No one does menswear quite like the Italians. And among the multitude of designers working today, Massimo Alba has certainly carved out an identity for himself. Amidst the old-school tailors and the perpetrators of the streetwear movement, Alba is in the unique position of being in the middle. His clothes have a classic twist to them, but in essence, they’re also streetwear in both ease and comfort. And so his Fall 2019 Menswear line was all about an upscale casual look—not necessarily traditional tailoring, but it wasn’t also quintessential streetwear. As per usual, he laid out an array of suits (what Italian fashion house doesn’t?), but this time, they were softly constructed without any ounce of rigidity. His looks had form, but weren’t restricting, and in fact, were extremely easy. But that ease can, as oftentimes in this collection, come off as lazy. Men nowadays are broadening their horizons when it comes to their own wardrobe possibilities and this offering doesn’t help that. Though nice-looking and well-made, it’s as boring as can be. There’s little to no difference between what’s offered here and what’s offered in surplus stores. Will these sell? Most likely. But they wouldn’t be memorable purchases that men are bound to wear again and again. These are the type of clothes, while beautiful, that are likely to stay inside the closet more than they’re going to be worn by the customer. And this is certainly not a good thing!
Photo: Courtesy of Massimo Alba
