POP Fashion digs into the Spring/Summer 2023 runway shows and the releases of international brands to introduce a business casual-based theme: Detached Gentlemen. The theme is further divided into four styles: Urban Function, Minimalism, Morning Awakening and Italian Classic.

LVMH Prize semi-finalist and upcoming Pierre Bergé prize nominee, Anthony Alvarez, has been making strong headway within the international menswear space. For Spring/Summer 2023 his Bluemarble label presented sophisticated leisure that put soft fabrications and rich colorways at the forefront. Alvarez’s collection included matching sets of half-zip short-sleeved sweaters and shorts, fitted jackets, exterior pocket trousers and relaxed denim.

Paris Couture Fashion Week 2022 launched a battle between being conservative and radical. We can see Balenciaga’s hi-tech diving suits, Iris Van Herpen’s pioneering pieces, Chanel and Giorgio Armani Prive’s nod to the pas, and of course, the ethereal and gorgeous pieces of Elie Saab.

To evoke a world of endless possibilities and childlike wonder, Mike Amiri chose the beautiful Jardin des Plantes in Paris to unveil his Spring/Summer 2023 collection that once again demonstrates his sense of showmanship and affection for handcrafting. Always a cross between West Coast casual and European chic – his collection is now made between the U.S. and Italy – his suits look so light, helped by the weight and grace of jersey, while the blazers are deconstructed and cut casually – their seams removed to free up traditional shapes and create flouncy volumes inspired as much by sportswear as by stagewear.

The utilitarian sophistication of ’90s minimalism has always resonated for Barrett, who has a background in sharp military tailoring. For Spring 2023 he riffed on the consistency of his wardrobe’s strongholds, referencing an urban uniform look and clean-cut, smart sportswear. Inspired by military attire made for extreme weather conditions, garments were structured and engineered to let the body breathe.

Presented in the cobblestone courtyard of the historic Via Gesù home of the fashion house’s founder, Gianni Versace, in Milan, the Versace Spring/Summer 2023 collection was full of color and verve. Donatella Versace dug into the archives and pulled out prints her brother Gianni created for La Scala productions in the 90s, a logo from the early 2000s or the frozen-in-lava death masks of Pompeii, all of these revisited archival motifs splashed across t-shirts, silk shirts and pants, alongside stripes, diamond-shaped cut from leather made in eco-sustainable latex and powerfully colorful python prints. The latter, now replacing exotic skins, with fluorescent accents appeared on trench coats or pants. These new eco-friendly fabrics definitely marked the brand’s entry into the era of sustainability.

S/S 2023 Milan Fashion Week(June 17th to 21th) included 28 offline runway shows, 24 still-life exhibitions, 5 digital releases and 21 brand culture events.

For Gucci's Cosmogonie Fashion Show, creative director Alessandro Michele transported the fashion set to Castel del Monte where he presented a sparkling collection of 101 looks exploring the idea of past and present. Rooted in writer Hannah Arendt’s devoted essay on her friend and philosopher Walter Benjamin, Gucci’s Cosmogonie considers the past and how it is reflected in the present. Michele’s collection enveloped both romanticised mediaeval monikers with multi-layered pearls, starched ruffs, and heavy velvets, as well as modern fashion history – demonstrated in crimped hair and oversized sunglasses of the 80s.

Emporio Armani released the fall 2022 collection at Milano Fashion Week. Themed ‘The Rhythm of Color’, Grayish menswear and bright womenswear formed contrasts. Sheer, silk, and velvet developed cocktail dresses in bright colors. Lustrous, matted backless minidress also displayed charm. On the other stage, menswear played a symphony about grays and showed smart modernized overcoats and jackets.

F/W 22/23 men’s collection was the debut after Zegna dropping “Ermenegildo” from its original name. The artistic director Alessandro Sartori drew inspirations from roads and created a new collection: ‘A Path Worth Taking’. The Zegna road originates in the mountains, and crosses Oasi Zegna, the free-access natural territory in Piedmont, Northern Italy, also known as 232. Designer explored the contemporary fashion in a gentle yet firm way. The practical, comfortable, and alternative wardrobe redefined the traditional formal wear and underlined the seamless connection between indoor and outdoor lives.

Working with architecture name OMA, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons reimagined the Deposito of the Fondazione Prada into a stage for the exhibition of Prada‘s Fall/Winter 2022 men’s collection. Dubbed “Body of Work,” the seasonal range investigates “theater and cinema as mirrors of reality.”

Launched at the Quai de la Tournelle in Paris, S/S 2022 Chloé runway was cooperated with many charities to underline the social responsibility of the brand and the fusion of environmental protection and creativity. This show about love interpreted the free and unlimited Bohemian spirit. Chloé Craft was also officially introduced to launch more hand-made products in the future. This collection applied regenerated wool, hand-cut plant-dyed leather and soft linen. The usage ratio of lower impact material reached 58% this season. Various sewing, weaving and whipstitching techniques have been appeared. Petal-pattern crocheted dress, knotted slip dress made of strips of leftover fabric from seasons before, and whipstitched leather renew and inherit the classics.

