To celebrate No. 21’s 10th anniversary, Alessandro Dell’Acqua revisited its established signifiers, updating the label’s semantics with an eye on the zeitgeist. Defining masculinity today is a nuanced affair. The designer kept his take progressive yet rooted in balance, tinged with a louche grace and erotic undertones.
A new way of addressing formalwear is on the mind of every menswear designer today; Dell’Acqua’s method was to give a supple edge to classic wardrobe staples, softening the masculine attitude of blazers, car coats and technical outerwear with an almost feminine, gentle vibe. A good example were T-shirts in see-through lace worn over slouchy grisaille pants or underneath elegant suits with a wide-lapel jacket. The practical, sporty vibe of chunky parkas and bombers was eased by using precious fabrics unusual in menswear, like a crispy camouflage-y faille chiné that “normally graces women’s Haute Couture concoctions,” as the designer pointed out. It made for a subdued yet persuasive rule-shifting gesture.
“A little eroticism never hurts,” joked Dell’Acqua. “But natural, not voyeuristic or overtly flirty or seductive.” Sweatshirts were stripped of their backs, exposing bare skin; a T-shirt was slashed at the front, revealing a nude torso. Worn with a softly formal black blazer and a pair of poplin boxers, it made for a provocative proposition; but this being Dell’Acqua, it was handled with taste and an informal sense of humor.
