scene: CHRIS BROWN ATTENDS MILAN FASHION WEEK

Chris Brown has been making his rounds at Milan Fashion Week. He was spotted on the front row at Vivienne Westwood wearing a pair of the designers,' plaid & polka dot, saddle shoes from their Men’s Spring/Summer 2010 collection. He was later seen arriving at the John Richmond showing rocking a Fur collar jacket, belt and shirt all from their Fall/Winter 2009 menswear collection. He's attended a handful of shows this season, including Costume National Homme and a private event for Missoni. "I might check out some of the couture shows in Paris too," he said. (The couture shows in Paris immediately follow the men's presentations there.) My only question.. where did this interest in fashion come from suddenly?? Thoughts?

recap: MEN'S FASHION WEEK | PRADA 2010

Prada, fall 2010.

The most wonderful time of the year is finally upon us: Men's Fashion Week! The fall 2010 shows began over the weekend in Milan, and the overall trend seems to be that designers are playing it safe for yet another season, after sales of menswear declined almost 10 percent in 2009 from the previous year. Buyers don't want anything too crazy, since flash is still out. However, the beauty of menswear is that even when designers think they're playing it safe, the clothes they put on the runway would still look absurd on average dudes.

Prada presented a collection that would make anyone feel right at home in Harvard Yard, with tweed blazers to crew neck pullovers and casual slacks. The "preppy" collection shown Sunday was so normal it might have risked boredom were it not for the designers fashion genius. Thus simple crew neck sweaters had an almost plunging neckline and were cropped above the waist to reveal the classic blue shirt underneath.

JESUS WALKS!

Jesus Luz, the 22-year-old Brazilian currently serving as Madonna's 'Bust It Baby,' stars tanned and shirtless in a boxing-inspired ad for Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana’s Autumn/Winter collection.

So taken is the design duo with Luz, that they have made sure he walks exclusively for them during the spring/summer 2010 menswear shows in Milan this week. Greedy, greedy.

CIAO MILANO... BONJOUR PARIS!

Dominique for Vivienne Westwood (L) and Versace (R)

Despite the lack of color on the runways in Milan for yet ANOTHER season, two stood out and completely ROCKED the catwalk. Wendell Lissimore of Red, 1 show + a catalog & editorial and a coup for Dominique Hollington, also from Red, who had a huge breakout season, walking in 4 shows, including Versace and Vivienne Westwood. Dope. As far as diversity goes.. I guess we'll have to wait and see what Paris has to offer.

Wendell for Les Hommes

DSQUARED S/S 09 AD CAMPAIGN

The Canadian designer-duo that is Dsquared has transformed photos from backstage at their S/S'09 Runway show in Milan into an ad campaign. It was shot by Rohn Meijer and features favs Ibrahim Baaith (Red) and Andre Douglas (Specimen/Wilhelmina).

MEN'S RUNWAYS IN MILAN STILL WHITE AS HELL

On the day we inaugurate our first African American president, this is ironic: In Milan, not a single black, Asian, or Latino model walked the runways of Jil Sander, Missoni, Burberry, Bottega Veneta, Gianfranco Ferré, Roberto Cavalli, or Prada. The Emporio Armani and Versace shows notably included black models. Gucci designer Frida Giannini said she is "always looking for black models, or even Chinese or whatever, for the shows,” but agencies always send her the same crop of white guys. Her show featured an entirely white cast. But an owner of New York modeling agency Red (our fav) said he sent over several black models he thought would do well (they didn't). The New York Times reports:

“Maybe they think it’s too obvious” to feature an ethnically inclusive runway casting in the week of Barack Obama’s inauguration, Franca Sozzani, the Vogue Italia editor, said of designers. “It has nothing to do with a racist attitude,” the editor insisted ...

Not only are the whitewashed runways ironic in light of the inauguration, but this is the same country that gave us the historic all-black Italian Vogue just months ago.

FENDI HAS LANDED

Sessilee Lopez @ Fendi Spring '09

Milan Fashion Week is on its final leg. Karl Lagerfeld sent Über-messy-haired models down the runway at Fendi, Dsquared2 brought back the side slit, and Matthew Williamson showed his last Pucci collection.

MILAN'S DISAPPOINTING DIVERSITY QUOTIENT

Milan Fashion Week wrapped up today, and we have continued tracking the model diversity quotient of shows over there as it did in New York. Ironically, runways in the nation that brought us an all-black Vogue were not only less diverse than New York's but disappointingly white:

3 major shows, Giorgio Armani, Marni and Jil Sander had no Black or Asian models at all. Gucci and Prada both had only 1 black model. Of the ones we surveyed (and in all fairness, we can't break down each and every designer) the only show to impress us with diversity was Bottega Veneta with 4 Black models and 1 Asian. Fendi, Versace, and Missoni all cast only one black model as well.

Can we point out that houses like Armani, Gucci, and Prada , we are big enough to get the girls that they want, so it's unlikely they were forced into using such white casts because they lost a battle with a show in a competing time slot. Paris starts tomorrow, so maybe we'll see a mix of girls there?

