The dust might only just be settling on 2023’s weirdest and wildest moments – from a Met Gala packed with couture kitten looks to NYC Tabi thieves, runway mud wrestling from Elena Velez, Collina Strada’s AW23 chaotic creatures, and Coperni unleashing Boston Robotics’ Black Mirror robot dogs the runway, it’s a well known fact that fashion never sleeps. 

Beginning this Friday (January 12), the AW24 menswear season kicks off in Milan with Prada, Fendi, and JW Anderson, before heading through to Paris for a week of runway shows from the likes of Rick Owens, Junya Watanabe, Dior, and more.

So, what’s hot for this season? Like most menswear fashion weeks, there’s loads to look forward to on the line-up – from Sabato De Sarno’s second-ever show at Gucci’s helm to Givenchy’s first collection post-Matthew Williams’ January 1 departure, Luca Magliano and Steven Stokey-Daley as guest designers for Florence menswear fair Pitti Uomo, and some highly-expected standout moments from next-gen labels like Namesake, Kiko Kostadinov, Jordanluca, and Botter. 

Read up on everything you need to look out for below.

SABATO DE SARNO MAKES HIS GUCCI MENSWEAR DEBUT

Kicking things off is Gucci, which sees Sabato De Sarno drop his second ever collection and first ever menswear offering. In September, De Sarno made his long-awaited debut at the label, unveiling a clean, cute collection with hints of sexiness, rather than the rumoured sex-heavy rehash of Tom Ford’s era at the house. Keeping in mind the creative director’s newly-released, hot-blooded kissing campaign, which conjured-up comparisons to Ford’s horny early 00s Gucci campaigns online, we’re hoping to see some hints of that this time around. 

PHARRELL REVEALS WHAT’S NEXT FOR LOUIS VUITTON

Just over a month after his dream-like pre-fall show in Hong Kong, Pharrell will reveal what’s next in store at Louis Vuitton. For his debut collection at LV in June – one of last year’s most highly-anticipated runways – the musician, designer, and artist dropped a stellar, “Lover”-inspired offering packed with slouchy, shredded-up looks, pixellated prints, and brand new references. At his November men’s pre-fall show in Hong Kong, Pharrell built on these motifs while conveying the story of a Hong Kong businessman travelling to Hawaii with re-imagined sailors’ uniforms, tropical floral two-piece sets, and dandy-like tailoring. “All of the codes that I brought – the pearls, the rivets, buttons and all these things – are coming,” the creative director told Dazed before the show. With that in mind, perhaps AW24 menswear will let us in on what’s next.

GIVENCHY DROPS ITS FIRST COLLECTION POST-MATTHEW WILLIAMS

As for Givenchy, this season marks the label’s first show without anyone at its helm. Last month (December 1), the label announced that it was parting ways with designer Matthew Williams after three years at the brand. “Leading the creative direction of Givenchy was, as I said upon my arrival in 2020, the dream of a lifetime,” said the designer in a statement. “Over these three years, I have strived to perpetuate Mr Hubert de Givenchy’s legacy while bringing my own creative vision and I would like to sincerely thank the studio, [Givenchy president and CEO] Renaud de Lesquen, and LVMH for this incredible opportunity.” William’s last two collections – men’s and women’s pre-fall 2024 – dropped via social media in December, leaving this season’s show as fully-designed by the Givenchy team while the fashion house awaits news of its next creative director.

BALMAIN IS BACK AFTER ITS SHOWROOM HIATUS

Meanwhile Balmain, which has not appeared on the menswear calendar since before the pandemic, instead holding showroom appointments and lookbooks, is back this season. So far, Olivier Rousteing has kept any hints of the upcoming collection under wraps. However, after he pulled together a bright, joyful runway show last season despite a group of thieves hijacking 50 looks from the SS24 offering, we’re sure there’s much in store.

PITTI UOMO TAPS MAGLIANO AND SS DALEY

Italian menswear fair Pitti Uomo returns this season for its 105th year, with Bologna-based designer Luca Magliano and Liverpool’s Steven Stokey-Daley joining the event as guest designers. As the fashion crowd flocks to the Florence’s Fortezza da Basso, both designers will present their own collections, which – so far – seems to include a show about “nostalgia” and “intense emotions” from Luca’s label Magliano. Former guest designers of the festival include Virgil Abloh, Raf Simons, Martine Rose, and Jun Takahashi. The event runs from January 9 to 12, with tickets available here.

PLUS, SOME STANDOUT SHOWS FROM MENSWEAR’S NEXT GEN 

Finally – like most seasons – we’re expecting to see some next-level talent from menswear’s next generation of designers. Who should be on your radar? We suggest keeping an eye out for Taiwanese, family-run label Namesake (以父之名), Bulgarian-born; London-based designer Kiko Kostadinov; “Caribbean couture” design duo and 2022 winners of the prestigious ANDAM prize, Lisi Herrebrugh and Rushemy Botter for their label Botter; and Tom Ford-alum Idris Balogun, whose label Winnie New York draws inspiration from his childhood in Nigeria.

Stay tuned to Dazed for everything coming out of the menswear shows.