An exploration of “soft contrasts” took the latest No. 21 men’s collection into hybrid territory, where casual wear was reinterpreted with a chic attitude and manly designs were sprinkled with a touch of eccentricity.
“When I started working on this collection I had two needs,” said the brand's founder and creative director, Alessandro Dell'Acqua. “On the one hand, I felt the need to give the male representation a greater sense of sweetness, which was transmitted through clothing; On the other hand, I wanted to do it by highlighting the contrasts that different pieces of a wardrobe can create if they coexist at the same time, on the same person.”
In the concise collection, this play of juxtapositions was expressed through jumpsuits worn over impeccable shirts and ties, tailored pieces mixed with wool cargo pants and tracksuits reworked with masculine checkered patterns or made of synthetic leather with neoprene finishes.
While cotton coats with quilted linings and baggy chinos added to the workwear portion of the line, other men's staples were updated with unexpected touches, as seen in plaid shirts dotted with dazzling beads and hot fix details or chiffon layered hoodies.
Such interventions created a bridge between this men's collection and the brand's pre-fall 2024 women's line that was also presented. Aiming to further strengthen the cohesion between the two proposals, Dell'Acqua also borrowed women's crepe de chine shirts with lace inserts to add a touch of delicacy to the men's range, and reworked the basques in cotton to mimic the effect of t-shirts peeking out from underneath. knitted polos and cardigans.
Extravagant feathered hats complemented the sportier looks, evoking the detached cool of Jamiroquai frontman Jason Kay and further highlighting the overall '90s vibe that oozes from this fuss-free collection.