RIHANNA TO DESIGN CLOTHING LINE

Rihanna has casually mentioned she'd like to design a clothing line several times. But Wednesday at the Gucci show in Milan she confirmed she's actually going to do it. “I can’t say when it will be released, but it’s definitely going to happen,” she told WWD. “I’m not one to rush into anything. I want to take my time.” That's nice, young RiRi. We won't resist. We'll just offer a few recommendations:

• Don't try to sell it at Saks because people will just laugh at you.
• Make it exclusively for Topshop if you can. It sounds better.

• Don't try to sell it at Forever 21, because that's too easy.
• Please resist the temptation to make horrendously embellished over-the-knee boots.
• Carrie Bradshaw couldn't make feather/ruffle-assed skirts happen years ago and your VMA performance can't now, so please don't pretend people actually want to wear them.
• Don't branch into skunk-inspired hairpieces.

• If you have a fashion show, perform at it. And invite us.

SOLANGE JUST CAN'T GET IT RIGHT

Like so many others, Solange Knowles has been making her rounds at Milan Fashion Week. She hit up the Emporio Armani showcase (afterall, she is the Ambassador of their denim line) over the weekend wearing this mess. I guess she didn't notice her feather headband totally clashes with her hair. Hey Solo, if you're going to wear a feather headband - CONTRAST! But A for effort though. She had good intentions.

CHANEL IMAN BRINGS GUCCI BACK TO BLACK

Jourdan Dunn broke down walls last season at Prada, becoming the first black woman to walk for the house in ten years, and today Chanel Iman had her moment. This afternoon, she walked at Gucci, modeling two looks, becoming the first black woman to walk for the house since the Tom Ford days ended in 2005 and current creative director Frida Giannini took over.

THE COST OF FLYING COMMERCIAL

Milan is no friend to Andre Leon Talley. Two years ago, his luggage was lost for three days during Milan Fashion Week, and he was stuck wearing the same blue Patent Miu Miu coat and velour track pants to the shows. Fast forward to today, and it's the same deal. His luggage was lost once againon his way to Milan. This heinous inconvenience forced André to wear the same outfit to the D&G show that he wore on the plane: a pair of Juicy Couture shorts and gray Ralph Lauren polo shirt. On the upside, this gives him a reason to buy stuff at Tom Ford's new Milan store. If he even has time between Bottega Veneta and Prada.

MEET THE NEW GUY: PIERRE WOODS

It’s been quite the year for Illinois native Pierre Woods... After signing with Ford in Chicago and garnering much success- which included everything from billboards to TV commercials- he turned his attention to New York, or rather New York turned its attention to him. He signed with New York Models in April of last year. He made his debut in Milan, stomping down the runways for D & G and opening the Ferragamo show.

Most recently, though, he has become a favorite over at Ralph Lauren, where he appeared in the Polo by Ralph Lauren fall campaign. That news was quickly followed by an offer to be part of the Olympics campaign - a major feat considering he is the only featured black face. He’s definitely been making waves, so keep your eyes peeled. And when he’s not busy being really ridiculously good-looking and all that entails, you can probably catch him on myspace where he has posted photos from the campaign. Also check out his advertorial feature in the current issue of V Man, on newsstands now.

Photo: TARRICE LOVE

DSQUARED'S INTERPRETATION OF THE ALL-AMERICAN CHUCK TAYLOR

Dsquared premiered some dope sneakers on the runways in Milan. This pair particularly piqued my interest however. Think 21st-century Converse, pimped up in beige leather with red and blue patent.

Dsquared Rocks Men's S/S 09 Fashion Week: Milan

As Milan's Mens Fashion Week came to a close, I realized that I didn't properly cover this season. However after reviewing the tapes of the shows I remember why I hesitated. I wanted to see what the designers would do in terms of choosing their models in the wake of the controversy over the tokenism on the runways. I really hoped that we were turning a chapter here. Especially since Vogue Italia decided to highlight a need for change and diversification in the form of their All-Black Issue. But much to my dismay, there was still such a lack of ethnic diversity on the runway. Most designers completely ignored the criticism altogether and used the same general pattern, with no black faces.

I do have to say though that Dsquared², my favorite designer duo, really took diversity to heart using mostly black models in the show. Hats off to creators Dean and Dan Caten.

Milan Men's Fashion Week

The men's shows are under way in Milan, and we've already seen some pretty memorable things so far. The front row lined with celebs, Naomi Campbell walking in Dolce & Gabbana's lounge-inspired show, and man dresses by Prada, anyone?

We got a posh pastel moment at Versace, when the label staged their spring 2009 men's collection before an eclectic audience including Janet Jackson and Jermaine Dupri, Allegra Versace, Anna Wintour and Tom Ford, in the midst of campaign to re-establish himself as a major Milan player.

Donatella Versace dedicated the collection to Barack Obama. Calling him the "man of the moment" and said that it was for "a relaxed man who doesn't need to flex muscles to show he has power."

?