The word dandy is being thrown around a fair bit this season, and Andreas Kronthaler offered his interpretation Sunday morning, melding elements of granny’s wardrobe, rugby uniforms – and the super-elevated platforms that famously tripped up Naomi Campbell back in 1993.
Suffice it to say this was not the usual clientele filing out of Bar Rivoli next to San Babila, where Kronthaler staged an open-air fashion show, marking the Vivienne Westwood brand’s first standalone men’s presentation since 2017, and its first Milan showing.
Phil Dustin, his hair as pink as Zandra Rhodes’, did double duty as deejay and model, navigating the marble sidewalks with aplomb in a skimpy café apron and cork-soled wedges. A slowed-down version of Orbital’s “The Box” was among his musical selections.
Kronthaler didn’t hold back on provocation, sending out a velvet catsuit with a front porthole to exalt the model’s six pack and pubes; adding script necklaces declaring Chaos, Sex, or Mother—ker; and accessorizing a balloon-sleeved coats with granny heels, a clutch bag, and at least four days of stubble.
The collection was all over the place, pinging from handsome double-breasted tailoring to wispy dresses and a tabard densely embroidered with roses. There were toreador pants, and a handsome navy suede bomber jacket, which made for an unexpectedly cool combination.
Kronthaler recently told WWD he hopes to stage a “proper runway show” come January.