Milan Fashion Week...Giorgio Armani steals limelight! Clothes for adventurous male animal!

Giorgio Arman's elegant chic!
 

Nothing new under the sun in swimwear!

A few years ago, Sal Cesarani unvieled a beautiful collecton at the Men's Fashion Association, which were patterned after the style phenomenon of the Great Gatsby.

Cesarani managed to extrapolate the flash, panache, and simple elegance off the era in one fell swoop.

The recent Menswear collection featured on the runways in Milan are somewhat reminiscent - indeed - brought to the fore by a smattering of men's wardrobe pieces that refect the same kind of lightness, simple chic and fashion maturity.

Men are ready to get down to business when it comes to style.

And,  the designers previewing their silhouettes in Milan recently, have offer up a myriad of choices with something for every discerning - and not so discerning - male.

Imagine that! 

Threads that any any old Joe can toss on without much thought - that manage still - to lend the fellow a sartorial edge.

Ermenegildo Zegna - as usual - was low-key.

The suits, were lean (Italian cut &-crafted) not splashy.

“We are a discreet brand,” Zegna calmly noted to the press, “one that doesn’t make a lot of noise.”

Giorgio Armani paired slate gray suits with pale hues - and in some cases - incorporated whimsical twists by virtue of knit vests in free-floating patterns to spark the ensembles up.

Fashion flourishes included eye-catching shoes in brilliant colors such as canary - and strategic accessories such as pocket pouffes - designed to add a dash of daring to the adventurous dude.

Lightweight fabrics such as silk, linen and hemp predominated.

Nifty blouses in washed silks and burlap shells - topping ubiquitious jeans - lent a beachy influence that screamed a carefree liberated mood.

In that setting, sandals featured by one designer (crafted with rope and tooled leather) will find favor with those who want to kick back and  have fun in the mid-day sun.

Stripes will also abound in every offering - from boxer shorts to elegant body-shirts, bathrobes, pajamas, and what-have-you.

Prada's collection was dominatd by paint-by-number primary colors - which were vivid  - and eye-catching!

Alexander McQueen's musings were crowd-pleasers with a wow factor.

The collection - the 1st since his passing to spirit - facilitated a unique dye process which conjured up intriguing "glow" effects.

Fashion as art?

Designers like Missoni set their sights on re-introducing cargo-inspired day scrubs, fulfilling a need for people on the go, according to their spokesperson.

"When you travel, you need lots of pockets for things, and these are my urban travelers my tribe," he was quick to sum up.

I'll be first in line to snap up the practical pocket pleasers, you bet!

For me, the lightweight suits - subtly-threaded with white and blue pin stripes - held the most appeal out of all the exquisite wardrobe choices I ran my fingers through.

I imagine myself trotting out for cocktails in one of those classy ensembles at the midnight hour on a balmy Los Angeles night - beneath a pale moon - as I am toasting the town.

Thanks to Italian designers, I'll do it with style.

http://www.julianayrs.com/

Las Vegas...a fashion plate? Who knew...

Think of Sin City, and the desert oasis will undoubtedly conjure up images of gambling, booze, and broads.

But high fashion?

For the most part, the strip has been known to be rife with tourists in comfy colorful shorts, Hawaiian shirts, and ubiquitous flip-flops.

'Til now, that is.

Lost in thought one day, I strolled off the Casino floor at Caesar's Palace, and ended up amidst a handful of tony haberdasheries in the cavernous lower levels of the gambling house.

At Gianni Versace, exquisite silk dress shirts beckoned from one corner of the aesthetically-pleasing shop.

And, from another, finely tailored suits caused me to squeal in delight.

The moment recalled a scene in the Great Gatsby.

As Daisy (Mia Marrow) rummages through her lost love's walk-in closets, she is overcome with sensory overload as she takes in the spoils his fabulous vulgar wealth.

I was curious about the Vegas scene.

"Aren't folks pretty casual here," I queried the salesman.

"Oh, no," he responded quite emphatically.

"There is a great fashion sense here. Sales at this location are only second to the Los Angeles outlet," he noted somewhat proudly.



























At John Vervatos, the focus was more on individual style.

The trend tended toward monochromatic color schemes - in black and grey - for instance.

And, dress shirts tended to be sparked up with enticing motifs etched on lush enticing fabrics.

A high-quality leather jacket (cut at the waist) - with fashion flourishes like zips and snaps - was even paired with a dress shirt, chic tie, and designer slack - for a decidedly daring "look".

A posse of jackets were crafted in blends with a metallic futuristic look to 'em.

At Bernini, I gasped when I spied a white linen jacket dangling on the rack.

Pure heaven to the touch!

A great wardrobe choice for lunch dates under a lazy mid-day sun or the cocktail hour where the man-about-town is sure to impress with the right accesssories to match.

At Ermenegildo Zegna, the saleswoman was pushing shades of white, pink, and sand.

A Royal Blue dress jacket crafted in lightweight cashmere was a knock-out.

Zegna pays a lot of attention to the finer details when crafting the clothing in their factories in Italy, Switzerland, and Spain.

Fans of the celebrated designer may take a gander at the Spring/Summer collection which is featured in an eye-catching catalogue that has been published in slim book form.

Models were flown to the "pink city" - Jaipur - for the photo shoot.

The exotic locale was the perfect backdrop for Zegna's stunning offerings this season.

When I strode into DKNY (sweaters in sheer fabrics feel great on bare skin), a young salesman noticed the Zegna catalogue in my hand and excitedly queried me about it.

"I want one. It's great for the coffee table."

Undoubtedly!

If you hotfoot it over to one of Zegna's many retail outlets, maybe a bit of sweet-talking will nab 'ya one.

Say Julian sent you!