Fashion week A/W 2013 invitations: menswear collections

Our mantelpiece, filled to the brim with some of the best invitations from the Milan Fashion Week A/W 2013 menswear collections.

(Image credit: Jessica Klingelfuss)

By Jack Moss

last updated 7 October 2022

in Features

Lots of invitations on a mantlepiece — ... and our pick from the Paris menswear shows

White marble mantelpiece, white invitation that opens into a sketched image, white envelope — **Givenchy:** Each season, Givenchy sends out a limited-edition artwork by M/M Paris to guests. This printed illustration in black and white, with the house's logo in gold foil on the reverse, was folded into an elaborate envelope

White marble mantelpiece, blue floral booklet invitation, black and white inviation and envelope against a white wall — **Dolce & Gabbana:** This invitation was laid out in a booklet format. Show details alternated with delicate flower compositions on thin paper, the bouquets referencing some of the collection's prints

paper invitations — **Hermès:** A booklet printed with elegant graphic details in black and orange

Invitation on a handkerchief — **Ann Demeulemeester:** For her Paris show, Ann Demeulemeester sent out a humble white handkerchief with a screen-printed motif and show details in simple black type

White marble mantelpiece, white wall, brown square shaped cardboard invitation with black contrasting flock — **Z Zegna:** A pentagonal motif referenced the collection's graphic textures, and the brown card had a contrasting black flock

Bright pink invitation — **Marni:** The bold fluorescent-pink Marni invitation got a punky treatment in matt black with asymmetrical design detail

White printed invitation — **Ballantyne:** The Ballantyne logo and crest stood out from an elegantly understated white card, with show details in basic black

White marble mantelpiece, white wall, novelty white and black garment tag invitation — **Maison Martin Margiela:** A fan of the novelty feature, Margiela sewed a garment tag to a simple white card, with the show details on the reverse

White paper with pink print invitation — **Calvin Klein Collection:** This simple card from Calvin Klein displayed the details of the show in matt red foil

Black card invitation — **Salvatore Ferragamo:** On the front of a plike card, the Maison's logo was embossed in black gloss; show details were printed on the back

White and blue writing invite — **Versace:** Bold Klein-blue lettering was interwoven with a sophisticated baroque design on a thick, blue-edged card

White marble mantelpiece, white wall, darkened-gold face and edge invitation — **Gucci:** The substantial mail-out from Gucci featured a darkened-gold face and edge. On the reverse, a matt black surface was embossed with metallic lettering

Several white card invites — **Moncler:** The no-frills invitations from Moncler always contrast with the flamboyant narratives of the label's shows. This season's dinner invitation was handwritten on a plain white card

Motif cut out invite — **Diesel Black Gold:** The 'Cosmic Tour' collection was announced with the delivery of a fantastical stage motif, intricately laser-cut to evoke the brand's psychedelic rock tour theme

Explorer themed invite — **Bally Everest:** Over in London, the mid-century Mount Everest explorations recalled on this Bally 'newsletter' celebrated the collection's central theme

White marble mantelpiece, white wall, gtwo black leather Armani brand invitation designs

Armani: The two invitations for the Armani brands followed a similar theme. Giorgio Armani's felt envelope, closed with a button strap, revealed a simple black card inside. Emporio Armani's charcoal leather envelope was sealed by a magnet and carried a delightfully contrasting electric-blue card

(Image credit: Jessica Klingelfuss)

Metal invitation — **Fendi:** This heavy metal offering came printed with only the most essential of show venue information

Thick blue card invite — **Alexander McQueen:** Classic with a hint of drama, the Alexander McQueen show was heralded on a thick blue card with show details in gold foil

No words on an invitation card — **Margaret Howell:** An abstract black form making a play of shadows was the prelude to the Margaret Howell show

colourful invite card — **Richard James:** More abstract imagery - this time in festive colour from Richard James

Flip book invitation — **Prada:** This invitation featured a teaser of the special set design which previewed a furniture collaboration between OMA and Knoll. The small booklet included compositions of blurred shots inspired by the interiors of the Milanese set

