In the decade or so since Trussardi suffered the sudden loss of its third-generation director and patron of the arts, Nicola Trussardi, and his son four years later, the family-owned label has intensified its cultural initiatives. The Fondazione Nicola Trussardi was launched with the goal of preserving historic landmarks in Milan and, more broadly, bringing art into people s daily lives.
It s out of this commitment to the arts that the Spring men s theme—jazz—came to be. Gaia Trussardi was particularly taken with the zoot suit, updating the three-piece classic of the Jazz Age with trimmer proportions and subtle stripes, pinstripes and otherwise. Of course, a zoot suit isn t for everyone, no matter how tame, so she also incorporated elements of workwear, like cargo jackets and denim jeans with prominent selvedge. Leather, the house s specialty, was used sparingly, with the notable exception of an all-leather, four-pocket jacket-and-pants combo in the color of brass, appropriately.
Individually, many pieces will fit into a man s wardrobe just fine, but the collection as a whole was neither here nor there. It felt underdeveloped, even lethargic. Which is a shame, considering all the energetic ideas percolating through menswear right now.
