Designers take the man about town from downtown to the far reaches of the globe with their spring/summer collections
Best Foot Forward
Brand: Berluti
Relaxed yet refined, easy to wear yet elegant: Berluti redefines smart casual with preppy, boxy jackets and straight trousers livened up with pops of colour.
As always, Berluti’s shoes are its anchor—subtly grounding a tonal blue-on-blue ensemble with blue-and-white leather sneakers, or kicking up the insouciance a notch with sporty sandals.
A sleek backpack or capacious carryall is all the man about town needs to keep it together.
Go Easy
Brand: Brunello Cucinelli
He made his name with colourful cashmere sweaters, but Brunello Cucinelli’s obsession is the perfect jacket—well-cut, relaxed and light enough to move with its wearer. 
This spring, puffer bombers and cosy cardigans mix things up, layered over elegant polo tees and paired with drawstring pants and sharp shorts.
The effect: dressy chic that’s unmistakably dapper-cool.
Luxe Layers
Brand: Burberry
In the house’s first “see now, buy now” September collection, creative director Christopher Bailey—inspired by Orlando , Virginia Woolf’s 1928 novel—has conjured up plenty of layers. Literally. The trousers/ shirt/sweater/jacket combination is reimagined in a palette of rich fabrics, elaborate floral prints, and colours from an English grandmother’s wardrobe.
In-Betweener
Brand: Calvin Klein
No muss, no fuss. Post-Italo Zucchelli (and pre-Raf Simons) Calvin Klein falls back on American sportswear chic with a signature CK twist.
Sleek varsity and bomber jackets are shot through with a subtle sheen, wire-framed sunglasses sport askew lenses,—and, in a genius design riff, a carryall doubles up as a backpack with twin padded straps at the bottom of the bag.
Power Play
Brand: Canali
Subversion is the game here and only stylish alphas need apply.
The signature Kei blazer, a go-to staple whose soft silhouette is both relaxed and sophisticated, is cinched with a skinny belt and a fanny pouch—reminiscent of how jackets were worn circa 2013.
Sub-collar neckerchiefs pull together prim jackets and polo tees, and a skinny scarf trails down a slouchy sweatshirt.
Hit The Gym
Brand: Dior Homme
Suits versus sports is one of the biggest stories in menswear today. Sportswear wins this season at Dior, with punk and new wave, two of Kris Van Assche’s obsessions, clashing in a study of contrasts.
His high-fashion take on street style flexes its muscles in bomber jackets, baggy skate pants, and sleeveless shirts or tunics that are far removed from Dior Homme's signature lean, rigorous silhouette.
Festival Attire
Brand: Dolce & Gabbana
The Great Gatsby meets Sicilian speakeasy in oversized street-sport tops—blousons, bombers, jackets—embellished with sequinned or embroidered patches, saxophone and other music-themed prints, and retro posters for southern Italian music festivals.
The excess is anchored in sleek linen silk three-quarter trousers, including one pair with three pleats that fan out from just under the crotch.
Classics Revisited
Brand: Dunhill
Subtle tailoring is the buzzword at Dunhill, whose standout pieces demand a second look: a compact double-breasted patchpocket blazer in a textured herringbone weave, a simple field jacket in shades of taupe, or a sleek navy pinstriped suit.
Whether it’s separates or suiting, these understated pieces are versatile enough to last a few seasons.
Master Class
Brand: Ermenegildo Zegna
The pinnacle of Italian tailoring that is Ermenegildo Zegna gets a reboot this spring with elements of 1950s style menswear in a more relaxed silhouette.
Soft-shouldered jackets, slouchy sweaters and high-waisted tapered trousers recall Marcello Mastroianni in La Dolce Vita —suave, stylish, and ever so slightly rakish.
Art Clash
Brand: Fendi
Salvador Dalí and Pablo Picasso were the unlikely inspiration for a quirky, art-inspired collection, with painterly splashes of faux naive motifs and Dalí-esque but Fendi-fied face-pattern patches on bombers, bags and even hats.
Picasso’s penchant for wearing towelling shorts surfaced in “sponge” (as Fendi calls it) striped tees, cabana coats and Picasso tribute shorts; the material was also used in place of fur as inserts on a jacket.
