Milan’s weekend culture is one of its peculiar traits: With clockwork precision on Fridays city dwellers escape to the seaside in summer or to the mountains during the winter months. As a Londoner living in Lombardy since his appointment at Iceberg’s helm in 2015, creative director James Long has embraced the wintry commute to the slopes; he even shares a house in an old village in the Alps with friends. “It’s all about learning how the Italians live and how it blends with my London punky culture,” he said. “The story for Pre-Fall is Milan office working hours nine-to-five on weekdays and then après-ski fun party time in the mountains during the weekend.”
And so the collection was built from sporty pieces injected with the irreverent vibe that the designer favors. Puffer jackets and nylon anoraks in flashing colors were emblazoned with a red and white striped motif that Long called “twisted slaloms,” for a bit of Italian show-off attitude, while a silk twill shirt was printed in “a blizzard of crazy puzzle graphics.” Glowing sequined intarsia and side patches gave black jersey tracksuits a jolt of acid après-ski glamour.
While logos are still central to building brand identities, here Long opted for a low-key gesture, hiding the Iceberg insignia in folds zippered on pants’ sides or on sleeves’ cuffs. He also focused on a more upscale knitwear offering, mixing optical graphics and grungy elements with a much-worn feel, like unfinished hems, hanging threads, and a Mickey Mouse embroidered in faded wool on an oversize, spongy knitted cardigan.
Tailoring isn’t usually a focus at Iceberg, but seeing as it is a big trend, the designer obliged, offering a sporty, personal take on the look, cutting fluid tailored pantsuits in technical fabrics accented with slalom stripes. They looked convincing and rather self-assured, much like the rest of the collection.
