Dreaming of Paris ... Canali SS2014 Collection

In the animated feature Anastasia, the characters were happily singing, “Paris holds the key to your heart.” 

Princess Anastasia’s heart and past aside, the City of Love and Lights too holds the key to everything: inspiration, love, history and tragedy.

While the tragedy part would refer to the gruesome death of Marie Antoinette on the guillotine, Paris plays a significant role as the influencer or the source of inspiration to countless works of art, films, music, and not to forget, fashion.

Inspired by films directed by renowned French film director Jean Cocteau, Italian menswear label Canali delves into the wondrous explosion of light and colour, creating a sublime spring/summer 2014 menswear collection.

Meant to be worn by a man with various facets, the collection boasts brushstrokes of colour painted “en plein air” with supple lines flowing over the masculine silhouettes without accentuating the shapes.

Furthermore, the composition of the collection is made of exclusively designed and unique fabrics with a working palette that slightly goes away from the usual masculine tones such as honey, otter, grey, deeper shades of royal blue and dark red.

The jackets are made longer while the waists are emphasised by a prominent feature - thin belts that are crafted out of luxurious crocodile hide. 

The trousers feature one or two pleats, flexibly hanging before tapering the ankles in high cuffs, revealing colourful socks peppered with polka dots or stripes before ending with two-tone moccasins adorned with signature Canali texture.

As a brand known for its impeccable tailoring tradition, the collection boasts a melange of fine tailoring and craftsmanship with a pinch of irony and desire for blitheness. 

Formal and cotton suits, deconstructed jackets and the duster coats – a reminder to the chic Palais Royal and its “striped” columns – are eloquently played down by the presence of stripes and polka dots, yet maintaining both classical and elegance essence.

Pinstripe suits worn with cotton gauze shirts and trousers overlapped with dot designs imparts a consummate sense of humour – the emotional substance that doubles up the ante of any man’s charm.  

To complement the spring/summer 2014 looks are accessories such as deerskin or signature Canali texture-decorated bags, pocket squares woven from pure silk and tie pins worn under the jacket breast pockets or on lapels that finely enrich the meticulously tailored suits.

Canali spring/summer 2014 menswear and accessories collection is available at all Canali stores now. 

*Images courtesy of Canali

Canali – Lot 2.51, Level 2, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, 168, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur; Lot G35, Ground Floor, Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Jalan Ampang, 50088 Kuala Lumpur; L1-25, Level 1, Gurney Paragon, Gurney Drive, 10250 Georgetown, Penang.