Milan Fashion Week Men’s didn’t shy away from the big and bold

Think that men’s Milan Fashion Week is a quieter, more demure affair than women’s? Falso. Dsquared2 ensured that we’d be thinking all weekend about its snow-filled, ballsy twist on off-piste dressing after its Friday night show, where heel-less skating boots were just the tip of the iceberg. Church’s featured a plethora of instruments and swanky footwear at its presentation, and suave loafers were on tap at Ferragamo’s unveiling of a legacy footwear range. Closing a weekend of shows, Mrs Prada and Raf Simons geared up for bad weather with raincoats and askew hats. Then, in between nipple-flashing tops, Saul Nash unleashed another Lulu Lemon collab. Want more? Here’s a lowdown on the best of MFW.

Imagine this: you’re soaking wet from a sudden downpour in Milan. You’re waiting for blackout curtains to drop inside a massive warehouse-like space – the same one in which Doechii and Naomi Campbell popped out for Dsquared2’s mega 30^th anniversary blowout a year ago. Drinks are stacked by the pre-prepped bar. Finally, the curtains fall, nondescript uptempo music starts blasting, and a slope filled with faux snow is revealed in the centre of the room, flanked by fir trees and images of white-dusted mountains. DSquared2 doesn’t do things by halves.

Moments later, the blue lights brighten and, at the peak of the slope appears Heated Rivalry​’s Hudson Williams. The star of the viral, steamy Canadian hockey show trudges through the snow to a cover of Carly Simon’s Let the River Run, wearing a spliced denim jacket, jeans and multi-buckle boots. Ahead of Italy’s imminent hosting of the Winter Olympics, this winter sports-themed presentation quickly slalomed. A model swept by in heel-less boots resembling skates. A knit emblazoned with the slogan ​“Hot As Ice” breezed past, followed by breathable mesh tops, lined trapper hats, sweeping coats and, even, a glossy latex all-in-one layered with a corset. Not something we’ll necessarily be seeing on the slopes around Cortina next month…

Naturally, twins and Dsquared2 creative directors Dan and Dean Caten – who were ​“arrested” at last year’s AW25 show – couldn’t resist a memorable final bow, hopping atop the shoulders of two strapping models. A human winners’ podium – how very Dsquared2…

Prada was a masterclass in the devil in detail. Titled Before and After, the show was filled with wooden-pannelled ​“doors”, colonial windows and marble fireplaces. Plush cream carpets (a bold choice considering the grey skies) lined the floors as Troye Sivan, Nicholas Hoult, Damson Idris and Jack Harlow occupied the front row. Out came a male model in a slimline double-breasted coat, T‑shirt collars in lieu of shirting poking through, with dirtied cuffs open, slightly upturned at the end of narrow sleeves. It was the kind of outfit that deserves a double – triple, even – take. A navy iteration of the coat came next, with a brimmed, flattened hat affixed to the back of it.

Then, explosions of colour sliced through. Pink knitwear went seamlessly with an off-centre grey bakery cap; more coats with caps attached, buttery yellow and teal tops of anoraks melded onto coats like the bottoms had been chopped off; delicious crinkled leather and reimagined raincoats, all sent down the runway to TC Matic’s O La La La. Towards the end of the show, square-neck knitted vests in grey and red appeared with the signature Prada logo on the back, and the show even referenced Miuccia’s Prada apron moment with a lightweight vest tucked into fitted suit trousers. “‘Uncomfortable’ is the perfect word, for me, for the psychology of this moment in time,” said the show notes of Miuccia’s inspiration. ​“We know so little – we can’t predict the future. So we need a clarity, a precision in clothes. You want to move on but not erase what came before. Holding an idea of beauty and changing it into something new.” The chances Miuccia and Raf’s quirky two-in-one outerwear, lively knits and off-kilter hats will be driving the street-style circuit next season? Comfortably high.

Clothing can be both transformative and a shield. Saul Nash knows this all too well. The London-based designer’s clothing, which is ​“cut for movement”, often takes on a life of its own: casual athleisurewear you wear to the shops can also be the right vehicle to facilitate free-flowing dance moves – something the designer who merges dance and fashion knows more than a bit about. As with most of Nash’s shows, a group of dancers signalled the start of the show called Masquerade, billowing a white between them as they moved about the space in black technical tops, trousers and obscured faces.

Then, a casual khaki look came down the runway, followed by multi-functional knits with nipple slits layered over high-neck tops and espresso trackies (a personal fav). A windbreaker with green detailing (preview of the next Lulu Lemon collab with Nash) was coupled with smart trousers and loafers, with further highlights ranging from a pinstripe trompe l’oeil top paired with mesh lace-up boots to hands printed across a snug hoodie. At the end, the designer flexed some of his own moves as Nacobeta’s Abadija blared out. While the UK fashion scene is still feeling the absence of a menswear calendar, one thing is clear: with this spirited collection, London’s loss is Milan’s gain.