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Vìen Men’s Spring 2022

The invitation to the Vìen digital show for spring was a vinyl record featuring “Babylon” by Rome-based artist Zero Portrait, the chillout soundtrack to the brand’s fashion film.

Music seems to be an endless source of inspiration for designer Vincenzo Palazzo, who this time looked back to Manchester’s storied nightclub The Hacienda, a hotbed for the acid-house movement that took the city’s party scene by storm in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

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While the video filmed at Milan’s club Magazzini Generali didn’t quite telegraph the rave attitude of Hacienda’s heydays (search online for Peter J Walsh imagery for a better glimpse), the early ‘90s feel came through in the clothes, a redux of British garb with some Mod inflections.

Tailoring was boxy and twisted via patchwork constructions combining wool and denim, accentuated with narrow ties and pristine white shirts. Trenchcoats with dark indigo sleeves were thrown over a silk shirt bearing a psychedelic print — a quite literal reference to acid house done in different color combinations from rusty tones to grass greens.

Elsewhere, the designer went off-track with workwear-inspired baggy pants with flap pockets and oversize shirts accessorized with cumbersome fanny packs that read mountaineer more than partygoer.

While subcultures are great references to play with, the collection lacked the rebellious spirit one would expect from a Joy Division and New Order fan like Palazzo.

Launch Gallery: Vìen Men's Spring 2022

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