This was a newer, darker, more sober season — one full of the blue-blacks (definitely the new color for now), and plenty of leather and metal detailing on clothes and accessories that will suit you much better for work than they will for a weekend lounging with your friends.
The New Color: Blue-Black
In a season that can be explained, in one word, as "dark," the carry-over color from spring — blue — was seen throughout nearly every collection, in both sportswear and suiting. This time, though, there was nothing oceanic about it. Instead, designers relied on an inky shade that was darker than navy but not quite noir, as shown here at Paul Smith (left) and Corneliani (right).
The New Texture: Natural
While shearling has been around for quite a few seasons now, Milan and Paris showed many wild coats that had the sheep's fleece practically herding itself out of giant collars on coats (at Lanvin, above left). And, on a more controversial note, other collections — like Prada (right) and Salvatore Ferragamo, used astrakhan fur for their statement outerwear — known also as Persian Lamb, it's made from the pelts of newborn lambs.
The New Accent: Leather
With futuristic, almost Matrix-like looks becoming prominent in the dark runways of Europe, it's no surprise that leather — mostly in inky shades of black — was a go-to textile for outerwear, sleek jacket details, and even the sort of pants that many men would be wise to avoid. And, while wearing a head-to-toe leather suit might not ever fly at your office (Hermès, right), the YSL jacket (left) and other pieces from the shows are a good reminder that, next time you want to wear cowhide, you can branch out past your usual motorcycle or bomber jacket.
The New Shoe: Metal-Detailed
After seeing some nice steel-toe-effect Grenson shoes at Pitti Uomo, it was cool to see many designers — like Costume National (left) and Louis Vuitton (right) — actually adding metallic accents to the toes and heels of their new pairs for Fall/Winter 2012. Others, like Dries van Noten, even added horse bits to the back of their brogues — take that, Gucci — suggesting that last spring's colored soles have made way for a silver-tinged season ahead.
The New Outfit: Playfully Tailored
Suits took a dominant role on the runways this season, pushing sportswear aside for city-ready looks that seemed to suggest men should throw away their denim entirely next fall. But, these weren't traditional looks with Wall Street-standard topcoats over them: Instead, designers like Christopher Bailey at Burberry (left) and Umit Benan, newly installed at Trussardi (right), experimented with both cropped and oversized outerwear silhouettes, all which made their jauntily-cut suits all the more fresh for a new season ahead. Everything's perfectly cut, sure, even if offered in a silhouette you've never worn before.
