I've explored in a few previous posts the connections between Michelangelo Antonioni's films and fashion (especially womenswear)/contemporary society, analysing the way the clothes and accessories worn by the different characters somehow helped taking the narration forward or had an almost psychological impact on the lives of the characters.
Yet, so far, I never explored Antonioni's universe in connection with menswear.
I'm glad, though, that Tomas Maier at Bottega Veneta did it in my place the other day during the Milan menswear shows.
Suspended between the formal and the informal, the collection was based on a tight fitting yet unstructured silhouette and on a muted colour palette, but with splashes of colours that seemed to imitate Antonioni transition from black and white to the neurotic colours of Deserto rosso (Red Desert, 1964) or the yellow/orange nuances of the explosion scene in Zabriskie Point (1970), though the soundtrack was courtesy of David Lynch.
Neutral tones prevailed at the beginning of the catwalk show with light grey shirts contrasting with charcoal wool suits in distressed fabrics.
Details - such as horizontal zips around the waist - proved important as they represented the focus in this part of the collection.
Splashes of bright colours were added little by little with orange, yellow and green trousers (imagine Monica Vitti's pea green coat in Deserto rosso turned into lime green trousers and tops) and electric blue coats.
It was interesting to see that Maier didn't focus strictly on the costumes in Antonioni films, but on the sets as well (check for example the video embedded at the end of this post and look at the colours of the industrial plant where Vitti moves).
Leather was obviously the main focus for the iconic intrecciato bags, but also for the tops and trousers that added a bit of a dark edge to the collection, while the final evening jackets in soft velvet brought back the collection towards the realm of elegance.
The most interesting point of the collection remained the way Maier tackled his cinematic inspirations, without falling into stereotypes, but looking at the moods, sets and backgrounds in which the characters moved, rather than just focusing on the costumes.
Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos
Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos
Comments