The title of this shooting was New Wave: a new sense of masculinity and men’s fashion, nonchalant and sophisticated, that looks so cool even now. Total look Roberto Cavalli, Ph. Johan Sandberg. Styling Alessandro Calascibetta.

Stunning Larry Scott wearing leather masculine outfits for M. Ph. Noelle Hoeppe, Styling Serge Girardi. Leather Jacket Dolce & Gabbana.

M like Mode. The first issue of M was published twelve years ago, in spring 2006. M was one among many glossy fashion magazines: nice size (big), high-quality paper, great photographers and important brands for pages that showed the season’s trends; it was the last fashion specialized published by Rizzoli. The type and font of the letter M was the same of a very popular RCS magazine: Max, the monthly publication well-known for calendars (Ferilli issue was reprinted and sold more than 500thousands copies). But Max was many other things: De Niro on the cover of the first issue (1985) and the first italian magazine to have Lady Gaga on the cover (december 2009, picture by Ellen Von Unwerth) back when no one would have imagined, thanks to the intuition of Andrea Rossi: the same journalist that today writes “Il graffio” for Style Magazine. M like Mode, M like Max. Many readers conserve M issues still today, that hung in there since the beginning of the great crisis, three years later. And it’s interesting to notice that today many young people, between 25 and 35 years old, show a real interest for paper magazines that are high-impact, glossy, very well-finished. But the best thing is to be a success both in paper and online publications: an example? The supplement you are reading, Io Donna…

Discrete luxury for men. Two pictures, one of 2006 e one of today, in comparison. On the M cover you can see a coat from the last Dior Homme collection designed by Hedi Slimane, while the other shows a look from the Brioni’s ss 2014 collection, designed by Brendan Mullane. In both cases we find refinement and a very distinguishing and up-to-date thinking of luxury: a modern sign of splendor and greatness. What is, today, luxury: can it be the opulence of Versace, Fendi and Vuitton or a subtle but perceivable particularity that represents it in a more discrete way? Discrete, in this case doesn’t mean invisible; the contrasting silhouette drawn on Dior coat and the ir-regular motif on Brioni’s sweater are anything but “invisible”, but the richness of style is not made of golden studs or sumptuous coloured leather, but of very fine fabrics and perfect cuts. The goal has been achieved, the concept of modern luxury is legitimized through a style that involves personality and tact. Without devaluing the designers who prefer ostentation, loved and preferred by fashionistas all over the world and – honestly – by me as a stylist, it seems that the future of menswear is going to take the opposite direction. The M cover (2006) shot by Johan Sandberg; below a ss14 Brioni outfit.

2006: it was the “vinyl year”. Prada launched the trend and it was immediately cool. Photo by Johan Sandberg.