5 must-see brands at Milan Men’s Fashion Week 2023: from Prada exploring fluidity and King Charles’ ascension inspiring Charles Jeffrey Loverboy, to Dolce & Gabbana’s femininity and MCM’s Gen Z focus

Jun 20 , 2023

Fashion designers Stefano Gabbana (left) and Domenico Dolce greet attendees at the end of the fashion show by Italian label Dolce & Gabbana from the men’s autumn/winter 2023-24 collection at the Milan Fashion Week, in Milan, Italy, on June 17. Photo: EPA-EFE

Milan Men’s Fashion Week just ended – Dolce & Gabbana created a wide-ranging collection with looks that would equally suit women, while upcycling brand Simon Cracker embraced gender fluidity

Meanwhile, Prada paid homage to fluidity and MCM has eyes on Gen Z after counting Princess Diana and Michael Jackson as fans in its 1990s heyday

Milan Men’s Fashion Week just ended, taking place in the Italian capital of fashion from June 16 to 20.

Brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Charles Jeffrey Loverboy, Simon Cracker and luxury leather accessories maker MCM presented their latest collections, and while some emphasised quiet luxury, others went full-blown Romantic.

A model presents a creation for Prada men’s spring/summer 2024 fashion show as part of the Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, on June 18. Photo: AFP

Meanwhile, Prada deserves a mention simply for its original design of the showroom. The architecture shifts with every season, but never so fluidly as for spring/summer 2024 menswear. The collection Fluid Form was viewed through a wall of clear falling slime – a form of fluid architecture – that gathered on the metallic grate runway in piles of green foam. The moving architecture was a metaphor for a collection that was meant to express the fluidity of menswear.

Here are some highlights from the past weekend of Milan Fashion Week of mostly menswear runway shows for next spring and summer.

1. Dolce & Gabbana feminise menswear

A model presents a creation by Italian label Dolce & Gabbana from the men’s spring/summer 2024 collection during the Milan Fashion Week, in Milan, Italy, on June 17. Photo: EPA-EFE

Designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana feminise the menswear silhouettes this season with tailoring tricks long deployed for women.

The wide-ranging collection of nearly 80 looks is a departure for the designing duo in any season, a play on quiet luxury. There are no prints, no colour and no bling. Instead, the focus is on shape and materials, with a neutral colour palette of black, white, camel and ivory.

Designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana feminise menswear for their spring/summer 2024 collection. Photo: EPA-EFE

Taffeta is ruched around the waist, creating a cummerbund effect but reminiscent of the duo’s provocative ruched dresses. Cottony tunics feature chest-baring deep-Vs and long, trailing sleeves. A sheer organza top and pants are prettily decorated with floral appliqués on the cuffs. Organza panels gave an ephemeral touch over trousers. Wide satiny trousers were paired with a form fitting mock polo neck, a look that would equally suit women.