Ermenegildo Zegna S/S 2022 collection was started with a charming film. Running in the narrow space till it comes to a vast vision, EZ's THE (NEW) SET interprets the present through the conversation between human and nature. Innovative designs provide the world with brand new styles. Zegna always subverts the tradition and brings surprise. Bold color application and fabric combination in this summer change the conventional structure of ready-to-wear and show the harmonious flexibility.

A/W 2021 Burberry collection is the first independent menswear collection since the combination of menswear and womenswear in September, 2016. The brand creativity rebuilds the Burberry flagship store on Regent Street and provides a realistic watching experience. The new theme ESCAPES praises the spirit of outdoor exploration. It is inspired by the longing for outdoor and pretty nature during the lockdown period. The collection salutes to the creativity and imagination through free expression and classic rebuilding. The tailoring design in the new season contains many playful interpretations of Burberry's classic elements. Badges and decorations are used to underline the ritual sense and symbolize the community, friendship and belongingness. Polar fleece overcoat and bionic hat brim imply the original appearance of nature. The repeated tassel hem is combined with classic pattern and print, showing the primitive feeling of Scottish nomads.

Balmain S/S 2021 fashion show is held in Jardin des Plantes, paring with BGM of Blinding Lights of The Weekend to create a strongly nostalgic vibe. LG OLED seems to bring audience to the scene. This show covers three basic themes, Heritage, Community and Optimism. Olivier Rousteing, the creative director, re-explores classic 1970s patterns of Pierre Balmain. PB monogram gets crossed with each other, recreating labyrinthine gardens that Mr. Balmain loves. Moreover, symbolic shoulder pads run through the entire S/S 2021 collection, reflecting Olivier Rousteing blends traditional and creative designs to explore the brand-new chapter from 1945 to 2020.

DIOR MEN Resort 2021 by Kim Jones features practicality, business leisure and young street fashion. The collection is displayed on lookbook, more casual than catwalk collection. It is luxurious yet wearable. This series covers shorts and matching camp shirts in S/S 2021 collection, as well as its symbolic monogram. It also pairs stripes with light tones for a soothing yet vigorous feeling. Intense cold tones like crayon, calm black and leather, argyles and stripes mix with each other and depict vibrant pictures. In addition to smooth lines, crisp silhouette and elaborate crafts, functional elements such as key pendant and climbing hook also display practicality.

PORTS 1961 S/S 2021 show is held at Da Vinci Museum of Technology in Milan. For art director Karl Templer, the new season is an exploration of the sensory and connection between clothing and the wearer. Those draped or swaying textiles actually represent a close relationship. Black and white dominate, with red and yellow as decorations. Abstract prints, soft details, ethereal hemline, strappy sandals and high-heels all enrich the visual effect. And this season it blends with illustrations of Aubrey Beardsley. Black and white pictures leave much blank space, showing the free and artistic temperament of modern females.

From "leftover lady", "malechauvinist" to "sexual harassment" and "anti-domestic violence", more and more gender issues have emerged in public debate in recent years, accompanied by a feminist critique. Feminism is a series of knowledge methodology formed around the criticism of human patriarchy, and beyond the specific disciplines and research paradigms. It has become an important part of the social current of thoughts. Throughout the four fashion weeks for A/W 20/21, many brands have mentioned liberating females, female power and feminism, especially Paris Fashion Week. Christian Dior has a theme of "I SAY I" to express female power. Celine tells the story of womenswear during May 1968 events in France. Chanel puts forward the idea of liberation, and launches a series friendly to women. Valentino is the queen of the new minimalism. Miu Miu emphasizes the young lady's wear in the empire collection of the 1940s style. All of them are speaking out for women through fashionable way to show the gender mainstreaming from the perspective of gender equality under the turbulent times.

In 2005, Lin Nengping and his partner, Zhou Xuanwen, were both 31 when they co-founded the brand 3.1 Phillip Lim. Initially, with the support of a surf wear company, Lin Nengping began designing his first collection. Retaining the concept of nature, the series was full of many low-key and unique items in natural colors. Environmental protection and charity are concerned topics of the brand.

Giorgio Armani holds his Pre-Fall 2020 show at the Armani Theater in Milan, where he presents a collection named reformism. The designer explained this name before the launch, saying: "I want women to be free to change anytime, anywhere, depending on their mood." The entire collection is inspired by women in the 1930s. Florals favored by social butterfly of the Parisian upper class in the 1920s-1930s are applied for vertical and three-dimensional transformation, and applied to printing or partial accessories to display the Giorgio Armani's integration of the East and the West. Models mainly wear short top and long trousers, which is in line with clothing collocation of French women in the 1920s-1930s. The entire show echoes the femininity of ladies in the 1930s.