From Sorbet to Sherbet: Delicious Colors Eat Up Menswear
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Things were heating up during the June menswear edition with shorts, tank tops and sheer fabrics putting chiseled bodies on full display. But designers managed to cool things down a bit through their use of color.
Soft shades reminiscent of summer treats were well-matched to the soft tailoring that is now becoming ubiquitous on the runways. According to Luke Raymond, senior menswear lead at Farfetch, “Pastel tones have evolved into a more acidic, sherbet zone, seen across most categories and executed in easy lightweight handles.”
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At Zegna, Alessandro Sartori put an emphasis on linen to achieve fluidity of fit for different bodies, with 192 bales of it punctuating the San Fedele square in Milan where the designer staged his open-air show. “As for the colors, they were exquisite,” wrote WWD Milan bureau chief Luisa Zargani, referring to Sartori’s matching sets in shades of peach or mint.
Monochromatic dressing was equally prominent at Homme Plisse Issey Miyake, where the show opened with a swath of white pleated paper being unrolled to reveal flat pleated shirts, which were then expanded and put on to models. “This strong collection rich in simple, often layered, silhouettes…burst with succulent colors,” wrote WWD’s Jennifer Weil in her review. Standouts included a pea green suit and tank top with pleats of varying widths.
Green was an unexpected winner this season, proliferating the collections of Namesake, Louis Vuitton and Amiri, where it was used in varying shades for ’50s-style cropped jackets and Johnny collar knit polos, which Bruce Pask, senior men’s fashion director at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, pointed to as a key investment item.
Meanwhile, Dsquared2 referenced the ’80s, mixing prep and porno chic with faded varsity sweaters, rugby shirts and baby T-shirts. One in baby blue had “Cherry Boy” written across the chest and was paired with thong-like briefs.
More traditional blue coordinates were spotted at Paul Smith, Feng Chen Wang and Dior, where Kim Jones’ dressed up striped shirts with cabachon embroideries.
Elsewhere, Prada offered a lavender car coat and MSGM showed bleached denim in the same color, while the likes of Kenzo and Louis Gabriel Nouchi went all-in on suits in limoncello yellow.
But not everyone showed the same restraint. 3.Paradis designer Emeric Tchatchoua, who returned to his childhood neighborhood in the 15th arrondissement of Paris to make his runway debut, colored with every crayon in the box, turning out whimsical splatter paint separates.
Launch Gallery: Men’s Spring 2023 Trend: Sorbet Colors
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