Eroticism and seduction go hand in hand and designer Alessandro Dell’Acqua’s take on masculine sexuality for Fall 2019 resulted in menswear with a feminine touch. Masculinity is being challenged by today’s society, and designers are presenting their own unique perspective on the runway. “I wanted to express the idea of masculine fragility and the eroticism and ambiguities of male camaraderie,” says Dell’Acqua. His fall collection was all about sparkling evening looks mixed with masculine tailoring in a complete mashup of womenswear and menswear.
Movies have always been a major inspiration in Dell’Acqua’s collections, and this season the designer referenced the dark, homoerotic film, “Querelle,” directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Not necessarily the muscles, but rather the fragility of the sailors explains the designer. More obvious references came in the form of a navy and a red sweater with an anchor, while other shirts appeared to mimic sailor stripes. “I thought the time has come not only to jumble up references, but also to construct a type of apparel that can bypass all classifications, just as we are doing now in everyday life.” says Dell’Acqua. He focused on traditional tailoring, but with a bit of an underground edge using textiles like sheer knits, shimmering leather and leopard prints to provide flamboyant touches.
Dell’Acqua sent out models in mohair or cashmere sweaters with plunging necklines, and scoop neck T-shirts that exposed metal o-ring chokers. Black latex-like poplin jackets and trousers lent yet another element of BDSM, eroticism to the collection. Asian model-of-the-moment Kohei Takabatake wore an iteration with latex pants and a black muscle tank layered over a heather gray tank top. The silhouettes were clean and almost minimal revealing the male body in a subtle tease. Oversized coats and bombers delivered some contrast as in a padded, black satin bomber worn over a white cotton shirt with black skinny tie, that revealed a zipper in the back allowing the wearer to crop the jacket and adjust the length. Feminine menswear is not only acceptable, it is now going mainstream.
See All the Looks from the Collection
