Longtime artistic director of Hermès menswear, Véronique Nichanian, has crafted such a signature look for the House's menswear collections that its Spring/Summer 2025 outing will certainly be one to anticipate. Hermès has already teased a look—a knit shirt with a dip-dye effect in a blue that reflects the sea. It does seem as though that could be the reference point for Nichanian's latest collection, or at the very least, just one element of it.
For confirmation of what the Hermès 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: Hermès Spring/Summer 2025 menswear runway show
Where: Paris, France
When: Saturday, 22 June 2024 at 9pm Singapore time
I don't think anyone had so much of an inkling as to how the Gucci Spring/Summer 2025 menswear collection was going to look like. Creative director Sabato De Sarno left little clues, and the show invite—a set square engraved with "la misura dell'amore è amare senza misura" ("the measure of love is to love without measure")—ultimately didn't really have anything to do with geometry or math. And thank god for that because after a hectic Milan Fashion Week Men's schedule, I'm sure none of us would have wanted a problem to figure out.
To some, however, De Sarno's Gucci aesthetic may be a problem. Some might say that his sophomore menswear collection, while a more vibrant proposal with prints ripe for the season, left little to be desired; that there isn't a strong enough of a point-of-view.
Having a "point-of-view" tends to be thought of as having concepts that are singular—a look so unique and easily identifiable that it will immediately be recognisable as being Gucci. I'd argue that De Sarno doesn't lack one, but rather, it's an aesthetic that isn't targeted to just one archetype.
The setting of the runway show reflected this. The Triennale Milano is a museum of art and design where a diverse range of works are collected and exhibited. I'm not equating the Gucci Spring/Summer 2025 menswear collection to that of works of art (although the oversized shirts decorated completely with paillettes came close) but there seems to be a growing idea of the Gucci wardrobe being able to be collected throughout the season, spliced and then combined to create looks that are part of one's style. Is that enough of a point-of-view?
The fit: It's a the-city-meets-the-beach style narrative consisting of short shorts that would've been perfect for the weather during the show (Paul Mescal made an excellent outfit choice). De Sarno repeated his penchant for oversized tops with shirting left untucked, offering just a peek of the shorts underneath.
Colour-blocking was heavily utilised. In fact, this was a stark difference from the Autumn/Winter 2024 menswear collection—this was colour on steroids almost. Acid hues were paired with vibrant prints of dolphins, surfers, hibiscus flowers, and banana leaves.
The details: We do need to talk about the hardware. The Horsebit is set to be an element that De Sarno seems to be planning to drive down our throats. It's apparent on the pointed toe iterations of the Horsebit loafers that he introduced for Autumn/Winter 2024 but this time, expanding the offering with boots. Belts are also given the Horsebit treatment and with a new surprise. What I initially thought were just Horsebit belts from my vantage point were actually a combination of a double-ended snap hook closure (a hardware that has replaced the piston closure in De Sarno's Jackie bags) as well as the d-rings of the Horsebit.
A bag that could potentially be on a lot of people's wishlist would be a new crossbody bag fitted with the snap hook closure. They're slightly reminiscent of the Horsebit 1955 and that's not exactly a bad thing.
Three exceptional looks: Look 14's masterful layering of a polo over a shirt; the oversized polo shirt embellished with paillettes in look 26; and look 34's classic with a twist.
The takeaway: Once more (one last time, hopefully), it's a new Gucci that's not quite less is more nor more is more.
View the full Gucci Spring/Summer 2025 menswear collection in the gallery below.
Now that Milan Fashion Week Men's is done, we're heading to Paris where Louis Vuitton will kick things off with its Spring/Summer 2025 menswear show by Pharrell Williams. This will be Williams' third menswear show, and with the previous two taking references from cultures and experiences around the world, his latest offering may perhaps take on a similar slant. But perhaps, as "Le monde est à vous" is what the show is being called—literally "the world is yours"—it may be even bigger than before.
For confirmation of what the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2025 menswear collection will look like, stay tuned for the show this Wednesday. 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: Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2025 menswear runway show
Where: Paris, France
When: Wednesday, 19 June 2024 at 2.30am Singapore time
I hate to bring up "quiet luxury" again (have we used this term to death yet?) but that pretty much sums up the Spring/Summer 2025 menswear offering by Dolce&Gabbana. And it's not a bad thing.
The Dolce&Gabbana you see on the runway and what you eventually see people buy into tend to be different—the latter is often logo-heavy. For a few season now, the brand has slowly deviated from this, offering collections that are more subtle in branding with a focus on the silhouettes and details that are more emblematic of the brand but not necessarily what the general public's impression of the brand is like.
It's a strong proposition from the very first look: a raffia jacket woven with two different colours, and with weaving techniques also reflected in an extended belt as well as woven lace-ups. Yes, it did look rather stiff on the runway but then came look 12's raffia coat that dispelled any talk about the raffia pieces in the Dolce&Gabbana Spring/Summer 2025 collection being stiff and impractical. The fluidity was there and so was the structure—in other words, splendid Italian craftsmanship.
The fit: It's difficult to not see the nod to '60s and '70s fashion in the collection—coincidentally or not, that was also when wicker-woven design pieces reigned supreme—but kept to Dolce&Gabbana's classic oversized-top look. There were some semblances of tailoring in a few looks but the overall aesthetic skewed towards the summer holiday locales of Capri, Venice, and Portofino. Sailor-collared shirting were punctuated with stripes of different widths (lending that '70s vibe), while scarves adorned looks that were made perfect for the Italian coast.
The details: Weaving is undoubtedly the central technique that the collection was built around. Dolce&Gabbana employed weaving techniques across leather and raffia. They were varied in applications as well as techniques, with some appearing like crochet, especially in a number of footwear.
