imagery doesn’t hold the same value it once did in the fashion world. In fact, modern luxury’s emphasis on logos and signifiers doesn’t quite hit the mark. True luxury is defined by the work that goes in behind the scenes, the craftsmanship and know-how that inform the construction of goods that serve a real purpose and just so happen to elevate our experience of the everyday in the process.
That’s the idea behind Iconic. It’s not about names or brands or flash. It’s about the substance that earns these items their lofty place in the world—and maybe, eventually, your own collection.
Originally published on Esquire US
Think of a solid pair of jeans... what comes to mind? For the majority, it's probably Levi's. As the first pair of denim jeans, the Levi's brand epitomises the classic American style. It has become ubiquitous and you can't beat that kind of marketing. But in order to stay relevant, collaboration with other IPs is key. From Mickey Mouse to The Simpsons, you name it, Levi's has worked with them all. Like with McLaren.
So, when the chance to team up with McLaren arose, why pass it up? Since its first Formula 1 race in 1966, McClaren has since won 20 Formula 1 world championships; 184 Formula 1 grand prix; the Indianapolis 500 three times, and the Le Mans 24 Hours on its first attempt. With that kind of track record, McLaren is hoping to score gold with this collection with Levi's.
Kicking it off with the cropped, boxy fit Racing Jacket. This piece captures the essence of McLaren Racing's vintage-era. It boasts chain stitch embroidery on the back, twill taping at the cuffs and hem. The Racing Suit offers a slightly dropped crotch and a spacious fit with straight legs and showcases vintage-inspired patches and a crackle print running down the right leg. Both the Racing Jacket and Racing suit comes in a light wash paired with an embossed vegan tanned leather co-branded patch.
To channel the spirit of McLaren's founder, Bruce McLaren, look no further than the three-tone Racing Gloves. Crafted from fine Italian leather and a Levi's shank for snap closure, these gloves sport an embroidered signature and an impressed McLaren logo. Inspired by vintage McLaren Racing posters, they incorporate colours from the classic McLaren colour palette and include perforations for that much-needed breathability—because clammy hands? Ugh.
The Heritage 501 Jeans exude "you're-cute jeans" as famously complimented by Kendall Jenner to her mom. The left back pocket is replaced with a shadow pocket adorned with a cackle print, topped by a red tape welt zipper pocket. Whilst the cropped and boxy Heritage Trucker exhibits a medium wash and pintucks at the elbows, with its centre-front zipper accented with red-tape.
Paying homage to McLaren's classic cars from the '80s, both the Jeans and Heritage Trucker showcase vintage-inspired patches and bold red co-branded back patches.
If you're on the hunt for a tee to rock at this year's Formula 1 in Singapore, but you want to stand out with a cooler and decidedly more stylish look, go for the Constructors Tee. It features a front graphic showcasing an '80s era McLaren race car. Pair it with the Racing Bandana, which reimagines classic Levi's western motifs through a racing lens with '80s McLaren graphics. Who knows, maybe Lando Norris might notice you.
Speeding your way on the 3 July, the Levi's x McLaren Racing Maiden Collection is available online and at the Levi's ION Orchard.
There's a common notion that jewellery is primarily for women. However, as society progresses, must clothes and accessories be strictly gendered? I mean, fashion now embraces a spectrum of gender identities, challenging traditional constraints. Can't I wear a suit? Can't my boyfriend wear a little concealer? Why shouldn't men wear jewellery and break outdated norms?
Enter Desmond Tan, Lee Hwa inaugural ambassador. The actor, whose career showcases dynamic transitions on-and-off camera, effortlessly embraces diverse roles. Film-driven and fashion-forward, it's kinda fitting that Tan can front Lee Hwa. Given his experience as the first Singaporean actor invited to global designer brand events at both Milan and Paris Fashion Week, this ambassadorship marks a pivotal moment in the heritage brand's evolution.
Lee Hwa adds to that momentum with ITALGOLD, a collection of fine 916 Gold jewellery that showcases artisanal Italian craftsmanship in Singapore. As his first act with Lee Hwa, Tan will curate a signature ITALGOLD collection that reflects his philosophy of style transcending boundaries and inspiring self-expression for both men and women. Tan will also headline major campaigns for Lee Hwa in the upcoming months, showcasing the brand's hero diamond line, Destinée.
