Prada wants to change the conversation away from aggression, toward gentleness

MILAN (AP) — With global tensions escalating, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons want to change the conversation to something gentle, calm and nice with their menswear collection for next summer, previewed during Milan Fashion Week on Sunday.

“We tried to make a change of tone, from powerful to gentle, calm,’’ Prada said after the show. “Basically, the opposite of aggression, power, nastiness.’’

“Sometimes it is good to reflect, and be a bit more calm,’’ added Simons, her co-creative director.

Innocence reimagined

In that vein, the pair’s latest menswear collection recalled childish innocence, opening with short shorts that were more precisely elasticized briefs, with pleated pockets, worn with a sturdy, sure-footed shoe and black sock and a crisp white buttoned-down shirt with a naive print of a sun and waves.

These panty-shorts were paired also with leather coats, long cotton shirts or fringed knitwear that give men access to the pant-less look already embraced by some female celebrities.

Freedom in form and color

A more serious double-breasted suit was worn with the sleeves pushed up in a get-to-work gesture layered over track jackets. Track pants with a side stripe or straight, cropped cotton trousers otherwise anchored the looks with leather jackets, car coats or knitwear.

Urban looks ensembles paired with backpacks and flip-flops, on the verge of the getaway. Light, summer looks were finished with loafers. Nothing was completely office, and nothing was completely beach. The silhouette was deliberately unstructured, and the color palette broad and undefined.

Gray, black, khaki and navy were offset by red, sky blue, lime green and turquoise and purple, monochromes mixing casually, as if to say, any way you want.

“We wanted everything to be human in its dimension, to be light and fresh and colorful,’’ Simons said.

Playful, with a shadow

There was humor, even whimsy, in bright cone-shaped woven raffia hats that recalled a shuttlecock, some with strands of raffia feathering over the eyes as if a shade. In the spirit of change, the showroom was left deliberately raw, with concrete and orange beams exposed and sunlight streaming through the high windows. Childlike daisy-shaped rugs were the only decoration.

While the colorful headgear and floral accents put a smile on people’s faces, news that the U.S. had entered Israel’s war with Iran on Sunday cast a somber mood.

“We are always very aware of that,’’ Prada said. “Good luck to everyone.’’

Celeb frenzy

Outside the Prada Foundation showroom, hundreds of fans screamed for the arrival of Asian pop group TransfOrmProject, South Korean actor Lee Do-hyun and Japanese singer Sana. Also on hand were English-Ghanaian rapper Stormzy, NBA star Anthony Edwards and actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Harris Dickinson.