Galvanized by having just taken full ownership of Billionaire, Philipp Plein considered the brand’s presentation as a comeback after a two-year hiatus from Milan – and the beginning of a new chapter.
As he plots wider distribution and new product categories, Plein is building on the idea of “a brand for a real man,” as his silver-fox models lined up on a mirrored stage exemplified.
“Everybody here is over 50. I don’t know any other brand which makes such a strong statement, and I think that’s really important. We really set the bar completely different than all the other competitors,” asserted Plein, adding that “there’s nothing becoming older and being true to yourself and your age. Getting older is cool.”
More than coolness, boldness comes with age at Billionaire. The silver-haired man of reference was loud and proud, clad in primary colors and summery patterns telegraphing that he brought his yacht out of the harbor for a trip on the Amalfi coast.
Suits in fuchsia and emerald green almost made for the safest choices when it came to colors. The brand’s forte, crocodile leather bomber jackets, were rendered in screaming yellow or red and thrown over silk pajama-like sets splashed with lemon motifs and patterns evoking Italian ceramic flooring. The combination felt forced and the prints themselves sometimes bordered on souvenir territory.
Lined on the opposite side of the Four Season’s courtyard, outfits in subtler colors were more convincing. A white three-piece-suit and opulent, paisley silk robe respected Billionaire’s eclectic approach and confident attitude in a more credible way.
Going forward, Plein will design the brand “more for myself, because I’m getting also in the age group,” he joked, showing off his pink linen blazer jacket with the brand’s crest.
