It says a lot about the current preoccupations of designers when as contrasting creators as Dolce & Gabbana and Ralph Lauren both presented menswear shows inspired by the Riviera on Saturday in Milan.
 

Dolce & Gabbana: Portofino playboy

Raffia-and-refined roll at Dolce & Gabbana with a menswear wardrobe that will be ideal for a Riviera playboy in 2025.

Presented inside the duo’s show-space on Viale Piave, the collection’s key component was raffia, a traditional straw fabric whose airy breathability has always made it popular on the steamy Italian peninsula.
 
Especially in this show, which opened with a great series of jerkins, cabans and mess jackets made in a mix of black and tan raffia. The gents even wove the strands into houndstooth patterns seen in everything from cardigans to espadrilles. And enjoyed weaving raffia loosely in lunch-time shirts, or densely for after-midnight clubbing in Ibiza.

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana are clearly expecting a long, hot summer next year, for this 2025 collection was wispy and very lightweight. All the way to the crepe slacks, pants and shirts, lovingly embroidered with pink coral bugle beads.
 
Presented with a simple white proscenium as a backdrop, the show was not, however, aided by its soundtrack, a rare error for such a music obsessed label. Syrupy old tunes like ‘Amore A Forza’ by Piero Piccioni or Bob and Hellen’ by Piero Umiliani probably seemed like a good idea during show planning but sure dragged down the mood.
 
Otherwise, this was a great change of gear by Stefano and Domenico, and a telling comment on the search in fashion for optimism in a dark moment.
 

Ralph Lauren: Refined Riviera

Classy classicism with a contemporary twist at Ralph Lauren this season in an excellent new collection from America’s most respected designer.  
 

“We call it Ralph’s Riviera,” explained John Wrazej, Ralph Lauren’s design director, in a walk-through of the collection, presented in the core carpeted courtyard of Lauren’s central Milan villa. After several rather formulaic seasons, this all felt like a fresh take from Ralph Lauren, underlined by the upbeat mood at this morning presentation.
 
Mingling ideas from St Tropez to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat with Lauren’s polished prep, and all worn by a dashingly handsome cast.
 
Lauren has always been a brilliant natural stylist, and even though he wasn’t present, his touch was apparent in lots of combinations. Like the superb dark pants and morning dress worthy white-tie waistcoat, paired with a blue linen safari. Talk about the epitome of gentlemanly panache.
 
Also impressing were the sea blue paisley and Prince of Wales looks in thick tie fabric silk, which had lots of pep. 
 
“We have been focusing on key looks in the history of Ralph Lauren, and seeing how they can work very well today,” noted Wrazej, pointing to one yellow pants and blue blazer combo. Which was more or less exactly what Ralph wore one day back when he was winning awards for his Bugatti at car shows in Florida in the 80s.
 
And, one could not help noticing, there was even a cool navy blue raffia shirt in this collection too, though artfully used in a combo aertex/cardigan.
 
Later in the evening, the house staged the toniest soiree of menswear with a supper with US Esquire inside the house’s refined Rationalist-era townhouse.
 
Cocktails of Hugo Spritzes or margaritas, followed by classic Lauren surf-n-turf fare – crab and avocado with delicious steaks.
 
Before Rufus Wainwright sang five songs, from Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ to a beautiful rendition of Bertolt Brecht’s ‘Mack the Knife’, accompanied by John Idol on grand piano.
 
Welcome to the new era of torch song gentlemanly chic – close to the Med.