Creative director Jonathan Anderson is one of the leading designers of his generation, earning both critical acclaim and commercial success since his appointment at Loewe in September 2013. Under his leadership, Loewe has embraced significant change. Each collection reflects a dedication to art, craftsmanship, design, and fashion. Loewe continues to evoke emotions, with artisanal know-how and the human touch always present.
The previous Spring/Summer 2024 menswear show, centred on how points of view define perceptions and scales, and how they draw silhouettes—highlighting Loewe's constant exploration of drawing inspiration from both the environment and the human mind. It will be fascinating to see where Anderson's exploration and experimentation will take us next with the upcoming show.
For confirmation of what the Loewe Spring/Summer 2025 menswear collection will look like, stay tuned for the show this Saturday. And for an even closer look at the collection, follow @esquiresg on Instagram as we bring you the action live from Paris Fashion Week Men's.
What: Loewe Spring/Summer 2025 menswear runway show
Where: Paris, France
When: Saturday, 22 June 2024 at 6pm Singapore time
Now in his sixth year at the Maison, artistic director Kim Jones has built a reputation for elevating Dior's menswear, seamlessly blending street style elements with the house's couture history. For the Dior Men Summer 2024 collection, Jones paid tribute to various Dior predecessors and eras, integrating their influences with a contemporary design language. Constantly challenging the notions of tradition and modernity, there's no doubt that the Dior Men Summer 2025 collection will be one that brings to the fore forgotten or lesser known elements of Dior's history.
For confirmation of what the Dior Men Summer 2025 collection will look like, stay tuned for the show this Friday. And for an even closer look at the collection, follow @esquiresg on Instagram as we bring you the action live from Paris Fashion Week Men's.
What: Dior Men Summer 2025 runway show
Where: Paris, France
When: Friday, 21 June 2024 at 9pm Singapore time
When buying clothes, do you prioritise longevity, practicality, functionality or style? Perhaps all these aspects can be challenging without resorting to Gorp Core. However, the collab between Dior's haute couture legacy and Stone Island's utilitarianism might tick all your boxes. This collection combines the romance and precision of Parisian haute couture with the skilled, detailed craftsmanship of Northern Italy.
This fusion of clothing traditions showcases the expertise of both brands, epitomising Dior Men's identity. It captures modern skills, highlighting the romance, precision, and detail that define both traditions. Neither is just about looking functional, practical, or handmade. Instead, both brands' styles are respected, followed and, may we add, improved.
Dior and Stone Island unite through their use of high-quality materials, especially silk. Ah, yes silk—this staple in haute couture and military garments alike. This is the material that brings all the sophisticated boys to its yard. Stone Island’s dyeing technique appears throughout the collection, reimagined by the Parisian atelier with garment-dyed embroidery on both outerwear and knitwear.
(ETHAN HART)
Colour takes centre stage in this collection. Stone Island's signature colours and silhouettes are intensified and transformed. Iconic elements like Dior's cannage pattern and the compass are woven into the designs, from quilting to leather constructions. Standing proudly alongside Stone Island’s iconic silk-based compass badge, the Dior logo is enhanced with the cannage motif.
(ETHAN HART)
The shoes in this collection blend functionality with traditional formal shoemaking. Boots and Derbies—a classic Dior element—inspired by hiking shoe design, featuring thick soles, both practical and elegant.
(ETHAN HART)
The bags showcases modern craftsmanship for men. Combining high luxury with advanced usability, these bags are more than just material and finish. With traditional leatherwork, contemporary craftsmanship and high functionality these defines the essence of Dior Men today. Additionally, the bags and clothes can also be enhanced by accessories. This collection reflects countless hours of work, merging traditional techniques with modern demands in a generational project.
The Dior x Stone Island capsule collection would be available in stores on 4 July.
For over three decades, SHANGHAI TANG has blended luxury fashion and lifestyle with Asian flair. It's a cute-meet between East and West. Through the combination of millennia-old cultural influences, exquisite craftsmanship, and contemporary art.
