Milan menswear fashion week heads to the slopes
Milan's menswear fashion week began on Friday_ with very wintry_ sporty shows from Ralph Lauren and Dsquared2.
Ralph Lauren marked his return to Milan after a 24-year absence with symbols of American elegance_ from formal suits and tweeds_ toughened up with boots and cowboy boots_ in front of celebrities including actors Liam Hemsworth and Tony Leung Ka-fai.
The American designer also looked ahead to the Winter Olympics that begin on February 6 in the Italian city_ and where he is dressing the US team_ with nods to winter in Aspen_ featuring patterned jumpers and a blue ski suit cinched with turquoise.
Dsquared2 also presented for autumn-winter 2026-27 an army of holidaymakers shod in provocative footwear.
Puffer jackets cut like dresses and huge parkas topped with XXL fake fur hats completed the look of the "hot as ice" team_ as one jumper had it.
Canadian actor Hudson Williams_ star of the television series "Heated Rivalry" in which he plays a professional ice hockey player_ opened the show for Dsquared2.
Armani's sports brand EA7_ Italian label K-Way and Chinese sports giant Li-Ning_ sponsor of its national team_ have also planned Alpine-themed events before the Milan-Cortina Winter Games.
Earlier on Friday_ designer Alessandro Sartori invited buyers and journalists into Zegna's personal wardrobe_ with structured jackets paired with flowing trousers in natural green and terracotta_ and innovative fabrics.
"He's created a wardrobe that puts down roots in the past but looks to the future_" the head of the Italian Chamber of Commerce_ Carlo Capasa_ told AFP.
He called it an example of "the trend towards a return to basics_ to craftsmanship_ to tailoring" and a positive sign at a time when Italian fashion is in crisis.
Crisis
Italy's fashion industry remains mired in the luxury downturn and caught between falling exports and claims of abuse in sub-contracting.
In menswear_ the turnover of Italian companies fell in 2025 by 2.1 percent year-on-year_ to 11.2 billion euros ($13 billion)_ according to the employers' federation Confindustria Moda.
Every category is down_ apart from leather garments_ in a sector that represents 19.3 percent of Italy's textile economy.
Exports_ mainly to destinations such as France_ Germany and the United States_ have fallen two percent while imports are up 2.8 percent.
China is buying less but the Italians are "working on new markets"_ said Capasa.
"Welcome to Mercosur (the four Latin American countries with which the EU has recently secured a free trade deal)_ to the Middle East_ which is growing_ and also the first Indian buyers_" he added.
'New colours'
The Giorgio Armani show is scheduled for Monday in its historic workshops in the heart of Milan's fashion quarter.
Even though his partner and collaborator Leo Dell'Orco was already in charge of the menswear collections_ this will be the first show without the supervision of the indefatigable founder_ who died in September last year_ aged 91.
Dell'Orco has indicated that there will be "continuity_ with bright touches".
"We allowed ourselves take a few liberties_ we have looked again at sizes_ some new colours_ fabrics with changing shades_ as symbols of a change_ with the utmost respect_" he said in an interview with the Corriere della Sera on Friday.
Milan show regulars Prada and Dolce & Gabbana are scheduled over the weekend while British designer Paul Smith is making a comeback after a first menswear show in June last year.(AFP)