Models present creations for fashion house Dolce & Gabbana during its Men’s Fall/Winter 2019/20 fashion show in Milan.—AFP photos

Dolce and Gabbana mixed checks, furry gloves and shimmering dressing gown-style coats on Saturday at Milan Fashion Week, branding it Italian oomph. The Sicilian duo were making their first presentation after the fashion house was forced to apologize to Chinese customers in November 2018 for posting short clips on Instagram showing a Chinese woman eating pizza, spaghetti and a cannoli with chopsticks.

The uproar escalated when Stefano Gabbana allegedly used poop emojis to describe China and hurled insults at the country and its people. But the pair steered clear of controversy at their Autumn-Winter 2019-2020 collection named Eleganza, or Elegance in Italian. The backdrop oozed 1930s Berlin decadence with giant red curtains, jazz and a master of ceremonies (shades of Joel Grey!) recreating a Cabaret ambience. But to highlight Italy's mastery of cloth, an atelier was also recreated with tailors and fitters taking measurements and cutting and stitching as the models walked up and down the ramp.

Models showcased quirky styles, teaming tailcoats with plaid trousers, matador suits with sparkling bow ties and a ginger velvet suit with black lapels. D&G did not skimp on the lame Hollywood-level glamour incorporating colors such as midnight blue, burgundy and deep purple.

'We made mistakes'
Although there were some Chinese people at the show, Chinese online retailers are boycotting D&G despite a public apology in which Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana capped a 1 minute 30-second mea culpa by saying "sorry" in Mandarin in an attempt to salvage their reputation in the world's most important luxury market. "Our families always taught us to respect different cultures across the world and because of this we want to ask for your forgiveness if we have made mistakes in interpreting yours," Dolce said in Italian. "We want to say sorry to all Chinese people across the world, of which there are many, and we are taking this apology and message very seriously," Gabbana added.

The Chinese-subtitled video was posted on Weibo, the popular Chinese Twitter-like social media platform where they have close to one million followers. The controversy marked the latest backpedalling by a foreign company for offending Chinese consumers or authorities. Earlier in 2018, German automaker Mercedes-Benz apologised for "hurting the feelings" of people in China after its Instagram account quoted Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, seen as a separatist by Beijing.

And under pressure from Beijing, a growing number of international airlines and companies have edited their websites to refer to the self-ruling democratic island of Taiwan as "Taiwan, China" or "Chinese Taipei". Hotel chain Marriott's website in China was also shut down by the authorities for a week in 2018 after a customer questionnaire listed Taiwan, Tibet and Hong Kong as separate countries, prompting the hotel chain to apologize and change the wording. By now, the two Milan Fashion Weeks dedicated to menswear have transformed themselves into platforms for co-ed shows and up-and-coming brands beyond the menswear stalwarts.

The little more than three days of previews for next fall and winter that launched Friday evening include 52 collections in 27 runway shows and 25 presentations. Eleven brands are showing mixed men's and women's collections during the less hectic week dedicated to male apparel. While menswear tends to create less of a spectacle than the womenswear shows, the lines still carry bottom-line weight. Italian menswear registered a turnover of 9.5 billion euros last year, a 1.5 percent increase over 2017.

Versace's daring man
The Gianni Versace fashion house has changed ownership, but not style. Donatella Versace explored bondage in the fashion house's latest collection, the first since being bought by the US fashion group Capri Holding Limited.

The opening look had a bondage image printed cheekily on the front of a shirt, worn over dark trousers and with a leather overcoat. Repeated as a motif, bondage became as banal as a bandana print on a blouson. Then, there was winter bondage for her, underneath puffer jackets, and office bondage for him and her, with the back of suit jackets held together with O-rings, showing off colorful satiny prints.

The looks also veered toward cozy, with warm scarves and fuzzy sweaters bearing a new Versace logo, a V encircled by a G. But the Versace man also is not afraid of feminine touches, like colorful boas peeking out of suit jackets, bejeweled broches, crystal encrusted jeans and least of all, colorful embroidered silken boxers with a prominent Versace label peeking out of trousers, or on their own with a sober black suit jacket and button-up dress shirt.

Versace said in her notes that the image of masculinity has evolved since the 1990s "when there was a specific idea of 'A' man." "What I wanted to show in this collection are the different faces of a man, who… has gained the courage that he didn't have before. If I had to find a word that defines today's men, it would be daring," she said.

Versace also previewed a collaboration with US carmaker Ford, including the oval-shaped blue Ford logo on leather jackets, trousers, sneakers, hoodies and button-down shirts. The latter was layered kinkily with a silky lace top and a leopard-print fur coat. For good measure, the model's hair was colored in leopard print.

Underlining some of the feminine touches, Versace sent out women's looks worn by top models Bella Hadid, Kaia Gerber, Vittoria Ceretti and Emily Ratajkowski. Actor Luke Evans and Italian rapper Sfera Ebbasta were in the front row, along with fellow rapper Fedez and his wife, fashion blogger and influencer, Chiara Ferragni.

Zegna's global citizens
Menswear fashion house Ermenegildo Zegna showed Friday evening under the cavernous arched ceilings of Milan's fascist-era train station, offering cups of mulled wine to warm spectators before the show.

The space in the entrance hall was replete with symbolism. Thousands of commuters and travelers rush through each day. But the hall's mezzanine was also used as a way station for thousands of migrants who had arrived by sea in the south and were making their way to northern Europe from 2013-2015. Designer Alessandro Sartori seemed to have both in mind, writing that he chose the venue as "a place of arrivals and departures, but also integration and acceptance of diversity."

The collection aimed at Sartori's vision of a "multicultural generation of global citizens" combined classic suits, sportswear and military detailing. For the traveller, the looks were finished with easy-striding footwear including Zegna's first sneaker, called Cesare. A purple suit closed slightly asymmetrically, the tight silhouette completed with a riding cap and a leather bag with Army-surplus volume. Cropped puffer jackets and rich pile hoodies added volume over slim trousers. An oversized plaid notched-lapel bomber jacket paired with matching cargo trousers gave a neat daytime look. Military detailing included ribbed knits, calf straps and a touch of camouflage.

Billionaire and the game of kings
German designer Philipp Plein staged a game of polo in the center of the runway for his Billionaire collection, giving a plug for his sponsorship of the Monte Carlo Polo team. For four minutes, polo players on horseback played a fast-paced match on a courtyard covered with faux snow in what is likely a Milan Fashion Week first. More horses were brought on to the field after the match, forming a central runway for the models.

It was little surprise, then, that the collection for mature men featured equestrian looks, including tight-fitting jodhpurs, reptile riding boot and matching caps and even saddles. Blazers had leather or fur lapels, and fur coats draped over silken pyjamas, perhaps to take a last look at the stable. Flashier looks include bold medallion print suits featuring the Billionaire logo alternating with the stallion profiles. They were worn with leather gloves, a neckerchief and a blanket draped over the arm. After the show, the fashion crowd had to be directed away from the horse droppings on their way out.

Neil Barret celebrates 20 years
British designer Neil Barrett celebrated his 20th anniversary with an exploration of what he called "the uniform of rebellion." The co-ed show was set against a video projection of a city scape with office buildings lit up and a plethora of flashing neon, which were reproduced in bright prints on trousers and trenches. Worn together, they formed a moving cityscape.

The collection also featured tartan and animal prints, leather and fur accents, with references to the British punk scene of the 1970s. The silhouette was crisp and disciplined, with cuffed trousers and long blazers, or transparent PVC trenches easily transferring from men to women.-Agencies