MILAN — “I resisted the idea at first because I design womenswear based on my own personality and have no masculine figure to refer to,” says Carolina Castiglioni, creative director of Plan C, on the brand’s decision to launch menswear. “But I switched my point of view, thinking how central menswear silhouettes are to the Plan C aesthetic.”
Castiglioni herself is evidence: as she guides me through the new men’s offering in a whitewashed photographic studio, she looks effortlessly elegant in a slouchy blazer, slouchier pleated trousers and fussbett sandals, a signature — and indeed mannish — Plan C look, evolved directly from what Carolina’s mother, Consuelo Castiglioni, did at Marni. “These trousers have been developed in men’s sizes exactly as they are; so has the blazer,” she says.
The men’s collection, which will debut at Pitti Uomo in Florence next Tuesday, includes sailing-inspired anoraks and glazed windbreakers, a variety of shirts (some cut as blousons, other hooded, a few printed), T-shirts, roomy bermudas, crochet knits, shoes and bags. And the choice of materials, colour palette and roomy shapes closely mirror the brand’s womenswear. “In most cases, the difference is just a matter of sizing,” says Castiglioni.
There is a pragmatic, on-the-go feel to the collection. Pieces printed with Castiglioni’s own photographs add charm, but the overall effect is not fashion-y. There is a straightforwardness to the offering that aligns with fashion’s quieter voices without being boring. Ultimately, it’s the fabrications that make the normality of the brand so special.
Castiglioni, the daughter of Marni’s founders, launched Plan C in 2018. The label remains small, generating €6 million in sales in 2023. Japan, where Plan C is partnered with Bluebell Group, is currently the brand’s main market. “The pressure to develop menswear has been growing steadily over the last few years,” says Castiglioni, “especially in the Japanese market.”