Benetton Spring/Summer 2011

Light Age
A shirt and … you’re all set: this seems to be what United Colors of Benetton is saying. In fact the striped or plain-colour shirts are uniquely cool and light. If we then pair them with gabardine trousers – long or Bermudas – we’ll be ready for even the very hottest weekend in summer. Pale blue, white and green with a touch of grey are, as always, the most appropriate colours. Make sure everything has a slightly crumpled air to be sure you won’t risk looking too formal.

Military Gym
These guys seem fresh out of an army camp gym. The visual impact is immediate: cotton canvas for jackets/shirts mixes with the jersey of T-shirts and tracksuit trousers; khaki teams with mottled grey or green; shirt checks also appear on pocket and zip details. The result is a fully-fledged task force all set to fight ... those extra pounds.

Summer Colours
Freedom to mix colours in the season best suited to this activity. A rule-free mix ‘n’ match creating attractive colour schemes with unexpected results. Glossy and matte fabrics, contrasting lengths and volumes, different weights: any “misuse” is allowed as long as it generates a new image of summer vitality.

Sunday Brunch
A casual look for an increasingly popular social event. You can wear what you like, from a two-piece suit to a knitted cotton top with Bermuda shorts, as long as everything has a totally informal look. The palette includes shades of blue matched with touches of brighter tones like red and turquoise. The fit is often roomy, to comply as much as possible with the relaxed mood of this Sunday opportunity for meeting our friends.

Have a look at the collection here.

Photos & text Copryright Benetton.

Category › Benetton , Italian designers , Vincenzo Scognamiglio

Benetton Autumn/Winter 2010

Back Forward
A step back into the ’30s to borrow its atmospheres and reproduce them with a modern twist.

Outerwear fabrics have volume and are full-bodied as only wool can be. The jacket is still the main player, be it plain-coloured or with classic motifs. Leather jackets keep company in harmonious matches. Trousers follow the same path as jackets.
Knitwear and jersey articles in this theme round off a formal yet creative look. A small range of well-defined colours: grey, brown, periwinkle, dark blue and black.

No Rules
The mix ‘n’ match adventure seems eternal. It allows us to try unconventional schemes without feeling the consequential awkwardness. Corduroy and distressed gabardine, wool tartan and ultra-worn jeans are emblems of authentic casual wear. If we want to go a bit further, we could try a knitted wool cardigan over cotton fleece trousers, or a cotton three-button vest top under a padded, woven-cloth jacket and knitted wool trousers.

“Fool Colours”
We never renounce tradition. Strong colours belong to winter, too, especially when choosing a padded jacket, sweater or sports trousers. Consequently, materials follow the same theme: nylon padded with genuine goose down, wool yarn worked in jacquard patterns, heavy jersey trousers with a waist draw cord. Contrast is a distinguishing trait of this theme: colour contrast, of course; weights; right/reverse. There is no particular fit in this case, just a state of extreme relaxation.

“Denimotion”
In this case denim, now acknowledged as a fabric for many occasions, plays its original role. Garments made of “Genoa cloth”, especially blue jeans, are worn for leisure time. Washed-out, crumpled, dark, fitted, dirty: these are a few of its looks, which are teamed with check flannel shirts and modern waterproof cotton trench coats. Jersey cardigans with a warm handle are worn over T-shirts decorated with graphic motifs.

Have a look at the collection here.

Photos & text Copryright Benetton.

Category › Benetton , Italian designers , Vincenzo Scognamiglio

Sisley Autumn/Winter 2010

Arctic Heritage

An enjoyable vintage feel in an up-to-date modern context. The unspoilt atmospheres of Canadian territories come to life again in Sisley’s men’s styles for the outdoor theme.

Check cotton flannel, washed faux sheepskin, distressed denim and wools with a hand-knitted look join forces with new-generation details and fabrics. The casual style–under the motto”relaxed elegance” – springs to new life with the help of yarn-dyed cottons and pigment-dyed corduroys for authentic worker-style trousers.

Volumes are clingy as if to emphasize the idea of the protection they give against the rigors of winter. The colors are a range of basics - like red, blue, green, brown and yellow – filtered through the half-light of the woods.

Nocturnal Butterfly

The night and nocturnal men. This is the theme running through Sisley’s styles for him.

Contrasts of glossy and matt, black and white, roomy and tight are often seen in colors, fabrics and fit Corduroy, moleskin, satin and cotton create such a eclectic range of clothes as to go from the jacket to the waistcoat, both with a close fit, to T-shirts with “rocker” graphics – not forgetting embroidered shirts and deeply-distressed jeans.

The main color is black in the company of other nocturnal shades like cobalt blue or asphalt grey. Flashes of red and white brighten the look like neon signs through the dark.

Whispering

Sisley gives a new look to the fit and matching schemes of classic styles, creating a fresh, contemporary elegance.

Fabrics range from the smart look of woven wool with a knitted effect to the luxury wool yarns of the dinner suits and on to sophisticated cotton weaves used for shirts.

Knitwear introduces complementary elements, such as the waistcoat, for a look that is carefully studied yet carefree and youthful.

Black dominates the scene, though “assisted” by dark shades like smoky grey, purple, midnight blue and mixtures of green and blue, like “blue coral.”

The silhouette is close-fitted and streamlined, apart from the heavy overcoat that envelops everything in soft volumes.

See the collection here.

Photo & text Copyright Sisley.

Category › Italian designers , Sisley , Vincenzo Scognamiglio