Italy designers offer color as crisis antidote

MILAN — The look for next summer may be colorfully upbeat, but where styles are concerned, Italian designers showing their 2010 menswear warm weather wears are playing it safe.

Given the current economic crisis, designers are not experimenting with avant-garde clothing, but sticking to easy to understand, familiar styles from the classic suit to sporty shorts. The bright summer palette makes the difference.

Gucci designer Frida Giannini, who showed her latest collection Sunday, used pristine white to express optimism. But the silhouette was slim and tailored, offering what the designer said was “an effortless approach to luxury.”

The new Gucci suit has a deconstructed jacket slightly longer than in past seasons, and a super slim trouser cropped at the ankle. Tapered pants, featured by many designers who have shown thus far, promises to be a leading look for next summer.

Giannini’s sportswear is inspired by the yacht club wardrobe, from the lightweight hooded parka and surfing shorts to the patchwork fabrics that resemble stitching on a sail.

Rolled cotton pants, painted white jeans and hand-knit sweaters with folksy patterns add comforting familiarity to the look.

For evening, deep blue replaces black, and the stiffness of a tuxedo jacket is relaxed by the light V-neck sweater worn underneath.

The latest Gucci loafer is made from a patchwork of crocodile, leather and patent leather, while ostrich is used for Gucci’s new high-top sneaker.

Sneakers in general are back this round with several other designers raising the tennis court footwear to runway fame by fashioning them in snakeskin.

Earlier Sunday, the second day of the four-day menswear preview showings, Tomas Maier for Bottega Veneta painted his traditional classic look in bright colors. Straying from his usual muted palette, the designer came up with such glowing shades as “warm cigar” and “fever red.”

The collection is built around a basic pair of V-shaped trousers, full at the top and tapering to a narrow cuff to reveal shiny round-toed loafers underneath, worn strictly without socks.

A tailored jacket with bold lapel accompanies these skimpy pants. The same jacket can be worn with cargo Bermuda shorts for a more sporty look.

For the man who has almost everything, Maier created a limited edition of his famous “Cabat” leather woven bag. Other summer bags include a new shopper, “so a guy won’t stuff his pockets,” the designer says, and a roomy duffel bag in super soft nappa leather.

Donatella Versace, who showed Sunday afternoon, battles the current crisis by becoming a virtual designer for the Foreign Legion. In her fashion notes she said she drew inspiration for her latest collection from the French army corps’ “romantic image.”

Versace’s Legionnaire happily exchanges his uniform for an unbuttoned tunic worn over a T-shirt, soft trousers, and leather sandals. He wears a wide leather combat belt, and hangs charms and dark shades from leather straps around his neck. His favorite footwear is the desert boot.

He favors a camouflage beige palette, but at times dares to reveal himself in flashes of violet, emerald green and orange.

By night, his vanity calls for a return to the glories of the uniform, with tassel braiding and silk bands adorning his tuxedo jacket.

Also on Sunday, flamboyant British designer John Richmond showed some extreme cases of looks which are emerging during this round of warm weather menswear: rolled sleeves and trouser cuffs even for a classic suit, shoes without socks even by night, colors bright enough to include shocking pink, and jeans so worn and torn they look destroyed rather than distressed.