A lot of what you see at menswear shows is a by-product of mathematical calculations. How much did that house pay its celebrities, actors, campaigns and PR team? Will the series make enough money to make it back? However, not every designer lives by this equation. Massimo Alba, a poet, is one of the exceptions.
For his spring 24 collection, he considered the house studio near the Alda Merini bridge in Milan’s Navigli. Named after the poet and writer who died in 2009, the bridge allows people to cross the canal from one side of the canal to the other and is rammed with locals and tourists alike on weekends. Alba being Alba, he captures the notion of human connection through poetry, prose, and clothing, then: “Takes a love journey.”
Last night at A group of industry friends at an event at that studio read their favorite poems to the soundtrack to showcase Alba’s latest series. This is a new stanza in his ongoing quest to fuse high levels of sophistication and craftsmanship with anamorphic and bohemian views. Unstructured cuts of lightweight cotton, often garment-dyed, were overlaid on silk shirting in tile-like checks and polka dots. Cardigans, polos, swim shorts and casual suits are key pieces. The collection didn’t represent a major turning point in Alba’s oeuvre, but that didn’t matter: Alba’s poetic nature and exquisite craftsmanship, both of which were integrated into menswear, made revisiting them a sure joy.
