TRANSLATION | Eugenia Yang

2022秋冬男裝週似乎一直在告訴我們，盲目追尋時尚表象一點都不重要，重點是有故事，故事才是一切。 

Our takeaway from SS22 Men’s fashion week: it’s not about blindly following fashion trends, it’s about the story behind it; the story means everything. 

擅長以繪童年時的畫面作為故事來傳達的 LOUIS VUITTON 男裝藝術總監 Virgil Abloh 以一系列創作的第八章 𝓛𝓸𝓾𝓲𝓼 Dreamhouse™為主題，環繞著他創作中最核心的意識形態。Virgil Abloh 渴望飛翔的單純童年，以孩童純真的眼光觀察這個世界，他的男孩英雄通過重重考驗，堅定著意志而取得勝利。時裝秀場佈置成一個充滿可能性的藍色空間，讓所有的想法、期盼都可以無限延伸，現實與想像之間的隔閡不復存在。孩童的心靈沒有設限，因此時尚也未被社會制約化，他們用自己的主觀意識去詮釋所謂的服裝，對自然、超自然與精神力的意象，時間、魔法、創造 ; 以孩子們的形象描繪出的巫師圖案、動物元素、天使翅膀、小天使、雲彩、天藍色箱包上的攀爬握把以及Grim Reaper的卡通人物。秀後整個 LV 創意團隊在演示結束後再次站出來，他們完成了 Virgil Abloh 最後的設計，如果說 “Virgil Was Here” 秀是對剛剛逝去的 Abloh 頌歌，那麼 Louis Vuitton 2022 秋冬系列就是對他最深的紀念。 

2022 秋冬米蘭時裝週的重頭戲在 Silvia Venturini Fendi 執掌的 FENDI 完美詮釋屬於男性的新性感。不僅演繹出歷久不衰的經典，更是融合了現代感的男性性感優雅。經典千鳥格西裝面料、缎面燕尾服飾邊、針織、羅紋交錯著春夏的短版西裝剪裁、鏤空深Ｖ針織衫，其中全新的「O’Lock鏈條」圖案在設計中被放大縮小，併發出全新的創意圖案。 

本季還有一大矚目焦點，由 Silvia Venturini Fendi 設計的首個高科技配飾系列，攜手一體化數位資產管理解決方案平台 LEDGER ，融合尖端虛擬技術與 FENDI 雋永招牌風格，打造最為簡單易用又最安全的加密貨幣硬體錢包，將 FENDI 帶入元宇宙的世界。FENDI 配飾與男裝藝術總監 Silvia Venturini Fendi 也說道：「 創造無形事物與創造有形事物一樣重要 – 這正是我們必須接受即將到來的未來，朝著這個方向邁出的第一步，而這是激動人心的一步。」串連實體與虛擬精品，將FENDI 的設計密碼用於 LEDGER 的創新裝置上，如同Silvia 說的「誰知道它會將我們帶向何方?!」 

PRADA 2022 秋冬男裝大秀上雙創意總監 Raf Simons 與 Miuccia Prada 以「後疫情時代的工作」為題，探索工作、服裝與生活的關係，日常生活現實被賦予了價值，它的符號和能指與優雅和精緻的符號和能指交換，透過這種相互作用，人類在各個層面的努力都獲得了價值。

因此，我們可以看到工作服中少不了的西裝、大墊肩、束腰，甚至是帶有強烈職業感的飛行員夾克、大衣外套、極具份量感的墊肩輪廓等等，象徵著人們在工作崗位上的責任感與尊嚴，每種工作服裝帶著價值，賦予日常活動一種場合感，是一種重要意義，一種強調工作對社會的價值感。而制服以珍貴的皮革和絲綢重新實現、翻轉，在固有的框架中自行定義，將看似兩個極端值交纏，如 Raf Simons 設計元素中擅長的經典連身工作服，則改以帶有光澤的尼龍面料打造，將工作休閒服裝注入現代時髦感，又或是在充滿威嚴感的大衣注入毛絨元素，在莊重感中交織趣味，即便是在日常的穿搭單品也能夠優雅而莊重。 

Continuing the signature theme of boyhood, the late creative director’s eighth collection is named Louis Dreamhouse and follows Abloh’s coming-of-age narrative in abstract narration. Abloh expressed the theme as a time he saw the world with naiveté, a period in which his imagination was given the freedom to soar. The little boy from Chicago finally overcame all his conquests and succeeded with his persistence. Louis Vuitton’s AW22 menswear fashion show was set up in a pale blue venue, in which ideas and aspirations were extended with no limitations and the line between reality and fantasy was blurred. Children’s minds have no limits, which is why they can allow their subconscious to interpret the meaning of clothes, nature, supernatural beings and spirituality. Dreamlike and undeniably boyish, the graphics on the garments included wizards, animals, cherubs, clouds, climbing holds on sky-blue bags, and even animations of the Grim Reaper. At the end of the show, Abloh’s design studio took a bow on the catwalk as they completed the creative director’s last collection. If “Virgil was Here” was seen as a celebration of Abloh’s legacy, then “Louis Dreamhouse” is most definitely a remembering of his inspiring creativity and absolute ingenuity. 

Silvia Venturini Fendi presented to us a new sexy, but this time for her mens collection. Not only bringing back elegant menswear, the creative director also incorporated modern designs to capture the sensuality and sophistication of a modern gentleman. Signifiers included the houndstooth and checks galore, Astaire-ish tailcoat tuxedo, knitwear featuring V-shaped cutaways, suiting-centric pants and shorts and the brand new O’Lock motifs in different sizes, adding a touch of creativity to the classic attire. 

Another highlight of the season is most definitely Venturini launching her very first digital accessory collection, in collaboration with digital asset management platform, Ledger. Combining the Maison’s timeless style with the most forward-thinking technology, the crypto currency wallet takes FENDI into the metaverse, successfully bridging reality with the digital world. “It brings the two worlds together,” stated Venturini, “It’s something we have to learn little by little, all of us.” The first to bridge web3 with luxury fashion, FENDI’s innovative decision raises the question, is the creative director also putting personal investment into crypto currency? “I’m not, but I never say never.” 

For Milan Fashion Week Men’s, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons presented a star-studded runway show celebrating the idea of working. Exploring the relationship between work, fashion and life, the reality of everyday life is given value, while its signs and signifiers are exchanged with those of elegance and refinement. Through this interplay, we finally recognize the hard work we put into our work, in all aspects. Thus, the show features suits, heavy shoulder pads, hugely cinched waists, oversized bombers, trench coats and more. A symbol of respect and dignity, workwear is given value and celebrates the relationship between the work we do and the uniforms we wear doing it. On top of that, uniforms are reimagined through the use of leather and silk, bridging two extremities—work and fashion—with absolute harmony and perfection. The brand signature overalls are reinterpreted through pastel tech-satins and damask silk that adds a touch of modernity to the quotidian workwear, while the fusion of military-like trench coats and ostentatiously furry mohair trimmings finds this new found balance between formality and fun, creating a style that is elegant, professional but also enjoyable.