Emporio Armani

MILAN, June 21, (AP): Street wear was trumping more formal looks during menswear previews for next spring and summer on the third day of Milan Fashion Week on Monday.

Many of the collections offered statement basics on which to build a wardrobe, including military, mariner and athletic that can be mixed and matched to create a personalized look. Few were the well-defined suits. And where there was office and evening wear, the fit was relaxed, befitting the season.

Just about everyone had big travel backpacks, suggesting summer journeys.

Calvin Klein joined the runway exodus during a break between creative directors for both the men’s and women’s lines. The presentation by the in-house team was strong on denim and sportswear, including a V-neck sweater with grosgrain ribbon stripped detailing.

Some highlights from Monday’s shows:

Gucci

It’s a nerd’s world at Alessandro Michele’s Gucci.

Michele continues his eccentric fashion journey for next summer’s menswear with floral suits, military detailing, nautical accents and pretty knits. This round, he has invited an old friend for a series of cameos: Donald Duck.

And just like in his Disney cartoon days, Donald Duck shows off his versatility, in sequins on the back of a washed leather bomber and printed incognito in an Asian pattern of a silk lacquered print.

Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani’s imprint has always been on his collections, but for his Emporio Armani line, the designer made it even more explicit with a fingerprint motif.

The fingerprint recurs across the modular collection’s urban looks: printed white on a black T-shirt, embroidered in golden thread onto a big travel bag and woven into a jacquard blazer.

For Armani, the collection is an exercise in identity.

Fendi

Fendi goes poolside with Mad Men’s Don Draper during the Hollywood years for next summer’s looks.

The collection’s watchword is dapper, from the loose-fitting square jacket to the thick-striped pants and big pool/shopper bag with a colorful zigzag strap. Terry-cloth short sets and cover-ups harken to days when the summertime soundtrack included “Walk on By,” made famous by Dionne Warwick.

On the more contemporary side, there was a suit with three-dimensional prints worn with a matching shirt. Fendi’s man wears a flat pouch around the neck for necessities, from smart phones to festival passes.

Also:

MILAN: Giorgio Armani has urged Britain to stay in the European Union, warning that the bloc would be worse off without England’s influence on fashion and design.

“I’m in favour of the British staying in Europe,” the legendary Italian designer said in Milan, where a week of menswear shows wrapped up on Tuesday with the unveiling of Armani’s main Spring-Summer 2017 collection.

“The island is part of Europe and I have always seen England as the avant-garde part of Europe — the bit that moves, that develops, always the first to do something eccentric and to give space for art.”

Britain is a relatively minor player in Europe’s fashion industry in terms of manufacturing and global sales.

But the country’s vibrant music and street fashion scenes have helped to make it disproportionately influential on catwalk trends.