If the 2025 Met Gala taught us anything, it’s that the rules of menswear are no longer written in chalky lines of tradition. The boundaries have dissolved. Streetwear now whispers to suiting. Technical fabrics seduce tailoring. And outdoor functionality walks the red carpet. Amidst this cultural drift, one unexpected trio—Gramicci, nonnative, and Loro Piana—has emerged with a quiet but powerful proposition: contemporary elegance, distilled through functional apparel, rendered in luxury-grade wool.

Their new capsule, centered around Loro Piana’s lauded “365” Super 130’s Merino Wool, doesn’t just blend disciplines—it reimagines them entirely. The WALKER ST EASY PANTS and WALKER EASY SHORTS don’t ask whether you want luxury or practicality. They give you both, on the same leg.

This is more than a collaboration. It’s a signal. Menswear’s tectonic plates are shifting, and this collection—understated, technically refined, and unapologetically comfortable—is at the fault line.

The Players: Gramicci, nonnative, Loro Piana

Gramicci has long held the trust of climbers, hikers, and outdoor purists. Known for pioneering the gusseted crotch and integrated webbing belt in the 1980s, the brand’s roots run deep in utilitarian design. Their silhouettes are engineered to move, bend, and endure. But in the past decade, Gramicci has leaned into fashion’s growing obsession with technical wear, becoming a quiet favorite in city streets far from any mountain face.

nonnative, by contrast, is an enigma of quiet detail. Founded in Tokyo, the label specializes in functional silhouettes reimagined through the lens of architectural design. Their garments are cut in three dimensions—this isn’t flat patterning. It’s clothing that understands the body not as a mannequin, but as a living, moving sculpture. Their work fuses Japanese precision with a global, almost nomadic aesthetic. nonnative’s pieces don’t shout. They whisper, but with conviction.

Loro Piana is a name that needs little introduction. An Italian institution built on textile mastery, the brand is synonymous with refinement. Their “365” Super 130’s Merino Wool is one of their most versatile creations—soft, breathable, with a gentle sheen that catches light like silk but performs like sport fabric. It’s warm but not hot, cool but not cold. It’s clothing that understands seasons as gradients, not extremes.

Put these three together, and the result is something that defies easy categorization. Not streetwear. Not tailoring. Not activewear. But a fluid new genre that dips into all three, with none of the baggage.

The Garments: Built for Now

At the core of the capsule are two garments: the WALKER ST EASY PANTS and the WALKER EASY SHORTS. Both are designed with comfort and performance in mind, but what elevates them is how sharply they’re tailored—without sacrificing any of their technical DNA.

The pants are wide, straight-legged, and crisply structured. Gentle pleats at the waist and precision darts at the knees sculpt a silhouette that’s formal-adjacent but moves like activewear. The gusseted crotch—a signature of Gramicci—ensures mobility, while the soft drape of the Merino wool provides a polished visual profile. They’re pants you could wear with hiking boots or loafers, on a flight or at a gallery opening.

The shorts echo the same intent. The integrated webbing belt nods to Gramicci’s trailwear roots, while the fabric and clean construction lend a sense of urban elegance. These are not board shorts or gym wear. These are performance garments masquerading as menswear staples—or maybe the other way around.

Both pieces come in navy and dark gray, avoiding trend-chasing colors in favor of timelessness. The branding is minimal, with discreet logo patches barely visible unless you’re looking. The attitude is quiet luxury, interpreted through a utilitarian lens.

Function + Form = Future

What makes this capsule compelling isn’t just the garments themselves—it’s the philosophy behind them. This isn’t fashion for fashion’s sake. It’s design thinking made wearable.

We are living in an era where consumers demand more from their clothing. It’s not enough for a garment to look good. It needs to work. It needs to breathe, stretch, regulate temperature, resist wear. And, ideally, it needs to be versatile enough to live through a 15-hour day.

Gramicci and nonnative understand this. They’ve long operated at the intersection of form and function. But what Loro Piana brings to the table is a sense of tactile luxury and textile innovation that pushes the capsule from “smart casual” into the realm of next-generation fashion. Super 130’s wool is not just soft—it’s engineered to maintain shape, resist wrinkles, and adapt to the environment. It elevates technical wear into something approaching couture, without losing its utilitarian soul.

This marriage of practicality and prestige is not unique—but it’s rarely done with this level of restraint. Too often, collaborations veer into gimmickry. Not here. The Gramicci x nonnative x Loro Piana capsule isn’t trying to go viral. It’s trying to make sense.

A Broader Shift in Menswear

This collection doesn’t arrive in a vacuum. It sits within a broader trend sweeping across menswear: the deconstruction of dress codes.

Post-pandemic, the line between officewear, loungewear, and streetwear has been permanently blurred. Men no longer want a suit for one part of the day and joggers for another. They want a wardrobe that flows with them—agile, comfortable, dignified.

We see this shift everywhere. Luxury houses like Zegna and Hermès are dialing down formality in favor of performance wool and stretch tailoring. Outdoor brands like Arc’teryx and Salomon are now street staples. Even sneaker culture has made room for loafers.

This is the new frontier: hybridwear. And that’s exactly where this capsule thrives.

What’s notable about this specific collaboration is that it doesn’t chase trends. It refines them. Rather than adding bells and whistles, it strips away the noise. No oversized logos. No color blocking. No ironic cuts. Just beautiful, thoughtful construction—anchored by some of the finest fabric on Earth.

Why Fabric Still Matters

In an age of fast fashion, it’s easy to forget how foundational fabric is to the feel, function, and longevity of a garment. But Loro Piana has built its empire on exactly this point. The “365” Merino Wool used in this capsule is called that for a reason: it’s meant to be worn year-round.

Its breathability ensures comfort in warmer months, while its insulation properties keep you warm when temperatures drop. Unlike synthetic blends, it resists odors, maintains its silhouette, and ages gracefully. It’s also naturally wrinkle-resistant, meaning these garments can survive a suitcase, a commute, or a day of sitting and standing without looking sloppy.

For Gramicci and nonnative, pairing with Loro Piana was more than a luxury flex—it was a functional decision. This fabric allows both brands to preserve their commitment to performance while raising the bar in tactile and visual sophistication.

What’s Next?

The Gramicci x nonnative x Loro Piana capsule drops May 17 via nonnative’s e-shop and Coverchord’s stores. The release may not trigger mass hysteria or sold-out-in-seconds headlines, but it doesn’t need to. This is a capsule designed for people who care about the feel of fabric on skin, about the way pleats fall on moving legs, about how their clothes work and look.

It may not be the loudest flow of 2025, but it might be one of the smartest.

In a menswear landscape that’s increasingly chaotic—with logomania on one end and normcore minimalism on the other—this capsule strikes a rare balance. It doesn’t scream. It speaks. And in doing so, it says something clear: the future of menswear isn’t about choosing between luxury and utility. It’s about designing for a life that demands both.

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