Men's Versace - spring 2009

The relentless enthusiasm of the Ting Tings provided the soundtrack for the latest Versace show. In their native England, they’ve been branded "the new Blondie," which wasn't such a bad place to start when it came to the clothes. Under the auspices of ex-Cloak maestro Alexandre Plokhov, Versace's menswear has taken a turn toward New Wave pop precision, as in the diagonally closing storm flap of a trench, the white piping on an angularly shawl-collared black silk suit, or the double lapels of an evening jacket (open-necked shirt, white silk scarf replacing tie—it's a Christophe Lambert moment!). But such precision also translated in a way that was entirely true to the heritage of the house: a sheer lilac shirt, for instance, with sun-ray seaming, or a silk tuxedo shirt with a wet-look effect.

Technology turned to sensuous advantage—that's the Versace way. Just like the collection’s single graphic—a heavy coil of smoke printed on tees and tanks. This season in Milan is already shaping up as an affair between the ultra-sporty and the ultra-formal. Versace offered its obvious offspring: a graphic pairing of silk suit and flip-flops. The wide-ribbed waist of an ice-blue suede jacket was a more subtle expression—and the militaristic tinge of the parachute detailing on a butter-yellow leather blouson was too Plokhovian for words.

by tim blanks

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