Milan menswear: Montblanc, Qasimi, Tod's, Sease and Etro

Fashion Network

5 days ago

An action-packed weekend in Milan menswear included the brilliant revival of Montblanc, pashmy power at Tod's, a cool Qasimi moment in cloisters, Etro paisley, and even a tennis tournament from Sease.
Montblanc: Traveling and writing with taste
This season's prize for the classic brand most on the move should go to Montblanc, where designer Marco Tomasetta has injected lots of excitement, ideas and new products into the mix — all while respecting the brand's DNA as the most famous writing instrument of all.
Take his smart new ready-to-wear made in Italian vitello and agnello leathers, with slim breast pockets for the famed pens, or sleeve inserts for sunglasses. Or a remarkable new monogram suede shirt that felt to the touch like cotton. Looks seen in the house's second campaign shot by Wes Anderson – Montblanc Voyage of Panorama.
'Wes has this element of nostalgia and humor which seems to be perfect for Montblanc, which is about the art of travelling while writing,' explained Tomasetta.
A highly experienced talent, Tomasetta did stints at Fendi with Karl Lagerfeld, Miu Miu with Miuccia Prada and Vuitton with Kim Jones before joining Hamburg-born Montblanc, where he feels very much like a designer in the zone.
Elegant Alpine Scenic Railroad train carriages that Anderson had built for his film were also the ideal backdrop for Tomasetta's savvy new ideas. Excellent desks in palissandro wood and leather made from the same supplier as Gio Ponti; admirable Montblanc Writing Traveler bags with flaps that unfold to reveal an ingenious portable writing desk.
Montblanc has also developed new wheelies in a smart graphic leather; and weekender bags and totes in a great new denim double MM monogram named 4810. That is the height of Montblanc in meters.
Staged inside a beautifully decorated Art Liberty building, one could also admire some great new watches, swish calfskin notepads and, of course, some beautiful pens. Pride of place going to a crayon pen in a striking new cigar shape.
In a word, like the motto of the film campaign, 'Let's write.'
Qasimi: Desert storm delicate
Desert storm met delicate touches in a moment of grace by Qasimi, a show staged inside the cloisters of Sant'Eustachio, a venerable Romanesque church.
By the accident of timing, this warrior-on-maneuver chic appeared just 10 hours after the massive American bombing raid on Iran's nuclear facilities.
Though the opening looks were almost spiritual, hybrid meetings of modular jackets and trouser skirts. Even if the key fabric this season was memory nylon, where the rough creases mimicked the desert sands and jagged hills of the Gulf states.
'My brother always liked to reference where we come from. And I recalled that one of his collections was about growing during the Iraq-Kuwait conflict, and seeing the military gear and tailoring on television,' revealed Hoor Al-Qasimi, who succeeded her late Khalid at his passing a half-decade ago.
Hence, flak jackets, multi-pocket vests and utilitarian safaris came in memory nylon, making for a very original take on fashion.
Hoor also collaborated with Lebanese artist Dala Nasser, who built a large circular scaffolding installation wrapped in flags, riffing on the ancient sites of her native land.
Adding to the drama, the show began late after a model fainted backstage and was carried out on a stretcher, before reportedly recovering in an ambulance outside.
Altogether, the collection was 'a meditation on place, transformation and co-existence – a tribute to 10 years of vision and to Khalid Al Qasimi's enduring creative spirit,' concluded his very loyal sister, who took an extended tour of the cloisters for her bow.
Tod's: Pashmy power rules
Though Tod's unveiled its new Gommino Club on Sunday, the real star of its presentation was the Pashmy – in a series of new jackets sure to find many fans.
Created in lean and clean streamlined silhouettes by Tod's creative director Matteo Tamburini, they looked ideal for the current yearning to blend minimalist lines with maximalist quality. The key to the Pashmy are the remarkable leathers – playing on the idea of pashmina and its unique softness.
Staged inside Villa Necchi, a series of Pashmy jackets hung on walls above artisans quality-controlling the beautiful vitello and agnello skins in a great color palette of butter, caramel, anthracite and violet blue. Jackets are unstructured, and trousers followed the body's natural movement, offering freedom without constraint. New crepe and satin linen looks, along with a special soft-handed Travel-wool for outerwear, also had to be admired.
The event was the most packed presentation in Milan, with hundreds of buyers, hipsters, K-pop stars, editors and models milling around the beautiful 1930s villa — a temple to Rationalist architecture, and the ideal setting for the latest array of Tod's iconic product: the Gommino moccasin. This season, it expanded to include all manner of variations — boat shoe, slipper versions, loafer or sneaker-soled. One new Red Dot Gommino even managed to conjure up a flexible and lightweight unstructured loafer in Pashmy and nappa leather, finished with a saddle-inspired metal buckle.
'It's the perfect marriage,' noted busy bee CEO Diego Della Valle, just back from a two-week tour of Asia, with stops in China, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea.
'I sensed optimism and lots of fresh ideas,' beamed Diego.
Sease: Serves up a tennis line in the Portrait
Ladies and gentlemen, players are ready. At least they are at Sease, which debuted a new tennis kit capsule collection with a mini tournament and an exclusive pop-up at Antonia, the happening multibrand boutique.
To celebrate the new line, Sease took over the huge courtyard of the Portrait Hotel, and installed a real tennis court done in the brand's signature salmon red.
'We got the idea from a tennis competition my brother Giacomo and I dreamed up each summer with pals in Portofino,' explained Franco Loro Piana, CEO and founder of Sease.
'It's emblematic of our community and the authentic sporting spirit,' added Franco, whose Portofino fest grew into a campaign starring Feliciano López. López also serves as tournament director of both the Mutua Madrid Open and the Davis Cup Final 8.
Sease's goal is to seriously revamp tenniswear – sweatshirts, vests, soft linen jackets – to be worn on and off the court. Using natural materials – like merino wool, hemp and linen – along with Sease's signature fabric Solaro. The iridescent herringbone fabric much loved by patrician Italians like Gianni Agnelli, first developed in the UK, but perfected on the peninsula.
'We are not a sports brand; we are a lifestyle brand. Between mountain and sea, and for everyday urban essentials, yet tennis represents our values,' insisted Franco.
The brothers — scions of the family that sold Loro Piana to LVMH — certainly have deep pockets.
Founded in 2016, Sease has enjoyed rapid growth, opening with stores in Milan, St. Moritz and Cortina, and now including London, Paris, Gstaad, Courchevel, Florence and Dubai. The brand also boasts more than 80 wholesale accounts, including Harrods and Bergdorf Goodman.
'We are about to blossom… We are about redefining tradition through design and performance,' insisted Franco, who, however, declined to reveal annual turnover.
Etro: Polished paisley power
Paisley power at Etro in a pretty and polished presentation, staged in the brand's historic headquarters on Via Spartaco.
Nothing spartan about these clothes — full of joie de vivre and celebration. The collection featured excellent pale blue denim paisley jeans and shorts, perfect for a Mykonos sunset cocktail. When things got chilly, there were some very natty cotton safari jackets embroidered with fabric cacti and flowers. The brand's silk pajamas and dressing gowns looked like ideal billionaire leisurewear — perfect for Jeff Bezos ' upcoming wedding in Venice.
All told, lots of lush menswear luxury — even if one could not help noticing the absence of the house's designer, Marco De Vincenzo, from the event.
But at least everything was complemented by the fine dining, catered by Michelin-starred restaurant Il Luogo, with delicious riso al salto alla Milanese and the best prosecco of the season.