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10 | MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2010 INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE

MEN’S FASHION special report

A mix
of soul
in the city
MILAN There was a fine blend brewing
at COSTUME NATIONAL’s menswear show.
The designer Ennio Capasa turned his
attention to textiles and found a way to
give his sporty urban attire a touchy-
feely soul.
But the mix was much more than just
layering soft knit sweaters with suits.
Mr. Capasa bonded the two ideas into
one — so a classic single-button blazer
finished with a hem of woven wool, a
MIS SONI
city coat in Gotham gray had a panel of
knitwear emerging out of its front or,
more familiarly, a car coat got fuzzy mo-

Designers go
hair sleeves.
The comfy feel continued in the pants,
with drawstring being the preferred
style for relaxed wools and mohair

back to their roots

trousers that puddled at the ankle, while
army boots and a palette of gray helped
keep the collection grounded.
JESSICA MICHAULT

HERITAGE, FROM PAGE 9

and rectangles was the backdrop to the
EMPORIO ARMANI show. The graphic was
also its essence — or so it seemed when
the show opened, first with sharp ski
wear, followed by body-conscious
sweaters dissected by angular lines.
In this search for a dynamic, modern
energy, Mr. Armani started with the
feet: a collection of high-performance
sports shoes in collaboration with Ree-
bok. Flashes of fluorescent colors illu-
minated the gray palette, and silver zip-
pers were used as embellishment on
accessories.
If it had stuck to sportswear, the show
would have seemed more dynamic, but
the wide offering in this Emporio line in-
cluded tailoring, where a short jacket
silhouette was drawn above snug pants,
banishing the loose pants of the Armani
heritage to the past.
MISSONI’s layers of pattern and texture
with a rustic feel were a hit for Angela
Missoni — and the most confident col-
ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA
lection she has done since taking over
menswear design.
Starting with a base of streamlined

A centennial in global style

tailoring, but adding thick, light layers
of knit in autumnal colors, the designer
made a persuasive pitch for pile-it-on
dressing that still respected the mascu-
line silhouette.
Shown under a trellis of lights in the
courtyard of a contemporary design
studio, there was a focus on Missoni’s
artistic heritage, but with the clothes
seeming natural rather than preten-
tious. And with all the Missoni clan
gathered for the event, there was some-
thing moving about seeing images of
three generations of the family, shot by
Juergen Teller in their home at Sum-
irago, Italy, as an advertising campaign
that displays a living, breathing herit-
EMP ORIO ARMANI
age. SUZY MENKES
MILAN It is a long stride from the
mountains of Italy’s Biella region in
1910 through Europe to America and
Asia today. But ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA has
made that global leap.
To mark the start of the brand’s
centennial celebrations, Gildo, Paulo
and Anna Zegna — the siblings of the
fourth generation of a cloth-making
family — took a bow on the runway,
after a backdrop of images had traced
the company’s history and heritage.
Leon Lai, the Hong Kong actor and
Cantopop star, wore one of the stream-
lined but relaxed suits central to the
show as a front row guest of honor — not
surprisingly since Asia accounted for 40
percent of Zegna’s ¤800 million, or $1.15
billion, turnover in 2009.
The collection expressed the wide
reach of Zegna since it developed suits in
technologically inventive fabrics to take
the style beyond urban sleek to embrace
menswear for all ages and seasons.
Buttery leather coats, fine tweed jack-
ets and ribbed knits all gave a hint of
casual country wear. Neckties were
even offered under the ribbed collars of
COSTUME NATIONAL
polo shirts. Capes and great coats, often
in double-faced materials, had a tailor-
ing authority that marks this family
owned brand.
‘‘Now we have to prepare the fifth
generation,’’ said Gildo Zegna. ‘‘We all
try our best to support family values.’’
SUZY MENKES. PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS MOORE/KARL PROUSE