Dunhill, Tod's, Mordecai and Santoni

On a busy Sunday in Milan menswear, four brands caught the eye, especially for their innovative and expected use of materials: Dunhill, Tod's, Mordecai and Santoni.

Dunhill: The knight has returned

Shopper-friendly menswear, and there's nothing wrong with that at Dunhill, totally in keeping with the new taste for gentlemanly elegance.

The collection marked creative director Simon Holloway's second collection for the UK brand. Last season he presented classic oil paintings at the British Museum in London. This Sunday he presented spring/summer clothing in a hidden, green Milanese garden dotted with statues.

However, her aesthetic remained constant: hyper sartorial chic. From his initial suede safari worn with white jeans, David Hemmings Blow Up style. To a pale gray three-piece suit, paired with bowling shoes. Lots of gentlemen's essentials, from burnished leather briefcases and suitably aged monk shoes to fantastic British bulldog pewter-handled umbrellas. Well, it rains a lot in Blighty.

Holloway also played with the house's signature Bourdon suit, in double-breasted and double-breasted versions.

But what made this collection unique was the innovative use of very lightweight fabrics in classic herringbone, windowpane and Glencheck options. All the way down to the light micro-polka dot tuxedo that was the star of the night's looks.

“Made by traditional mills in Somerset, Yorkshire and Biella, the evolution of the material heralds the House's focus on supporting craftsmanship in the art of fabric,” Holloway stressed in his program notes.

Above all, after a half-dozen post-pandemic seasons in which men had to skip suits and wear adaptable clothing for working from home, it was refreshing to see something so stylish and purposeful. For lovers of post-Anglo style, you don't have to worry about where to find your wardrobe. Dunhill ticks all the boxes.

“This is not basic office wear. They are clothes to enjoy, for a life well lived,” concluded Holloway.

Tods: Artisanal intelligence

Tod's hosted an elegant presentation inside a Milanese art institution, PAC, where artisans skillfully sewed their classic moccasins. Except one could only see his hands.

A clever play on the brand's theme this season, its goal of combining artificial and artisanal intelligence, rather than letting AI dominate our future.

“It is vital for our brand and for all of our employees that we embrace and understand AI, but never let it control who we are and what we stand for,” explained Tod's CEO Diego Della Valle.

“We see that there can be great benefits in AI, as in all advances in modern science, such as in medicine. But it is essential that we maintain all our values ​​of craftsmanship and artisanal intelligence. We have to keep our own people at the center of our thoughts,” Diego added.

A reaction to this idea is the Pashmy project, where Tod's researches and selects the softest and silkiest fabrics, reminiscent of the delicate touch of a pashmina. Seen in a stylish variety of outerwear. The collection marked the menswear debut of creative director Matteo Tamburini, who focused on timeless Italian elegance, creating a very plausible wardrobe. From fantastic suede tunics with funnel necks and patch pockets; Very fresh cornflower blue suede blazers and shirt jackets, folded with membrane and heat-sealed.

Tamburini was also confident enough to play with the iconic Gommino, with a new sabot version. And with a bold series of nail polish finishes for classic loafers; and a new, more striking version of the metallic T logo emblem.

A debut celebrated with a fun dinner at Il Baretto, the Milanese restaurant of the moment, washed down by an excellent Barolo red 2019 called Lo Zoccolaio. Which, aptly, means to obstruct in Italian.

Mordecai: A star is born

Just when we thought we were going to die of boredom after a weekend of predictable polishing, along came Ludovico Bruno with a big new nomadic warrior menswear statement in Mordecai.

“Basically, my silhouette is shaped like an 8,” explains Bruno, who makes oversized garments with raglan sleeves to better imitate the figure of eight.

Dressed with inspiring safari coats; padded military jackets and a brilliant range of Asian-inspired martial arts styles. All made of washed silks, boiled wool and materials treated with technology.

“I like sports, martial arts and uniforms. I was really fascinated by the Indian doctors who wore a knee-length white cotton shirt with a high collar, very elegant,” explained this Milanese redhead.

Ludovico spent 10 years in Moncler's design department, designing its Genius collection, and Mordecai offers some cool, unpredictable puffer jackets with rolled center columns, done in faded yellows and light khaki. Turtlenecks sprang up everywhere, from padded judo jackets to stiff silk kimonos, all very empowering.

They are often made in Italy, but sometimes they like technical nylon raincoats and multi-pocket flight suits made in China. Bruno considers that this country is better for finishing seams on technological garments.

All finished with his signature: a triple stripe of erratic width. Seen on the best-selling sculpted cargo pants, worthy of your hero Brancusi. A great and unexpected collection that extends to a robe worthy of haute couture, made of very strange shaved leather that looks like terylene.

Santoni: Growth through wonderful colors

Elegant, elegant and at the same time intelligently sensible in Santoni, the footwear brand with the most panache in Milan men's fashion.

The latest ideas include putty gray suede and pointed toe loafers with super comfortable fluffy soles. Or soft, sleek burnished leather slip-ons in shades like petrol green or burnt peach, finished with orange side stitching. Breaking new ground, a new sandal meets the classic double-buckle monk, all presented within an Art Liberty gallery renamed Piazza Santoni for the day.

All Santoni shoes come with the exclusive orange sole, except those with rubber soles, which have the orange Santoni logos.

“We stay formal but we like to play a lot with colors. Classic but with an informal interpretation,” explained enthusiastic general director Giuseppe Santoni.

Sees future growth through women's footwear; greater distribution and more leather goods, such as the excellent intreccio leather weekend shoes, again in novel colors like corn blue and blood orange.

“Our goal is for there to be more points of sale and for more customers to appreciate the value of the brand,” adds Giuseppe.

Next, Santoni is planning a London store on New Bond Street, hopefully by the end of the year, and another in Doha. It recently relocated to New York and opened earlier this year in Kuwait and Marbella. The capital investment is significant.

Everything is always produced in Corridonia, at the key individual Santoni plant in the Le Marche region.

“In Made in Italy, what is made is not important. It is the hand and the head that make the difference and the culture behind it, which is why it has to be produced in our own factory,” he stressed.

“The essence of Santoni's DNA is that true luxury and quality remain in the product. No nonsense,” insists the always direct Giuseppe, who wears a Cavaliere del Lavoro pin – a distinction awarded three years ago – on the lapel of his white double-breasted suit.

How, one wondered, had he chosen Louis Vuitton CEO Pietro Beccari, who will receive the same award this fall?

“I can make better shoes than him!” The river.