MILAN â âI resisted the idea at first because I design womenswear based on my own personality and have no masculine figure to refer to,â says Carolina Castiglioni, creative director of Plan C, on the brandâs decision to launch menswear. âBut I switched my point of view, thinking how central menswear silhouettes are to the Plan C aesthetic.â
Castiglioni herself is evidence: as she guides me through the new menâs offering in a whitewashed photographic studio, she looks effortlessly elegant in a slouchy blazer, slouchier pleated trousers and fussbett sandals, a signature â and indeed mannish â Plan C look, evolved directly from what Carolinaâs mother, Consuelo Castiglioni, did at Marni. âThese trousers have been developed in menâs sizes exactly as they are; so has the blazer,â she says.
The menâs 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 brandâs womenswear. âIn most cases, the difference is just a matter of sizing,â says Castiglioni.
There is a pragmatic, on-the-go feel to the collection. Pieces printed with Castiglioniâs own photographs add charm, but the overall effect is not fashion-y. There is a straightforwardness to the offering that aligns with fashionâs quieter voices without being boring. Ultimately, itâs the fabrications that make the normality of the brand so special.
Castiglioni, the daughter of Marniâs founders, launched Plan C in 2018. The label remains small, generating â¬6 million in sales in 2023. Japan, where Plan C is partnered with Bluebell Group, is currently the brandâs main market. âThe pressure to develop menswear has been growing steadily over the last few years,â says Castiglioni, âespecially in the Japanese market.â