BEAUTY: Clothing--Etro

Kean Etro is known for collections that revel in the exotic, with past inspirations coming from Mongolian, Celtic, Indian, and Native American cultures. So it seemed a tiny bit of a letdown to see a Mexican theme for Etro's Spring-Summer '14 collection at Milano Moda Uomo (as a Californian, a Mexican theme does not seem that exotic to me). But the more I look at this collection, the  more it grows on me. What seems at first like a collection of clichés, turns into a pleasant homage to the vocabulary of traditional Mexican clothing. Silver conchos are used here as tie clips (giving the effect of a bolo tie without actually having to wear one), models carried tooled leather sombreros and guitar cases and bags calling to mind the musical tradition of Mariachi, and ammunition belts were slung over shoulders and worn low on hips evoking images of Emiliano Zapata and the Mexican Revolution of 1910-1920. The tooled leather even made its way to a breathtaking jacket. Sexy tight pants and traditional details like soutache put the finishing touches on the sense of this collection. The typical Etro paisleys and luxe fabrics may have been absent, but this venture south of the border feels sultry, cavalier...

And extra kudos for the use of mature models. The silver gentlemen have much to offer...

http://www.etro.com/