A season of change, experimentation at Milan Men's Fashion Week


If turmoil brings innovation and renovation, Italian menswear is in for a creative burst.Fashion houses are continuing their reboot of Milan Fashion Week menswear offerings, with notables like Bottega Veneta and Gucci sitting out this round, preferring to combine menswear and womenswear previews next month. That is making room for a plethora of newcomers.The data indicates that menswear is worth the re-think. Euromonitor market research forecasts that between now and 2020, growth in sales for men's attire and accessories globally will outpace that of women. Last year alone, Italian menswear produced 9 billion euros in revenue.Here are some highlights Saturday of menswear previews for next fall and winter on the first day of Milan Fashion Week that will end on Tuesday.Dolce&Gabbana have one-upped themselves, moving the young millennial crowd that has populated their front row in recent seasons onto the runway.Pop star Austin Mahone, dapper in a tux with tapered legs, set the mood, dancing up and down the runway throughout the show, making the moves on the ladies, who included Sylvester Stallone's three daughters.Dolce&Gabbana's show was titled "The New Princes" and it's clear that they are catering to a young, selfie-savvy generation bred on social media. In an ultimate branding move, the designing pair created a pair of faceQ app-like images of themselves on jackets and sweaters.Alongside the brand's trademark tailored suits, the new collection includes zany plush animal head hoods or backpacks, and Rasta knit hats or crowns over baseball caps, fun-loving Harajuku touches for a generation that prizes its juvenile side. Jeans and jackets were covered with appliques, with royal motifs from crowns to hearts emerging as decorative emojis.The collection was a fast and furious display of graphic prowess with humanized animal motifs alongside the brand's typical religious imagery, a display as breathless as the new generation of star power on the runway.Giorgio Armani has reinterpreted classics through the decades with a modern edge for his youthful Emporio Armani line.Armani is hewing to the traditional menswear and womenswear calendars, but blurring the line on the runway. Many of the looks were feminized, like flowing knitwear or curved hemlines on short jackets. Trousers tended to be ample and pleated, and Armani employed luxurious fabrics like velvets for men and lots of fur, both as trim and full fur coats.