Attending a Philipp Plein show is always an experience. Standardly late in the evening, it pushes one into a different reality made of loud music, glitzy lights and a crowd that has very few faces in common with the usual fashion audience hopping from shows to presentations during the day.
Such a pattern was on full display on Friday, when Plein staged his first men’s show since COVID-19. Before sending the first look around the plush chairs of Phillip’s – one of the four restaurants housed in his Milan palazzo and soon-to-be-opened hotel – he candidly admitted he previously held coed shows to cut costs post-pandemic but that now the time was ripe “to dedicate a full focus on men again.”
“Honestly, men’s fashion in Milan has lost a lot of importance over the time, but also because brands have stopped to show. They’ve put new ways of combining men’s and women’s. And I think Milan deserves a stronger focus on men’s fashion week again,” he said.
The city’s thin schedule supported his words and offered him an opportunity to reclaim a brighter spotlight in a season lacking critical mass. But Plein still included some women’s looks in the flashy collection he sandwiched in between the live performances of rapper French Montana.
Sparkly or see-through gowns and minidresses with risky cutouts often diverted guests’ attention and contributed to the overall lack of cohesiveness in the lineup. Plein aimed to center this on tailoring, as he revealed the sartorial part of the business has evolved the most in the company’s recent past and has been lucrative sales-wise.
Takes on the theme ran the gamut from the sporty to the bling-bling, ranging from suits with side bands or covered in football-inspired patches to the in-your-face tuxedo jackets in silver shimmer or crystal-encrusted with Plein’s logo. Best options included monochrome and checkered wool coats, layered over more casual pieces such as logo hoodies, denim shirts and baggy jeans.
Elsewhere the American-winking streetwear vibe continued with other takes on indigo separates – washed out, dripped in paint or scattered with star shapes and crystals – as well as via aviator jackets, varsity jackets and motorbike leather ones, frequently paired with cargo pants tucked in military boots.
“Expect a wearable collection because I like to design for the people, not for the catwalk,” Plein teased ahead of the show.
At least the high-shine guests and night owls populating his hospitality project would certainly agree; others, not so sure.
