ETRO SS2016 Men Collection

 ETRO SS2016 Men Collection is a symbol of primordial life. The Egg - a union of both male and female. With its simple curved forms, the egg also represents absolute essentiality. Kean Etro draws upon these reductive but powerful concepts, giving birth to a style that is unmistakably Etro, but that has been conceived, cut and hand-crafted with a resolutely modern man in mind.

Before splitting, an egg holds the potential for both a masculine and feminine expression. This collection draws on the faculty of both forces. A new softness envelops the entire collection, while the construction of the clothes reflects a mastery of both feminine fluidity and masculine rigor.

Pure, pared-down shapes generate a powerful mood. Surfaces have been swiped of buttons, visible seaming and lapels, leaving just a slice for pockets. Traditionally feminine materials float liberally throughout the collection, V-necked, wear-with-everything T-shirts are cut from a pink crêpe de Chine. Transparent chiffon georgette shirts with copper metallic square motifs or fil coupé shirts with lamé dots flutter under sharply cut men’s suiting. Manual, raw-looking knits are tracked with colorful chiffon stitching. A woven check,

borrowed from a men’s tie print, has a crisp, silky hand.

Prints offer a reminder of the past, and plant a seed for the future. Etro’s signature paisley has been refracted through an aboriginal-like kaleidoscope, splintering its traditional swirls into pulsing, tribal-like patterns. The egg has been shrunken into tiny dots that dance in disc formations, or morphed into a showering of organic pebbles. Eggs are buried inside classic paisleys, like a treasure hunt. 

Pattern swells to the surface as a total look, or as energetic bursts across knees or chakra points in shades of dirty pink, periwinkle, earthy tobacco and copper. As always, the invisible is just as important as the visible at Etro. The insides of impeccably made suits feature precious, artistic renderings of stylized snakes and tribal emblems on silk linings.

The underside of jacket collars is an intricate patchwork of checks and paisleys. Belt loops have been eradicated and replaced by a sequence of graphic waist band tunnels. The new suit is a clean, complete look crafted from silky crêpe de Chine in bright hues of watermelon, tangerine, royal blue, bordeaux and petrol blue. The shoulder is expertly constructed, while the body remains light and relaxed.