Milan’s men’s fashion show is where the biggest Italian names come together. Prada is the one who decides which trouser style everyone will wear in a few years and Gucci releases the next it bag. As the shows began at the weekend, a new trend emerged: the great Brexit.
Simon Holloway chose to show in the Italian capital, just four months after he made his debut at London Fashion Week as the creative director for Dunhill. In a garden, he wanted to create “the feeling of a lovely spring day in England”.
Martine Rose has defected again, this time to the United States. The cult London designer, whose clothing plays on masculine codes such as football, club culture and other traditional codes, is beloved by celebrities like Kendrick. Rose, who showed directly after Prada Sunday, took the top spot in the schedule which includes more than 80 events, and runs until 18th June.
David Koma, who has shown womenswear since 2009 in London – and whose glamorous designs were worn by Rihanna & Beyonce – made his debut for menswear in Milan. Paul Smith was a guest designer this month at Pitti Uomo.
Gianluca Borghi is the chief executive at 10 Corso Como in Milan. He says that fashion week in Milan has been gaining power. Borghi says that different fashion cities are dominant at different times. However, “Milan is a peculiar and almost unique situation, due to its combination of being a preferred location both for the creative world and the business counterpart.”
The loss of British talent in London is a blow to the fashion industry, which has already been hit by Brexit and other factors such as the removal of free shopping for tourists.
Rose said that she felt “very demoralised and disheartened about the fashion landscape in London”. Her team has now split in two. Half is based in Milan. Holloway claims that, while London may be “the epicenter of creativity”, it is more commercially sensible to concentrate on Milan.
This is a stark contrast to the decade of 2010, when Rose exhibited in London with a number of innovative designers. Victoria Beckham moved her London show to Paris in 2020. Grace Wales Bonner, Bianca Saunders, and Grace Wales Bonner have since followed.
Paris is the fashion capital of Europe. However, in recent years, it has been Milan that attracts creatives. Milan was once considered a dull industrial city.
Brexit played a major role in increasing the appeal of this country. The generous tax incentive that was introduced in 2015, initially to encourage Italians to return to their homeland and then expanded to include other foreigners, has also proven to be successful. You can also add the recent introduction in Italy of the digital visa which allows non EU nationals earning over €28,000 (£24,000), to relocate and work from home, as well as the fact that the fashion industry is taken seriously.
Lisa Bridgett is a fashion technology entrepreneur, who has recently moved to Milan from London and Paris. She describes fashion as the “lifeblood” of the city.
She explains that “not only fashion people” are often heard discussing the length or style of a shirt’s sleeve.
Koma says that the reverence of fashion in Milan was a major factor in his decision. He says he wanted to attract new voices and an audience. “The men love fashion so it would be interesting to see their reactions.”
Olya Kuryshchuk is the founder and editor in chief of 1 Granary. A fashion education platform and creative networking, she believes that the logistical issues, such as higher venue costs, presented by the upcoming Olympic Games, are also beneficial to Milan.
She is unsure that the city will be able to steal Paris’ crown. She says that London’s advantages are rapidly diminishing due to Brexit. Paris, on the other hand, will remain the hub of independent brands because it is there where most of the purchasing takes place.
Holloway, who recently moved his commercial and sales team to Milan to work with Dunhill, is determined to keep as much manufacturing as possible in the UK. He says that more than 60% of Dunhill’s fabrics are woven here in the UK. Working with heritage mills in Scotland and north-west England is also “essential to the brand’s identity”.
He says, “We are in a market that is dominated primarily by Italian menswear.” “We can offer something unique.” The knitting in Scotland is different from that of Italy. “Using British manufacturers is paramount to us.”
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