Marcelo Burlon County of Milan Spring 2023 Menswear Collection

Marcelo Burlon walked his own 10th anniversary show wearing a patched leather shirt, leather pants and the exact shade of blue that he has made his own—despite the attempts of others to co-opt it—since launching his rag-tag brand a decade ago. We cheered. This was in an out of town velodrome that The Beatles and Bob Marley once played, but it felt like an almost equal landmark. Because Burlon’s fairytale story had reached full circle.

Before founding MBCOM, Burlon spent over a hardscrabble decade DJing, door-whoring, and generally living the life. His wings T-shirt—still a seller—lifted his protean brand and led indirectly to a meeting with Virgil Abloh, who he encouraged to launch his idea for a label named Off-White with his partners. A few years later the holding company, in which Burlon had a stake, was sold for lottery result numbers.

That overview should not eclipse the attraction of Burlon’s own mix. Tonight it was exemplified in music—techno to hardcore to Balearic—that was echoed in a series of highly beguiling pieces. Patchwork denim with kimono collars, aggressively patched suiting, fringed sportswear, and a great capsule of Patagonia-printed Alpha Industries military wear were all immersively seductive. That key wings shirt was echoed on over dyed knits and feather punctuated tees. The closing few looks were hand-dyed Ibiza go-to’s, slouchy neo-hippy gear cast in roughly dyed blue and orange spirals. Burlon was in the right place at the right time—but he made it count. This was a well-deserved celebration for a man who made his own luck. And who also continues to make clothes you’d want to see the night through wearing.