Septemberu2019s spring 2021
If not quite a schism, 2020 has sparked a fundamental difference in approach within the Milan fashion system that is set to continue into the new year. Just as at Septemberu2019s spring 2021 womenswear week, next monthu2019s fall 2021 menswear weeku2014five days, reallyu2014will contain a few physical, actually-see-the-clothes runway shows; a fair amount of digital presentations; and some attempts to hybridize the two. Whatu2019s entirely new is that the week will be officially conjoined with this yearu2019s edition of Fashion Film Festival.
Following this past September, those who have stayed true to IRL fashion shows (and that show menswear) plan to remain so: Fendi, Etro, and Dolce & Gabbana. K-Way, the old-school French prep outerwear brand that is now Italian operated, will offer a live event too. Ermenegildo Zegna, meanwhile, will present a fresh variant on its phygitalu2014half-live, half-prerecordedu2014concept, which befits its hybridizations and innovations in everything from sustainability to tailoring.
Keeping the curtains drawn
Our first glimpse of Raf Simonsu2013flavored Prada menswear will be the chief digital diversion; set an alert for January 17 at 2 p.m. CET. A-Cold-Wall, Sunnei, and MSGM are other digital presentations that should be well worth logging on for. Keeping the curtains drawn for now are brands like Giorgio Armani and Dsquared2, while Bottega Venetau2014and this is only a guessu2014seems set to remain aligned with those other Kering-operated marques that have used 2020 as an opportunity.
The changes at Milan Fashion Week reflect a rearranging of the deck chairs across the wider calendar. London Menu2019s Fashion Week has now been absorbed into the newly gender-neutral London Fashion Week in February. Pitti will present a digital platform, Connect, just before Milan next month, starring Brunello Cucinelli, and thenu2014travel and health regulations allowingu2014follow up with a physical Pitti Uomo, which will clash with Londonu2019s mostly digital event in February.