BEAUTY: Clothing--Etro

Let's just get it out of the way: I still miss Kean Etro, the son of Gimmo Etro, founder of the house. Kean started the menswear division in 1990 and was the Creative Director until four years ago when he stepped down. I miss his enthusiasm, his vision, but most of all, his daring with the DNA of the family house: the paisley. Current Creative Director of menswear Marco De Vincenzo has done a nice job but he is not Kean.

This Fall-Winter '26-'27 collection shown for Milano Moda Uomo—not nearly as lush as past collections under Kean—gets as close to Kean's sensibility as I have seen so far. Which makes sense since De Vincenzo based it on an archival collection Kean created that explored the idea of human physiognomy often mirroring that of animals. Called "Ani-men," the collection was shown to the public on mannequins with Venetian-made papier-mâché animal heads—foxes, owls, rams, bears. But for the official lookbook, we see the collection here on a model. And animal imagery mixes nicely with some subtle paisleys that show up, pleasingly, on all garments. I particularly like the effect of tooled leather stags and owls on a motorcycle jacket (final look)!

BEAUTY: Clothing--Misc. Milano Moda Uomo FW '23-'24

Milano Moda Uomo has wrapped up and the attention now turns to Paris. But before that, there were a few miscellaneous details at Milano Moda Uomo that caught my eye...

...Gucci showed skirts...and not the Thom Browne men's suiting skirt or the let's-pretend-this-kilt-is-a-skirt-so-we-can-still-pretend-to-be-masculine-and-not-wear-women's-clothes type of skirt. No, eff it. It's a long floor length skirt. And the cut is fantastic. Also in the collection: a 70s-80s retro flashback to leg warmers!

Here are some more long skirts at Etro. I must say that I miss Kean Etro (the son of the house's founder stepped down in 2022 and his last collection can be seen here)...aside from the skirts, this collection was fairly lackluster.

I am not sure how practical they are from a functional point of view (what if you have to kneel down to get a dropped iPhone?), but Alyx showed pants with spiked knees...

And finally, how awesome are these clever and unique metallic loafers with claws at the toe area from Charles Jeffrey? They make me giggle...

https://www.gucci.com/
https://www.etro.com/
https://www.alyxstudio.com/
https://charlesjeffreyloverboy.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--Etro

A few weeks ago, the news came that Kean Etro is stepping down as head of menswear at Etro, the illustrious brand his father started in 1968. Kean's sister Veronica will also be stepping down from her role as creative director of womenswear after the Etro family sold a majority stake to the private equity firm L Catterton. So this Spring Summer '23 collection at Milano Moda Uomo proves to be the last for the Etro siblings.

When creating his last many, many collections, Kean Etro's inspiration has come from a beautiful internal sense of spirituality and a curiosity of how metaphysical ideas manifest in different cultures. He expressed that sense in a sort of Bohemian, globe-trotting pastiche of color and print (always featuring, to some degree, the sumptuous paisley prints made famous by the house). And this lovely, summery collection is no different. Being a Spring Summer collection, the materials are mostly sheer silks for tops, and some open knits and lace weaves for trousers. We can also see some slouchy-sexy-casual suiting (with obi sashes!), exotic djellabas and flowing caftans, and a dose of bathing costumes and beachwear. I also like the color progression of the entire collection: it starts with white, works its way through warm color into cool, then into darks and blacks. It is a sort of color spectrum journey through a prism.

But just by way of observation, I am a little surprised that Kean Etro's final collection shows very little print or pattern. It seems that his swan song would be a celebration of the DNA of the house and what he has accomplished--but perhaps for that very reason, he opted for small florals and solid colors. Why try to make a grand statement when that statement has already been made?

Love the neo-hippy toe rings on models...

And here are Veronica and Kean taking a final bow. Arrivederci e mille grazie for the years of beauty.

Marco de Vincenzo will be the new creative director for both menswear and womenswear while remaining in his position of head designer of leather goods at Fendi.

 
https://www.etro.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--Etro

Kean Etro has always had the heart of a mystic and the spirit of a hippie; he has been revealing that for many seasons now (browse through past collections here) and this SS '22 collection at Milano Moda Uomo was another glimpse into his world.

This season, the Etro man strode down a disused railway line in Milan, dressed in classic Etro paisley and floral combinations, some amazing metallicized canvas trousers in jewel tones, and eye-popping ombréd orange and green hues on suits. But the fact that he was traversing the rail sleepers carrying rolled up sleeping mats and canteens suggested nomadism and hitching a freight car to journey to places unknown. It was a typically romantic idea from Kean Etro and one that is suffused with a richness of texture and pattern. In fact, the destination of some of these models could very well be the Southwestern United States...many pieces sported beautiful patterns reminiscent of Native tribes from that area.

