It s highly unlikely that the name of "Helen Schjerfbeck, the early twentieth-century Finnish portrait artist" will ever again be invoked as a fashion influence. But that was only one of the unlikely features of Consuelo Castiglioni s latest men s collection for Marni. Details like the semi-trapeze volume of the shirts, the deeply pleated swing back on the jackets, and the three-quarter sleeve on a coat suggested—to these eyes at least—women s haute couture. And Consuelo was buying the idea, though her preferred terminology was "elegant volume." Still, it wasn t exactly elegance that came to mind when the elasticized waistbands of underwear began to appear. They had shirts tucked into them! And they were worn under shorts with a curiously generous seat.
That s not the first time a disconcerting boarding-school boy chord has been struck in a Marni show, but it highlights a frustration with this collection. While the women s range forges on into spectacular new territory, with the show as an opportunity to present what amounts to a manifesto, the men s is so subtle (and consummately wearable when it hits the shop floor) that it just lies there on the catwalk—unless it s given an incongruous little stylist s twist. That said, you could take away proposals such as the "new" suit (matching car coat and pants) and some very appealing accessories.
