As Europe battles record high temperatures, the spring/summer 2027 menswear season is under way in both Paris and Milan. It is already shaping up to be one of the most eventful in years, with several days still to go.
Major debuts include Michael Rider's first menswear collection for Celine and Sarah Burton's inaugural menswear outing for Givenchy.
There have also been notable departures from the traditional runway format. Zegna unveiled its collection weeks ahead of schedule on a pier in Malibu, while Gucci presented its latest menswear looks as part of its co-ed Cruise show in New York's Times Square in May.
Kenzo went further still, abandoning the runway entirely in favour of La Fete de Kenzo, a week-long programme running until June 28 across Paris, in venues including a flower shop, showroom, pop-up, market and coffee shop.
Still, there are plenty of design cues to be taken from the runway shows. Here are the highlights.
Dior
Blending 18th-century aristocratic bohemia with the hedonism of Studio 54, creative director Jonathan Anderson created something exquisitely elegant yet artfully dishevelled.
Loose shirts with oversized cuffs, sweeping tailored coats, shredded knitwear, flamboyant brooches and metallic trousers combined to evoke a vision of elegantly wasted glamour for the modern age.
Louis Vuitton
On one of Paris' hottest day on record, Louis Vuitton menswear creative director Pharrell Williams transformed the campus of the Cite Internationale Universitaire into a sand-covered beach, complete with a towering curved wave from behind which models emerged in surf-inspired looks.
Monogrammed wetsuits, Hawaiian-print shirts and LV-branded surfboards signalled a wardrobe that can carry the Vuitton man effortlessly from office to beach.
Saint Laurent
With a front row that included Rami Malek, Austin Butler and Queen of Pop Madonna, this was never going to be an ordinary show.
Walking along a smoke-filled runway punctuated by artist Fujiko Nakaya's Cloud #07156 installation, models wore slim-cut suits, second-skin V-neck knits and neon, broad-shouldered tops that felt both rakish and sensual. The standout piece? Elongated, transparent shoes.
Thom Browne
For his Milan Fashion Week debut, New York designer Thom Browne turned to an unlikely source of inspiration: the 1998 Disney film A Bugs Life.
The brand's signature tailoring came scattered with insects crawling across torsos and legs, while dotted patterns resembled an army of ants. As his models walked in veiled beekeeper hats, Browne donned an insect mask for his own bow.
Prada
With newly appointed brand ambassador Saint Levant seated front row, Prada's spring/summer 2027 menswear show was, in the words of Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons, “an exercise in clarity”.
Stripped of anything superfluous, it centred on a pared-back, almost shrunken silhouette that refined menswear essentials such as the T-shirt, jacket and jeans. Lifted by flashes of vivid colour, the result was disciplined, confident and quietly compelling.
Dolce & Gabbana
Showing in Milan, Dolce & Gabbana looked to the homeland of Domenico Dolce for a collection titled Vacanze Siciliane (Sicilian Holidays), celebrating the island's history and traditions.
Silk swimwear, lightweight cotton and crochet knitwear set an effortless tone, while woven suede and deconstructed tailoring elevated a relaxed new elegance. Prints and embellishments nodded to Sicily's layered past – from the Ancient Greeks and Romans to the Byzantines, Arabs, French and Spaniards – through citrus motifs, cutwork, coral details and glossy charms. The collection closed with a series of all-white looks, a tribute to la dolce vita.
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