Last January, we tried to summarize next men’s fashion trends seen during FW19/20 runway shows with a particular focus on collaborations.
Finding out how high fashion brands approach the collaborations with different worlds such as entertainment, characters or art, is certainly an interesting topic for those who work in the licensing industry and brand innovation.
That’s why we decided to review the collections for the next SS 2020 trying to sum up the main themes, trends and most interesting collabs in order to offer you some food for thought.
Compared to the trends seen in the fall-winter collections, we have to say that there is no big news about the macro trends: still a strong presence of the military style with all kinds of camouflage prints, from chunky colours of Valentino to tie-dye-style of Études.
Attention to the environment and sustainability for most of the brands with a particular highlight on Z Zegna, Stella McCartney, and Youser with the use of recycled/recyclable or with low impact materials.
Ninthies multi-levels vibe is still one of the main themes, among which the Versace collection is certainly the most symbolic with some of the iconic elements of the collections designed by Gianni Versace like studs, fringes, shiny and spotted leather but also t-shirts and denim bearing photo prints of old Versace ads. The rave culture and techno music are two elements of the 90s that recur in different collections, from the tribute of Donatella Versace to the late friend Keith Flint of the Prodigy to the techno folk of Marcelo Burlon.
United Standard also presented a collection inspired by techno and rave culture chimed with the synthetic, industrial, technical sportswear and a neon splash here and there.
For what concerns the collaborations, is certainly interesting the entertainment world with the curious presence of another gothic novel. After the past Prada men’s and women’s collections inspired by Frankenstein, we found two collections inspired by Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Anticipated by the “spooky couture” of Jeremy Scott for Moschino during the resort 2020 fashion shows and then back in the total black collection of Undercover, with the vampire vibes from the cult movie Nosferatu, the horror theme seems to be back in vogue.
Other interesting collaborations: Marcelo Burlon County of Milan with Easy Rider, Dsquared2 presented a collection inspired by the oriental atmospheres of Bruce Lee‘s movies, in collaboration with the actor’s estate which gave life to a series of printed t-shirts with the posters of his films, mixed with garments that recall the neon lights of Hong Kong, maxi floral and tiger prints, boxing jackets and shorts. Still, on movies trend, Etro partnered with Star Wars and Philipp Plein with the Mad Max cult saga. Worthy of mention also Philipp Plein‘s collection homage to the Kiss.
Last but not least, high fashion brands seem to be more and more involved in arty collaborations to create atmospheres, prints and installations that can amaze the audience. Among these, a special mention goes to Iceberg and the artist Peter Blake, who created special patchwork prints for the brand combining the Italian roots of the brand with the in London’s eccentricity and punk heritage. Valentino instead, imagined a journey suspended in a new-age and fantasy dimension created by Roger Dean artworks, the artist who has designed the Yes’s covers. Probably, even more interesting, the collaboration between Virgil Abloh and Futura. Edithmarcel nineties-inspired collection is embellished with minimalist drawings recalling the artworks of Gary Hume and the renewed collaboration between Versace and the artist Andy Dixon are other examples of this trend.
The so-called “Cartoon Couture” instead, seems decidedly subdued in these collections.