Renowned for its collaborations with artists to promote Chinese arts and culture, the brand didn't break new ground with its partnership with Jacky Tsai. But it is a collaboration that works. The multimedia Chinese artist, who is based in London, has an impressive body of work that ranges from traditional canvases to real-time NFT digital pieces, integrating Eastern ideology and cultural symbols with Western Pop art icons and motifs. Themes of his pieces include alternative narratives and realities, constantly reflecting on our own.
Like SHANGHAI TANG, Jacky Tsai unifies the differences and similarities between perceptions. His art is a provocation into viewers' ideas of intercultural relationships and that establishes both tension and harmony between cultural representations.
(SHANGHAI TANG)
This year’s Holiday Collection draws inspiration from Tsai’s iconic butterfly and galloping horse motifs. Each piece is infused with a dynamic and chic pop art vibe. With bold colour contrasts and striking patterns, it embodies the lively spirit of Tsai's original artworks. Along with SHANGHAI TANG's signature embroidery, it imbues a refined craftsmanship. You're wearing art as each garment is a canvas of creativity. The collection features limited edition pieces with exclusive designs that captures three decades of a shared artistry and cultural innovation.
The Zegna Spring/Summer 2025 runway show wasn't an easy one to get to. It's about a half-an-hour drive from the centre of Milan to the industrial space and from the outside, it looked like a blank white canvas. The inside however, Zegna had it converted into a field of linen plants concentrated towards the centre. This became the runway where the models eventually stood along neat emptied out space in the midst of the field.
The linen plants, however, weren't exactly what they appeared to be. Global brand ambassador Leo Wu proved this as I witnessed him cheekily playing with one before plucking it out from its spot. It was a metal rod, varnished into a specific of shade of yellow and gave it quite a naturalistic look. Aside from the Spring/Summer 2025 collection being centred around the brand's traceable Oasi Lino—a concept that's set to continue on every Spring/Summer season—it was also about this idea of how nothing is ever really what it seems. No two things are exactly same for artistic director Alessandro Sartori, even when they looked similar on the runway.
"It is the moment to focus on how items are or can be used, on the singular ways they mould to individual personalities," Sartori says, referencing how it's the right time to expand on the aesthetic that's been crafted and established since Autumn/Winter 2021. It's evident from the fact that the models engaged for the show were as diverse as they come in terms of age, race, and even gender. And while there were some commonalities among some looks in terms of colours or even print, each look was different, brought out even more by the attitude of the model wearing them.
The fit: It's the Zegna that we've all come to adore by Sartori. The tailoring was impeccable with the kind of flow and languid silhouettes that's favoured, but at the same time, cut at the right spots such that none of the models appeared to drown while wearing an oversized polo or a drop-shoulder blazer.
Necklines were reduced further that at times, they didn't require any sort of fastening. It's a subtle tweak but emphasised this hybridisation of formal and relaxed that's become a fundamental Zegna trait. They looked at home worn under the collection's more traditional suiting to create an almost perfectly layered collar effect.
The details: The brand is through and through a ready-to-wear-first brand. At the same time, its Triple Stitch footwear has become such an icon that it may be time to expand that universe a tad further. The runway saw only one footwear adorning the feet of all the models: a new loafer referred to as Mocassin. It's designed with a slightly rounded toe and crafted long and narrow to elongate. True to form, the Mocassin was also minimally designed but again, traipsed that line between formal and relaxed.
Similarly, the brand's bags haven't been much of a focus as a whole, but the capriciousness of the collection's bags definitely drew my attention. For starters, some models (including runway closer, Mads Mikkelsen) carried a different large one on each hand. These were probably some of the biggest bags that Zegna has done in a while and definitely made to be lived in—for just about everything and anything.
Three exceptional looks: The sumptuous and unexpected pairing of deep colours in look 7; the striking printed look 24 that's essentially a shortened pyjama suit; and look 33's stunning tonal combination of yellows with trousers cut to make one look taller.
The takeaway: A truly studied approach to approaching wearable luxury fashion in the contemporary sense.
View the full Zegna Spring/Summer 2025 collection in the gallery below.
