Milan Fashion Week Goes Tropical For Men

In Milan, men were dressed in cotton shirts and thin ties with flamingo motifs. With flowers and flamingos, male models of Gucci walked down the catwalk in colorful dresses and leather lace-up shoes with large embroidered flowers and crocodile heels. This is to represent the tropical treatment for Gucci's spring/summer 2009 menswear collection.

"What I really wanted to bring with this collection was a sort of happiness," said the Italian designer Fridda Giannini.

"I was referring to this idea of travel, a sort of tour in the tropics ... In summer, in the minds of people in general, there are always colours, always prints, this idea of flowers, flamingo birds so I tried to keep all these elements and to spread them across the collection."

The bright, tropical, and “happy” tone of Gucci's men's wear collection is contrasted to the darker tones of Emporio Armani and neutral ones of Gianfranco Ferre in the same Milan fashion week.