https://www.etro.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--Etro

While he did not show any "day pajamas," Kean Etro sure made his Fall-Winter '21-'22 collection much  more relaxed and casual than collections past (it nearly verges on sportswear in some looks...nearly...I can forgive an occasional cagoule)! Inspired by the quarantine activity of reviewing the archive of the house of Etro (the equivalent of cleaning out a closet for you and me), Etro said, "I played with what we did with our wardrobes; clearing out, looking again, rediscovering, mixing things together, cleaning up... This helped me realize what the moment is—it’s an in and out time. I think [in the future] there will be a strong instinct to express yourself individually; to be your own stylist, be your own designer." Well said Kean Etro, that is something I have always thought when I choose my own clothing and what to wear. I am my own stylist, and while I may admire or even buy a piece of designer clothing, I am ultimately the one who will use it in whatever sartorial expression I want to make at the moment, incorporating it with other pieces either coordinating or contrasting, high or low. With that idea in mind, Etro incorporated into this collection embellished ghillie loafers, pastel cricket sweaters, and British-feeling plaids--he was after all a schoolboy in Cambridge! Yet he did not abandon the signature paisley and gloriously rich color palette the house is known for, and which I, being the maximalist that I am, simply love. Take a look at the video. Fashion journalist Luke Leitch summed it up: "When the models emerged en masse from their runway space into the wintery sunshine on Via Tortona they resembled friends reunited who, unconvinced of exactly what to wear, had instead decided to wear everything they could for the joy of it."

https://www.etro.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--Etro

Ah, Etro. The house can always be depended upon for a dose of soothing beauty with Bohemian pattern and rich color. Kean Etro, who heads the menswear division of the brand started by his father, worked with his sister Veronica, who heads the womenswear division, for this SS '21 collection.

Unlike other houses and brands during this virtual edition of Milano Moda Uomo, Etro chose to present an actual, physical show--*gasp*--for a group of 80 mask-clad, safe-distanced guests. At the open air garden at the Four Seasons hotel in Milan on the morning of July 15, Etro became the first to produce a live show after the pandemic quarantine. The Etros said the show was about diversity, "as if guests of many different provenances were checking into the hotel, with their unique stories to tell and their wealth of memories and experience to share." And indeed, I see references to the Southwest of the United States with Western motifs including Navajo designs, a section with some jungle-themed prints, and even a section of sophisticated Madras and Mumbai jewel tones from India. Fashion journalist Tiziana Cardini correctly observes that "As an extended family, the Etros have always embraced inclusive values and individuality. The idea of traveling to far away destinations, which is at the core of their aesthetic, is intended more as a respectful exploration of different cultures than as wanderlust or pure escapism." It is this earnest exploration that has always attracted me to Kean Etro's vision.

Both collections were created entirely in Italy using craftspeople who were eager to get back to some form of work. They also, as usual, used responsibly sourced fabrics—yarns made from eucalyptus or from recycled plastic bottles. To reduce waste, upcycling archival textiles and vintage clothing also came into play (look at the gorgeous patchwork jacket on the model in the first image below). "We wanted to bring old fabrics back to life, giving them new longevity and purpose," the Etros said. "For us, it’s not only about the final destination—it’s about the journey."

https://www.etro.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--Etro

I adore the rich, sumptuous sensibility of Kean Etro who designs the menswear collections for the family company started by his father Gimmo Etro in 1968. Known for paisley and a certain ethnic sense, Kean has expanded this motif over the years while managing to stay true to the original spirit of the house, but this collection felt like a return to a certain kind of tradition. Fashion journalist Luke Leitch was at the Etro show and reported on the stage dressing for this FW 20-21 collection:

"Balefully staring from the walls of this garage showspace were the subjects of scores of old portraits; these included some well-off officers from the 1910s, a girl with a bob and a red kimono lying in an art deco frame, an Edwardian lady wandering through a flower meadow in white lace, and a group of late 19th century hunters. Just down the bench Veronica Etro said all of these had been collected by her father, Gerolamo, partly for pleasure and partly for professional reasons. 'Some of them are of our ancestors and others he bought because he liked the clothes. See that woman with the paisley sash? He likes uniforms, writing, and military… I like that they are here today looking down on us.' Gerolamo’s collection was handed down to Veronica and her siblings, brother Kean included."

Kean, whose inspiration and mood boards often feature spiritual themes, said the collection is about ancestry...both personal to him and more broadly cultural: "call them family ties, tribal ties." And there is definitely a spirit of the past running through this collection. Like the men in the portraits on the walls of the showspace, outfits featured tall boots which echoed equestrianism or military uniforms, touches of Westernwear, and gorgeous, traditional overcoats and tailoring. Rich prints (with, yes, a paisley here and there!), and blanket wraps and ponchos hit me just right. I often wear outfits that look just like these...

https://www.etro.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--Etro

Kean Etro is a seeker and a mystic at heart. Since he took over the house started by his father, Gimmo Etro in 1968, he has more and more been exploring metaphysical and spiritual ideas through his collections. He has been very interested in altered states of consciousness, shamanism, meditation, and the cultures around the world that share these interests. Two past collections referenced 60s psychedelia and the book MOUNT ANALOGUE by René Daumal (it served as one of the source materials for Alejandro Jodorowsky's cult film "The Holy Mountain" previously here). And this Spring Summer '20 collection entitled "Desert Saga" shown at Milano Moda Uomo was conceived of as a trip to the desert, perhaps to study with Don Juan as Carlos Castaneda supposedly did in his series of anthropological and metaphysical books. The trippy, hippy, nomadic feeling was also inspired by a book about astral projection and the classic children's story LE PETIT PRINCE. And Kean Etro is, happily, dedicated to sustainability in his industry, sourcing alternative materials from which to make fabric...eucalyptus in this case. I adore the Romantic, free-flowing, global tribal sensibility. The cozy ponchos, the glorious embroidery, and the superb striped trousers are enhanced by patterns from many cultures including India, Persia, and Mauritania. It is all sumptuous, intricate, and lyrical. I'll have one of everything...including all the Berber Moroccan and Native beaded jewelry.

https://www.etro.com/