Some brands split collections into genders, others sort them out based on product categories. At Missoni, the most natural way is to see them in color schemes.

Chromatism and patterns rule Missoni-land far and wide, which creative director Alberto Caliri seemed committed to reminding guests of as they flocked to the brand’s showroom under the sultry Milanese sun on the opening day of men’s fashion week. 

They were met with racks divided into color palettes, each mingling resort 2027 pieces for her, spring 2027 separates for him and some bathrobes and towels for both sexes thrown in between, as with this presentation Caliri embraced a unified approach to his work across women’s and men’s wear and home textiles like never before.

It was a smart move to highlight the cohesiveness and power of the brand’s codes across its extensions; favor a more spontaneous and immediate approach to wardrobe building — where women can easily borrow pieces from men and vice versa — and, most importantly, telegraph the lifestyle ethos of the company.

With the same straightforward approach, the collections amplified Missoni’s summery and beach-y nature with immediate designs winking to further complement the company’s resort and residential projects. Caliri knows what the Missoni customers want and, rather than distracting them by chasing fashion trends, he’s hammering on the most demanded categories.

“We’re recognized for this closeness to the sea and holiday dressing, so for me it was essential to keep surfing this wave,” said the designer. 

Enter a plethora of swimwear, colorful sundresses, and fine-gauge knitted shirts that could look cool at the seaside but also in town, especially when layered, tied at the waist or left unbuttoned. Ditto for the party-ready numbers — exemplified by a series of mermaid dresses and second-skin knit frocks with revealing backs — that enabled seductiveness and ease to coexist in a single piece and turn the game of dressing up into an unfussy act.

Aware that it represents a smaller business, Caliri worked on a concise men’s offering that mainly mirrored the same motifs on basic shapes, ranging from sweaters and polos to loose-fitting blousons and Bermuda shorts.

Overall, while colors and patterns spoke loud — across iterations that included knitted pieces in pale shades of pink, yellow and light blue in blurred motifs; earthy-hued separates marked by neater graphics and zigzags, and the nocturnal shades of eveningwear sparkling with Lurex threads and sequins — what impressed the most was the lightness of the garments, evidence of the brand’s expertise in knit manufacturing. And that’s what guests sought as they left the presentation and faced the heatwave again.