Neil Barrett's Spring/Summer 2018 collection was unveiled in Milan on June 17th. Since the previous Fall/Winter 2017-18 collection, the brand has presented its women's collections simultaneously, and this time was no exception.

For the past few seasons, the brand has been exploring the reimagining of its archives, renovating key pieces through various approaches. This season, however, it has arrived at a minimalist aesthetic that could be described as maximal. Layering techniques are no longer present, and details are stripped down to the bare minimum, showcasing the brand's core world.

Narrowing down to two menswear uniforms—military and tailored—the collection featured a simple composition of bomber jackets, suits, T-shirts, and jeans. This experimental collection, recognizable solely through its form and silhouette, is refreshing in the increasingly chaotic Milan men's fashion scene, where cultural mixes are becoming increasingly chaotic. The collection features minimalist pieces, including flight jackets, suits, and T-shirts crafted from lightweight cotton, linen, and nylon blends, for a relaxed yet fitted feel without being oversized. Each piece features bold stripes, crafted with reflective materials, gloss tape, and rubber. The collection began with beige, black, navy, and white and silver, then transitioned to cobalt blue, khaki and red, and then white and black again in the middle, creating a simpler look. The square stripes, used graphically on the chest, arms, pockets, trouser hems, and socks, were inspired by Donald Judd, a representative of minimalist art. The painting-print shirts featured in the second half of the collection were also Judd's work, and the new Milan office used as the show venue was also inspired by his work. The women's collection, centered around dresses, showcased a minimalist approach, crafting technical materials in simple, easy-to-wear styles. Stripes were subtly accentuated on blouses with flared arms and diagonal lines on the shoulders and hems. Sharing the same color palette as the men's collection, it depicts an elegant world.

Text: Tatsuya Noda