What caught my eye however, were the coral embroideries that were featured quite beautifully in a number of looks. It was look 29's variation—an ivory white suit with trousers decorated with coral-hued embellishments—where I could hear the clinging of the pieces as the model walked in front of me. And considering how loud fashion shows tend to be, it was quite an experience.
Three exceptional looks: Look 15's oversized woven top matched with an equally woven bag and shoes; the monochromatic colour-blocking in look 21 with the most gorgeous shade of green; and look 38's clever use of stripes.
The takeaway: Refined, different, and subtle all the same–this is a Dolce&Gabbana collection for the discerning.
View the full Dolce&Gabbana Spring/Summer 2025 menswear collection in the gallery below.
The first thing anyone would have noticed at the Emporio Armani Spring/Summer 2025 runway show—apart from the beautiful projections of horses galloping—were the models. And not that they're unusually more attractiveor that there's quite a diverse cast (it's de rigueur for the brand), but rather, it's the fact that they're smiling. It's a known fact that models don't typically smile on the runway; any other facial expression apart from a neutral one is considered distracting. But at the Emporio Armani show, the smiles added so much more levity and underscored the ease of the collection.
Mr Armani intended to capture an escape from the limitations of city living, running off out into nature in pieces that reflected a nuanced combination of the two. The colours graduated from muted shades of wheat, sand and the like before hitting a crescendo of purple hues brought about by lavender fields. But just how much freedom was Mr Armani looking to convey? Well, let's just say that the finale was rather spirited pairings of a man and a woman—the latter a vision of spring's boldest hues. The Emporio Armani man accompanied her, dressed in nothing a pair of leather shorts matched with a leather harness, boots, and at times carrying a basket of lavender blooms.
The fit: There's no doubt that the Armani aesthetic worked exceptionally well here—no other silhouette speaks to the airiness and lightness of freedom as the Armani look. Shoulders are dropped across the board while trousers (Mr Armani introduced high-waisted variations with their top folded over) billow with every slight movement, giving air a temporary visual presence. Layering was kept to a minimal (at most an inner layer over lightweight outerwear) with bare skin being quite an important element for the season. It's not done in any vulgar way however, but rather a complement to the act of being one with nature.
The details: Leather harnesses and waists cinched with triple-tour belts (or what looked like a belt-over-belt-over-belt situation) added equestrian elements that juxtaposed the overall airiness of the collection. Sure, you'd think everything would be loose and unrestraint for a collection that's all about freedom. But therein lies a beauty in reining in—some stylistic tension is always the mark of a genius. And speaking of genius, Mr Armani is also all about the details and I spotted a tunic with stunning trimming along its front that added such fine, luxury craftsmanship.
Three exceptional looks: Look 3's super relaxed vibe topped off with strings of unrefined stones as a necklace; a look consisting of an oversized white suit decorated at random with raw edged holes; and look 65's masterful pairing of monochromatic hues.
The takeaway: An Italian Western love story of spring and its bountiful harvest of colours and freedom.
View some looks from the Emporio Armani Spring/Summer 2025 menswear collection in the gallery below.
After a promising menswear debut for the Autumn/Winter 2024 season, creative director Sabato De Sarno is readying his sophomore menswear collection for Gucci.
The show will be staged at the Triennale Milano, a museum of art and design located in the heart of the city. The choice of venue is intended for the House to pay homage to Italian heritage of craftsmanship and innovation. And if that tells us anything at all about the upcoming collection, is that De Sarno could probably be tapping on a bit more on Gucci's place in Italian fashion and in turn, expanding on the visual vocabulary that he's been setting up the House for.
For confirmation of what the Gucci Spring/Summer 2025 menswear collection will look like, stay tuned for the show this Monday. And for an even closer look at the collection, follow @esquiresg on Instagram as we bring you the action live from Milan Fashion Week Men's.
What: Gucci Spring/Summer 2025 menswear runway show
Where: Milan, Italy
When: Monday, 17 June 2024 at 8pm Singapore time
Milan Fashion Week Men's will officially draw to a close with Zegna and its Spring/Summer 2025 runway show. As per a couple of seasons now, the Italian brand will be staging an Oasi Lino-centric collection, making use of its traceable linen as the centrepiece.
If the Autumn/Winter 2024 runway show back in January is anything to go by, Zegna could potentially be using linen or flax as part of the set design and creating quite a spectacle in the process. The show is scheduled to take place in an event space away from the city centre, instead of out in the open as with the Spring/Summer 2024 show.
For confirmation of what the Zegna Spring/Summer 2025 collection will look like, stay tuned for the show this Monday. And for an even closer look at the collection, follow @esquiresg on Instagram as we bring you the action live from Milan Fashion Week Men's.
What: Zegna Spring/Summer 2025 runway show
Where: Milan, Italy
When: Monday, 17 June 2024 at 10pm Singapore time
Four years into this unprecedented partnership between Prada co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons, and there are seemingly no signs of stopping the duo from creating directional collections season after season. The Prada Spring/Summer 2025 menswear collection will be their eighth menswear collection together, which has seen a combination of Mrs Prada's prints and studied eccentricities with Simons' penchant for outerwear and oversized aesthetics.
But more than mere fusion of styles, the collections thus far have also been a deep dive into the Prada archives. We've seen prints being revived and remixed, and odes to shows of the past adapted into more contemporary contexts. And there's little reason to doubt that we'll be seeing more of those for this upcoming collection.
For confirmation of what the Prada Spring/Summer 2025 menswear collection will look like, stay tuned for the show this Sunday. And for an even closer look at the collection, follow @esquiresg on Instagram as we bring you the action live from Milan Fashion Week Men's.
What: Prada Spring/Summer 2025 menswear runway show
Where: Milan, Italy
When: Sunday, 16 June 2024 at 8pm Singapore time
