Esquire Editors' Top Picks From Milan Fashion Week

Alessandro Sartori took things down a notch last night with this his fourth season back at Ermenegildo Zegna. Focusing on easy, natural separates that moved and flowed with the summer breeze in a palette of earths and pastels, his vision seemed tailor-made for a post-millennial in search of something more substantial than disposable, gone-in-sixty-seconds trends. Yet there were plenty of playful pieces for the unabashed fashion hound—from statement sneakers and ankle-hugging tailored joggers to bold shirts printed with nautical doodles from a sailor’s notebook. — Nick Sullivan

Brunello Cucinelli continues to be one of the sharpest-thinking designers, a guy who doesn’t just possess a perfect sense of what makes men look good; he also gives thought to how men are living and working. And that last note is an essential and all-too-rare quality in menswear at the moment. And his new collection brought his skills to life. His strong move into brown—chocolate, tobacco and snuff—can at first seem like an unlikely shade to embrace for warm weather. Don’t panic. Think of it as the perfect, chic alternative to blue. And when the suits as well as the pants and jackets are made in fabrics that are impossibly light as well as luxe, his collection not only keeps a guy cool in the heat, it also moves with our (over)active lives. It’s a standout season. — Michael Hainey

Versace brimmed with self confidence, blending street clothes, old-school, look-at-me glam, and tailored suits in a way that felt fresh yet grown up. Even the sportswear—like a red python jacket with a matching bucket hat—oozed a sense of adult luxe reminiscent of the ’90s. The show, staged in the wisteria-draped garden of the storied Via Gesù headquarters, seemed untroubled by the whirling currents that beset the menswear season these days. Donatella brought it home in both senses. — NS