Simmering a hype-filled approach, Domenico Formichetti’s AW25 outing served an important purpose: to broaden the definition of style beyond Milan’s traditional codes.
IN HIS show notes, PDF’s Domenico Formichetti invoked the fashion mashup-up of late 20th century and modern Americana. It’s a far-from-bashful pairing that could very quickly turn swaggy, but it soon became clear that the many hours Formichetti has logged on retro noughties have not been in vain.
He merged the two elements into a fresh, functional collection that could coherently take a bloke from a downtown parkwalk to a city’s sidewalk. (And in the case of a couple of multi-layered looks, onward to the hillside). “Last season was more focused on washes and colours, while this one on silhouettes,” opined Formichetti post-show.
Colour-blocked separates in the sun-tinged hues of South Beach came in a graphic assortment of the harder garb for Fall: flowing maxi shirts, smartly cut volumes, a sexy oversized number, and a nineties party vein. Low-waisted pants appeared entirely sea-worthy, but they were sharply shaped enough not to fall in the dusty retro trap.
What’s more, it didn’t feel like a nostalgic homage, “but a recontextualization,” he notes. PDF’s first runway show was a step forward for a brand that has always toyed with disruption. “This is a love letter to the culture that shaped me, but it’s also a provocation—a call to imagine what’s next.”
Outdoor sports references provide a counterpoint to urban grit, delivering the lineup’s exaggerated proportions and layered silhouettes that take cues from the bold, practical designs of snowboarding gear, merging technical innovation with streetwear’s raw energy. Blazers with deconstructed lapels, utilitarian overalls in iridescent fabrics, and quilted outerwear blend technicality with a sense of play.
Other ideas—both good (graffiti-inspired prints) and bad (the profusion of exaggerated low-waists)—were scattered here and there, breaking up the slight sartorial monotony that is the only real fault of Milan’s designers, who weigh in on their commercial potential season after season.
by Chidozie Obasi