MILAN, Jan 11, 2005/ FW/ --- Art and technology are the creative foundations of fashion according to the design team trio behind the colorful, young and innovative label named Byblos.

Prior to the Milan men’s autumn winter 2005 collections due to start this Sunday, FashionWindows caught up with the lads to speak about fashion, which US city they prefer and what the next big trends in menswear are bound to be.

Stefano Citron, Greg Myler and Federico Piaggi all formerly from Mila Schon have managed without seemingly too much trouble to continue in the footsteps of previous Byblos designers like the creative genius Gianni Versace, Frenchman Guy Paulin and the English duo Keith Varty and Alen Clever, by taking Byblos and making it a little bit their own over recent seasons.

Hence with fashion being more accessible to everyone, it is difficult not to pay attention, and today’s man has most definitely become more enrapt in the way he dresses, “we think that men have always been fussy about clothing and very particular in what they like to wear. Even the most classic dresser or someone who says he doesn’t care about fashion knows exactly what he likes and doesn’t like!”

So are the clothes one wears becoming a uniform for inner expression rather than simple aesthetics?

“Everyone likes to express in fashion what they think is their own personality and by dressing in a certain way we conform to certain groups and cultures. Our wardrobe says so much about us, it’s a manifestation of our souls!” continued Citron, Myler and Piaggi.

Consequently with all the soul-searching clients, perhaps one of the most difficult tasks in the game they call fashion designing is to remain inspired with constant consistency. Yet inspiration is not only about taking in one’s surroundings, it is about focus, authenticity and interpretation.

"Authenticity in design is about personality and handwriting. You can look at trends and inspiration with your own eyes and interpret things in your own way."

And when subsequent key ingredients of art and technology are added?

“At the end of the day fashion designers are limited to basic parameters, they can only design to dress two arms and two legs. It’s the creativity in art and the continual development of technology that can push the barriers forward.”

Hence without a doubt, according to the Byblos boys, men are bored with the drab, and its charming to hear that color is most definitely the next big trend in menswear, the city is already grey enough as it is,

“For us color is the biggest story in menswear, men are bored with grey, black and brown and frankly to us it just looks old! Its new to use a classic palette mixed with color or color block.”

And their favorite US city: New York. So after being motivated by its energy and electricity on a recent research trip, could this mean that Thursday mornings show will have something of the Americana essence? We’ll just have to wait to find out.