N°21 FALL WINTER 2019 MEN’S COLLECTION – MILAN FASHION WEEK

Reinterpreting masculinity without the limits imposed by cultural stereotypes and by the centuries- old trappings of sexism. Analyzing with clean eyes man’s natural eroticism and the ambiguity that comes from male complicity, so as to liberate both expressions from the pitfalls of camaraderie. Embracing the pursuit of a new path for narrating the aesthetic choices of a new man. With no pre- set theories and no codes. This N°21 Fall/Winter 2019 collection marks the shaping of a men’s wardrobe that takes place free of all preconceptions.

«For too many years men’s fashion let itself be imprisoned by genres and trends, from dated businesswear to the more recent sportswear. I thought the time has come not only to jumble up references but also to construct a type of apparel that can bypass all classifications, just as are doing now in everyday life the new generations of men, from millennials to the men of subsequent generations. I’m convinced that without the affects of stereotypical cultural limitations on how they dress, men become better able to understand not simply themselves but also the world around, including the major decisive change on the part of the female universe», says N°21 creative director Alessandro Dell’Acqua.

EROTICISM It’s the elusive, fleeting atmosphere of a world made up more of signs and signals than of conspicuous appearances. Rather than muscles, it is the tailoring of jackets that accents the plunging necklines of a double tank top, the layering of low-cut sweaters, the see-through effect of loose-stitch cable knits. Or it’s the double sleeves in jersey that emerge from those on a wool sweater, as well as the little cardigans in wool punch-needled with chiffon that assume a slightly rigid boxing shape yet with all the softness of cashmere. Likewise, it’s a story unfolding from the pants, coats and shirts in a leather-mimicking glazed poplin; from the leather duffel-coat with neoprene lining; from the blanket stripes fashioning coats and jackets; from the navy blue peacoat with narrow shoulders; from the neckties in superfine kid mohair; from the shirts with contrast piping; from the double zip ankle boots and the laceup boots with zips on both sides.

AMBIGUITY Rather than an identity game, it’s the inflection of a basic attribute of male sensitivity that instead of translating into a stereotypical sense of camaraderie takes shape and thrives in terms of aesthetic choices. Evident in the glossy radzmir coats, and in: the bombers that through an interplay of zips front and back gain in volume, dropping shoulders and leaving the torso free; the black lace tuxedos that enjoy the dual option of having either a black & blue lace shirt or a leather polo underneath. Also in: the black lace and the fake leopard fur coats, the diagonal-rib gabardine business pants, the shiny oversize parkas with sheepskin padding.

«It’s a male journey into a wardrobe that’s been recast,» Alessandro Dell’Acqua concludes. Accomplished with the chromatic decisiveness of black, gray and navy blue, offset at times by sporadic flashes of red, green, camel. Accompanied by sailor satchels and tote bags in glazed poplin, in soft nappa leather, in patent leather. Complete with printed logo or, new this season, a logo jacquard.