ENCAPSULATING an effortless ‘laid-back elegance’, Brunello Cucinelli showed their latest spring-summer menswear collection for 2023 in Milan. Fusing a knowledge of the traditional with a modern interpretation of style, the luxury Italian house created a versatile and practical collection suited to a variety of occasions.
Throughout the collection there is a focus on artisanal craft with natural yarns and summery knitwear brought to life in a variety of colours, crafted with traditional stitching. T-shirts and polo shirts are traded for lightweight knits, partnered with tailored suits creating a mixture of ease and craftsmanship.
Muted colours are a key element of the summer menswear collection, with hues including: salmon orange, sunflower yellow, ginger-hued red and periwinkle making frequent appearances.
Cucinelli strays from anything too loud to keep with a minimalist sense of versatility creating a capsule of sorts ensuring the pieces, be it on their own or partnered with another, can be worn wherever, whenever, throughout the season.
Though featuring a cohesive mix of relaxed ready-to-wear elements, one thing championed above all is the tailoring and selection of suiting, of which hopes to evoke a sense of business elegance mixed with the appropriate amount of daily leisure.
Suiting separates are worn as a cohesive look or interchanged with one another, adapting to the moving dynamics of day-to-day life, made in lightweight textured fabrics with a mélange to enhance colour performance.
These same sensibilities are echoed in the accessory design. Leather holdalls and duffle bags uplift an undeniable sense of practicality, while footwear is created solely for comfort and to be dynamic, from loafers to cushioned sneakers, either of which are sleek enough to be paired with tailoring.
What Cucinelli upholds throughout his collections is a vision of the modern man, playing into classical elements while hoping to include subtle elements of edge to keep things modern.
One thing for sure is his latest collection demonstrates an ideal of versatility, culminating in a capsule wardrobe perfectly suited to last and to be enjoyed, no matter the occasion.
by Ben Sanderson