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Dolce&Gabbana and Versace make men’s wear more colourful

Men like it bright.

It’s no time to shy away from colour, men. Milan Fashion Week previews opened on Saturday for next summer’s menswear, and already a trend is coming into focus: bold, electric colours. Economic indicators suggest men have become as fashion-conscious as women. Now, Milan fashion designers are offering fashion-forward men ever more daring looks, digging into sartorial embellishments that long have been the playthings of women’s fashion: brocade, embroidery, sequins and jewel tones.

Raging Bull

Since a group of butterflies is a flutter, it seems only fair to call a parade of Dolce&Gabbana models in tailored crimson suits a flourish.

Once again, the pair consider a moment in their fabled Sicily’s history when it was the object of conquest. Last season it was the Medieval Norman invasion, this season Spanish rule

While the Spaniards may not have specifically brought bullfighting to Sicily, it is the matador jacket, embellished with swirls of piping and ribbon, which forms the backbone of the collection — and offers the sort of baroque elements that often underpin Dolce&Gabbana style. Instead of traditional gold, these new accents are black. The jackets are worn with cropped trousers and slippers.

The designers offer a new version of their boxy top, often worn with skinny trousers, this one with pictures of charging bulls — the icon of the season. Worn around the neck to accompany this fierce image is a delicate rosary, suggesting either the fervour it must take to enter an arena with a raging bull or gratitude for having survived.

The designers have incorporated decorative elements from the traditional toreador costumes into more urban suits, including ribboning. The final distillation is a series of shiny three-piece suits with inventive scoop-neck gilets in a series of colours: cornflower blue, evergreen, emerald, purple and salmon pink — all giving way to a finale of crimson red.

This was a serious collection, heavy on ornament and light on beach wear. Unless you count a big boxer short worn with an oversized boxer’s belt.

Party Havana Style

Donatella Versace’s looks for next summer inspire one question: Where’s the party?

Versace, thinking of everything, even includes a toga. The emphasis is on fun, Cuban-style. The colours are soothing Caribbean monochromes: salmon pink, celestial blue and white.

The looks at times evoke tradition, with images of Havana street scenes woven into tops or crocheted squares forming panels in linen shirts. And they inspire a good time, with graphic silhouettes of dancing figures or giant hibiscus trees cut onto leather coats, imposed on jumpsuits and printed on shirts.

Jeans included elaborately worked with laser-cut images of tropical fruit or embroidery of Caribbean foliage.

In a novelty for the Milan runway, models carried backpacks and satchel bags brimming with Versace dishware — a sure hint that a party is brewing somewhere.