TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016l if e st yle

F a s h i o n

Prada treks the globe, Westwoodlaunches Assange appeal

Strict tailoring is giving way to looser, relaxed looks during the second day of menswear previews for next spring and summer on Sunday during Milan Fashion Week. Theprevalent silhouette was boxy on top with athletic cut trousers as designers courted the Millennial audience, eager to mix comfort with style. Shoes were comfortable san-dals with grip soles and bags were travel-ready. Androgyny remained a theme as designers presented looks meant to be worn by men and women-some more easily than

others. Vivienne Westwood’s collection contained equal parts looks for men and women, while Prada continued her tradition of mixing in women’s looks with the menswear.Ermanno Scervino, who opted for a presentation instead of a runway show, said he would mix his men’s and women’s collections during the September fashion week. Somehighlights from Sunday’s shows:

Globetrotting MillennialsThe Prada man dresses for comfort on his long global trek, butpacks for a night out. The focal point of the collection wasactive wear: drawstring active trousers or athletic leggingswith contrast stitching for him, or walking skirts with corre-sponding drawstring hems for her. Colorfully strapped sandalsensure sure-footedness, while big backpacks adorned withdrinking flasks and dress shoes give the air of adventure andself-sufficiency.

The must-have garment for next season: technical rain-coats with satellite images of the Earth, pretty florals or awhimsical traveler’s print. The designer said backstage thatwhile recent collections were looks back in time, this one is setfirmly in the now -with all its question marks. “The past is over.I want to take care of the present,” she said. “The goal is toshare with other people, other cultures, other mentalities.” Shehas given her man, and woman, the option to carry every-thing on their backs in big utilitarian backpacks, because younever know. But she’s an optimist: pointy men’s dress shoeshang from the backpacks and women’s heels in celebratorycotton candy pink dangle from a handbag. “In case you wantto have an evening out. That was fun,” she said.

FREE ASSANGE NOWVivienne Westwood opened her show with a video mes-

sage to the British prime minister urging him to allowWikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to leave the Ecuadorianembassy in London without the threat of arrest. “Whateveryou do, you are not going to stop him from telling the truth,”the designer intoned. The ever-political Westwood continuesto push the envelope also in her runway collections. Thedesigner who came up in the punk era champions androgynywith thin knit dresses that can function as tunics as well asArab-inspired dresses. The collection recalled some of rock ‘n’roll’s greats, from Jimi Hendrix with fringe on jackets and mili-tary embellishments to Marianne Faithful with fishnet detailsand toga dresses and Brian Jones overdone velvet jackets.

Many of her looks were emblazoned with IOU, whichwasn’t completely obvious but given Westwood’s environ-mental leanings is likely a reference to the debt we owe theplanet. Westwood walked the runway with a T-shirt embla-zoned: “I am Julian Assange.”

Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy inLondon since 2012. He faces rape allegations in Sweden andan active investigation in the United States involving espi-onage, conspiracy and computer fraud.

Cat eyesErmanno Scervino’s menswear collection for spring-sum-

mer 2017 is intensely personal. Cat-eye motifs on sweaterswere inspired by his beloved country cat, Mimmo. And theelegant silhouette with sporty touches recalls his own youth-ful wardrobe. “When I was 18 years old, I lived in New York,and I dressed like this,” the designer said during a walkthroughof the collection in his Milan showroom. The collection con-trasts materials like pajama prints and gobelin florals in tai-lored jackets with striped sweaters and sweat pants. Scervinoindicated the moccasins, a long-time favorite of his. Scervinosaid he plans to show menswear alongside womenswear dur-ing the September round of runway shows. “You never seewhat I want to be in the menswear shows. This way I can getclose,” he said.

Street wearThe Salvatore Ferragamo silhouette has loosened up con-

siderably. The fashion house is transitioning to a new designer,still to be named, after the recent departure of MassimilianoGiornetti, and the runway looks presented by the in-housedesign team marked a decisive departure from sophisticatedtailoring of recent collections. The new look is epitomized by asoft shirt on top tucked into high-waist pleated pants accent-ed with a double-belt. The collection also featured militaryand safari jackets worn with primitive print neck scarves.

Ferragamo’s leather craftsman sewed together 100,000small triangles to create a mosaic-effect jacket. Bags includedcanvas or leather backpacks with big pockets that werereplayed on the jackets and shirts. Ferragamo’s Tramezza showcombines leather and elastic shielding for a sneaker effect.

Guatemalan GauchoMissoni’s looks for next summer were inspired by

Guatemala, from its hand-woven fabrics and deep colorpalette of brown, red and orange offset by indigo, green andpapaya. Designer Angela Missoni knotted scarves at the waistfor a sarong effect over baggy Bermuda shorts or flaredcropped trousers. The collection also referenced the SouthAmerican gaucho with arched embroidery on the front ofcowboy shirts, worn with Japanese denim. The colorful quet-zal became a motif on sweaters and prints, while the Missonilooms wove an unprecedented 83 colors to mimic the harmo-nious mood of Guatemala. — AP Models present creations for Prada men’s Spring-Summer 2016-2017 collection, part of the Milan Fashion Week,

unveiled in Milan, Italy.-AP/AFP photos

Designer Vivienne Westwood wears a tee-shirt reading “Iam Julian Assange” as she walks the runway at the end ofher show.

Models present creations for fashion house Missoni.