Invitation card with black print — **Ports 1961:** The simple but sturdy invitation from Ports 1961 was printed on a duplex card with black edging

White marble mantelpiece, black art booklet invitation with black envelope — **Saint Laurent:** Hedi Slimane eschews standard invitations in favour of art booklets. For the latest, designer Brian Roettinger produced a series of black and white abstract ink prints, which were bound in a sleek black journal

White card with black print — **Viktor & Rolf:** The invitation design from Viktor & Rolf was driven by a playful typographic illustration on a simple white card

Midnight blue card, with a cut out — **Mugler:** A midnight-blue card with a graphic cut-out introduces Mugler on the front, and his show details on the back

Invitation card with a picture of a dog — **Yohji Yamamoto:** Is there any dog more glamorous than the Afghan hound? Here he is, front and centre on the Yohji Yamamoto invitation

Invitation with a tangerine envelope — **Dries Van Noten:** A tangerine drop shadow gave this black lettering a contemporary feel at Dries Van Noten, while the accompanying envelope was lined with the same hue

Sleek black card invite — **Dior Homme:** A sleek black card came with two smaller pull-out tags containing the show details

Picture of a building on an invite — **Paul Smith:** With the show taking place at the Centre Pompidou, Paul Smith reproduced a negative of the building as seen from above; it doubled as a map for guests

Card invite — **Louis Vuitton:** Always working alongside the art world, Louis Vuitton commissioned Dinos and Jake Chapman to design a baroque print. They mined the house's archives and Himalayan imagery for their intricate print, debossed on silver mirrorboard for the invitation

Aqua blue paper invite — **Comme des Garçons:** As per the house style for Comme des Garçons invitations, unassuming typography was printed on a sheet of A4 - this season in aqua

Magazine cut out invitation — **Junya Watanabe:** A cheeky photograph of a child in fancy-foil dress introduced Junya Watanabe's Paris show

holographic image on an invite — **Kenzo**: Kenzo sent out a holographic image of clouds passing through the sky, referencing the collection's dreamy prints

White marble mantelpiece, two fold out black, brown and white design invitations — **Neil Barrett:** A fold-out card for Neil Barrett mixed matt black gatefold with foil block lettering

Black card with white print — **Berluti:** For its presentation at Paris' grand Galerie de L'Evolution, Berluti chose an elegant thick black card with silver edging and block lettering

Folded paper invite — **Kris Van Assche:** A poster-sized invitation displayed the title of Van Assche's collection in bold black type. The message referenced 'Trainspotting' and Katherine Hamnett's 1980s slogan T-Shirts

Invitation — **Lanvin:** Rounded edges, gold accents and refined calligraphy are trademarks of the Lanvin invitation

Black and white blocks as an invite — **Rick Owens:** A rectangle cut from particleboard was printed with black and white graphic blocks for Rick Owens

White marble mantelpiece, white wall, spinning circle with Celtic symbols design invitation — **Etro:** This season Kean Etro drew inspiration from Celtic symbols for the family brand's collection. The invitation turned them into a spinning 'circle of life' calendar

Thick coloured card used as an invite — **Jil Sander:** Matt and glossy black contrasted on the Jil Sander card, which came with bold debossed type and a thick coloured edge

geometric design invite — **Y3:** The art was in the envelope at Y3's invitation to its first men's fragrance launch, sleek and black with a geometric motif

Jack Moss is the Fashion Features Editor at Wallpaper*, joining the team in 2022. Having previously been the digital features editor at AnOther and digital editor at 10 and 10 Men magazines, he has also contributed to titles including i-D, Dazed, 10 Magazine, Mr Porter’s The Journal and more, while also featuring in Dazed: 32 Years Confused: The Covers, published by Rizzoli. He is particularly interested in the moments when fashion intersects with other creative disciplines – notably art and design – as well as championing a new generation of international talent and reporting from international fashion weeks. Across his career, he has interviewed the fashion industry’s leading figures, including Rick Owens, Pieter Mulier, Jonathan Anderson, Grace Wales Bonner, Christian Lacroix, Kate Moss and Manolo Blahnik.

Wallpaper* Newsletter