The winter of metal amulets To escape or to better understand the strange reality we live in

As the Couture Week kicks off, filled with ruffles and golden finishes, we can’t get the accessories from the menswear collections presented in the preceding days in Milan and Paris out of our heads. Like a (big)  fixation, the sparkling details hanging around the models’ necks or sewn onto the collars of polos remain one of the most memorable elements of the FW25 collections. Alongside them, an overwhelming amount of keychains (think Louis Vuitton Men) and playful sneakers (or PDF by Domenico Formichetti) appeared on the runway. However, of all the footwear and accessories showcased, the ones that caught our attention were simple metallic pendants. Simple, so to speak, because every brand interpreted the trend in a completely personal way. As Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons explain in the press release for the FW25 Prada Men collection, our passion for “useless” trinkets is tied to instinct and the need to imbue meaningless objects with power, «like amulets that somehow protect us.» Not long ago, the internet mocked witchcraft enthusiasts who hid gemstones in pillowcases and bra cups, but now everyone – including the most “serious” Lemaire man – wants a good luck charm. 

Beyond the more urban designers who perfectly reflect the stylistic habits of the younger generation, even some of the more mature names on the calendar have decided to follow the trend. Lemaire, a champion of understated fashion, gave some models sleek metal magnifying glasses to wear around their necks for FW25, created in collaboration with Austrian artisan Carl Auböck. Creative directors Christophe Lemaire and Sarah Lin-Tran stated that the collection aimed to represent «the intensity of living nowadays.» Indeed, if there were a tool to decipher the socio-political confusion of recent months, it might sell out. Alongside Lemaire, another typically “composed” brand chose to bring unusual metallic accessories to the runway: Prada Men. The brand’s FW25 collection, presented in Milan amid carpets and industrial scaffolding, featured small good luck charms shaped like anchors and four-leaf clovers sewn onto knitwear. In short, whether it’s an amulet to escape reality, a tool to understand it, or simply a symbol tied to 90s hip hop culture, next winter’s fashion wants us to be elegant but armed with metal – be it a whistle, a chain, or, as in Magliano, an Olympic medal.