After two years in loungewear, there is nothing more appealing nowadays than uniforms. After relishing in casualwear, formalwear signals something else. It signals how we’re ready to suit up and to take on
the new world.
That’s the premiere message for Fall 2022 menswear. At the helm is Prada with a model army that included Kyle MacLachlan as the show opener and Jeff Goldblum as the one who closed the show. In between, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Asa Butterfield, Damson Idris, Tom Mercier, Jaden Michael, Louis
Partridge, Ashton Sanders, Filippo Scotti were spotted.
The show went viral before the curtain closed. Prada doesn’t just do something to create clickbait, the intentionality is all about sending a clear message. Miuccia Prada’s quote before the show indicates, “We
were thinking about meaningful fashion, pieces that make sense. Clothes that make people feel important. The collection celebrates the idea of working—in all different spheres and meanings. It is a practical, everyday thing. But here, you are formally important. You are not casual.”
Intent and formality, as opposed to the staged casualness we’ve seen on social media, is what we need.
It’s time to get serious but not heavy. With what we’ve experienced, there is very little time to waste on something that has no impact.
The same goes for Neil Barrett, as a staple in any serious man’s wardrobe, their fall 2022 offers precision. It’s seen through the tailoring, the attention to detail, and the reverence for uniformity.
Of the collection, Barett notes, “Uniforms are about identity. But they’re also about individuality and a sense of belonging. I wanted to offer new versions for today’s man, rooted in tradition but filtered through my
sensibility and a strong sense of modernity.”
What this means is a collection that took different elements from various uniforms: naval trousers, military jackets, padded bombers, and workers’ garments. It’s stylish because it is meant for work, and not just that Instagram moment.
Magliano took a pause for the time we’ve spent indoors and how that’s enforced our sense of what’s important. “Introspection and solitude, I’ve been through a hard path really. But I had to make peace with who I am and what I want to express.” Presented in front of a bed, as if to show how this is how we’re conquering the world awake after a deep slumber, the soft tailoring, oversized fits, and slouchy sweaters still look towards a life head without completely forgetting the lessons we’ve learned
On the other hand, JW Anderson provided that much-needed element of whimsy and weirdness. The designer decided to challenge the ideas of hyper-masculinity for the season. The product of which is a top made of what seems to be baller bands and polo shirt dresses.
It’s Anderson’s shoutout to the places that accommodate alternate definitions of masculinity. He admits that the pieces are inspired by forays online that included ASMR videos and TikTok content.
In almost the same vein is MSGM. The colorful collection is fully intentional with the pulse on what’s happening. Adjusting to the pandemic restrictions Massimo Giorgetti collaborated with different creatives including architect and industrial designer Gaetano Pesce. Giorgetti took off from Pesce’s work and one of his quotes. “It’s about Il Rumore del Tempo (The Noise of Time). In a nutshell, what Pesce said was that time is an extraordinary thing; it can be behind or ahead of us. But you have to fit in with its rhythm—otherwise you have no choice but to be left out and grow old.”
With everything still being up in the air, MSGM reminds us to go with it and even make it our own.