Italian Flair
Brand: Giorgio Armani
Crossing Borders, the name of this collection, shows Giorgio Armani’s more formal main line relaxing a touch.
While his signature subdued palette and jackets that hug the body just so are still evident, the inclusion of jacquard knitwear, shades of purple, and denim jeans offers a shot of youthful sportiness you don’t normally associate with the king of Italian fashion.
Quite a Splash
Brand: Hermès
Artistic director Véronique Nichanian, known for her interest in and use of colour, references the house’s equestrian heritage in a yellow, blue and black horse-print bomber, and a baby blue polo-necked sweater with white striped trim.
A tote is freshened up in lemon sorbet yellow and grey colour-blocking, while sporty sandals bear a pastel blue trim.
Unexpected and very chic.
Sail Away
Brand: Loewe
The gypset male, as imagined by Jonathan Anderson, marches to his own beat in an eclectic mix of organic, tribal styles with a touch of kitsch. Bohemian ’60s-influenced silhouettes in linen, terrycloth and silk are juxtaposed with a breathable, water-repellent rain jacket.
Playful fossil motifs and soft animal bag charms are child-like, while cuffed, wide-legged jeans are the opposite of the leaner jeans du jour.
Safari World
Brand: Louis Vuitton
Intricate textiles, exotic skins and a menagerie of animal prints, courtesy of British art brothers Jake and Dinos Chapman, rev up boxy jackets, silk shirts and lean, cropped pants with a faint ’70s flair.
The iconic steamer trunk is recast as a clear hard case embellished with studs and sporting a giraffe print—an update of the cross-body bag.
All Mapped Out
Brand: Prada
Psychedelia and sportswear mix in the mind of Miuccia Prada, who then throws in Google Earth—as well as Iceland, Mexico, and India.
The result: activewear with layers, literally of eye-searing sartorial influences.
Oversized windbreakers, parkas, and zippered rain pants crayon colours; and flamboyant checks, tropical prints and graphic stripes anchored by colourful burley socks, glossy sandals, and multicoloured backpacks.
Westward Leaning
Brand: Ralph Lauren
The adventurer and the dandy come out to play in Ralph Lauren’s collection.
While his nostalgic, collegiate, all-American style is never far behind, this season sees rugged utilitarian-luxe pieces, including shearling coats and fur-trimmed bombers, alongside elegant dinner jackets, and slim trousers that recall the Art Deco era.
That '70s Show
Brand: Roberto Cavalli
Creative director Peter Dundas loves the '70s, and the spring collection is a magical mystery tour of looks that could have been in Mick Jagger's wardrobe.
Fitted printed shirts, tight brocade pants, oversized kimono jackets and skinny printed scarves are all true to Cavalli's more-is-more ethos, with embellishment and embroidery everywhere you look.
The Great Outdoors
Brand: Salvatore Ferragamo
The first men's collection since creative director Massimiliano Giornetti left in March last year sees the suit reinvented with an artsy camping vibe, peppered with primitive graphic motifs inspired by French painter Jean Arp.
Blousons and variations on safari and shirt jackets are given street cred with utility pockets and even a foliage print assembled from 100,000 hand-cut leather triangles. The backpack in off-white canvas is sturdy—and decidedly indulgent.
Wearable Classics
Brand: Tod's
Luxed-up everyday basics in earth tones make for a collection of buy-now, wearforever pieces.
Bomber, biker, and field jackets are treated with pash, a process of brushing on pigment to achieve a velvet effect, which is also applied to Tod’s Gommino shoes and bags.
Elsewhere, the double-breasted jacket, in a lighter, creaseproof fabric for warmer climes, is worn open over buttoned-up polo tees and leaf-print tropical shirts.
Game Changer
Brand: Versace
Sport-luxe in the hands of Donatella Versace means athletic silhouettes, hyper-light fabrications, and loads of movement.
Light blousons, soft jackets, and parkas in rich shades of blue as well as burgundy, green, and purple evoke visions of Greek gods in a modern metropolis, while Versace’s signature prints are treated as watermarks and adornment rather than full-on motifs.
Photography by Jason Lloyd-Evans