In just a few seasons, young designer Gaetano Colucci has garnered attention with his gentle manners and delicate, poetic take on men’s fashion. But for fall, the soft-spoken talent had to deal with a reality check, as he reflected on the designs that are actually needed today.
This epiphany led him on a more straightforward and practical path, but still infused with that aura of naïveté that helped him stand out in the first place.
He reworked everyday staples like coats and varsity jackets, softening the shape of revers and collars or opting for pastel colors. A trip to Iceland inspired him to embrace functionality through padded jackets and cargo pants, while the country’s waterfalls informed the wave motif that ran through shirts and flared denim pants.
The ’70s’ influence was strong and in line with Colucci’s aesthetic, as he continued to walk the line between masculine and feminine. Lace and ruches were still part of his lexicon, but introduced more subtly, with the former offered in a brown and mustard combination and the latter rendered in smaller scale, compared to previous seasons, to adorn striped shirts.
Confronting the needs of the market was a maturity step for Colucci, who delivered a cohesive, covetable collection. But let’s hope that on the long run, commercial demands won’t dim the designer’s authentic point of view — Milan could use his fresh and naïf vision.
