Premium Men’s Italian Brands

In the 1980s and 90s Italian designer brands dominated the menswear scene with many of the world’s most prestigious brands formed there from Armani, Prada, D&G to Versace, Moschino and Just Cavalli among others.

Until the 1970s Italian fashion was exclusive and had been aimed at the rich and famous, associated more so with the catwalk than with the streets and everyday consumers. But a shift of focus to sport-inspired casual designs saw these brands become the choice of fashionable shoppers all over the world.

Most of these brands were typified by eccentric prints, bold colours and strong logo branding. They led the way when it came to designer clothing for the masses and their brands were especially popular with the British music and football fans who wanted to make an elitist and aesthetic statement by donning the high-end tracksuits, jeans and outerwear, making it a part of their culture.

Strong branding is once again high in demand in menswear and as such the big Italian labels are proving to be more popular than ever in 2015.

The Autumn/Winter collections at Mainline Menswear feature some of Italy’s biggest designer names such as:

Armani Collezioni

Georgio Armani founded his brand in 1975 and it became one of the fastest growing designer labels in the world during the 80s and 90s. Its growth has seemingly never dipped and today there are numerous diffusion lines such as Armani Jeans, Emporio Armani and Armani Collezioni, the latter of which is slightly more exclusive than its siblings and aimed at making made-to-measure, wearable designs.

Versace

Founded shortly after Armani in 1978, Gianni Versace’s brand became internationally renowned with both men’s and women’s lines. Shortly after his death in the late 90s, his sister Donatella assumed control of the label and helped reinforce his passion for detailing and print. Today the brand is split into Versace Collection and Versace Jeans to divide casual styles from more refined and elegant silhouettes.

Just Cavalli

Roberto Cavalli – founder of Just Cavalli – created a unique way of printing onto leather, a technique which he patented and earned him the right to debut his own catwalk collections in the 70s. Once his brand had built up a head of steam he launched Just Cavalli in 1990, aimed at contemporary wearable fashion.

Moschino

Specialist in ready-to-wear high end fashion, Franco Moschino created his label in 1983 and became famous for a typical Italian mix of flair and quality in his designs. New to the range at Mainline Menswear this season, Moshchino’s collection features a number of classic staple items with trademark printed finishes.

Look out for Moschino arriving at Mainline Menswear soon.

Aside from the aforementioned premium Italian brands the list of internationally renowned names from the nation goes on and includes the likes of Diesel, Replay, Antony Morato, C.P Company and Paul & Shark. When it comes to designer brands Italy really is at the heart of the scene.