Dirk Bikkembergs' latest collection took on blue collar men and reworked their uniforms to create an egalitarian collection with some blindingly good items. While the ever-present branding was seen on knits, the pared back approach of this collection shined through the most, take the beautiful oversized coats and jackets like a knit-accented jacket or a quilted puffer in a lemon tone. In all, it felt like a new page has turned Bikkembergs and will propel this legacy label to a new crowd who've never heard of Bikkembergs, the man - who's left the label, or the label itself.

Strong, masculine and austere were the hallmarks of Dirk Bikkembergs' latest collection, which offered sturdy fabrics, clean silhouettes and a no-frills aesthetic.

Dirk Bikkembergs offered a crisp and light take on winter sports and winter dressing at his FW17 runway show in Milan. Monochromatic looks in shades of white and in olive looked chic and effortless while utilitarian designs made for easy transitional dressing for weekend warriors.

With the 2016 Olympics just weeks away, the Dirk Bikkembergs label seems to be influenced by Olympians. The resulting collection was a bit of a hogwash of sporting references, as well as some well made tailored items to create a well-rounded collection. The addition of a boys line to the very sexy men's (and women's) collection shown seemed to be the atelier throwing as many items at the wall and seeing what sticks. Nothing was particular bad, it felt a bit haphazard and in need of a singular creative vision.

Dirk Bikkemberg doubled down on the biker theme not just with the row of bikes that flanked the runway but also in the clothes that relied heavily on leather and denim. These pieces were the strongest, whether it was a leather jacket paired with ripped denim or a sharply cut coat paired with performancewear like body hugging compression layers.

Dirk Bikkembergs kicked off Milan Fashion Week with a male model pool party, which helped to engage the audience quickly. Aside from the speedo-wearing models, the SS16 collection was sporty and masculine, with lots of hard edged details like diagonal zippers, leather jackets, and ample references to militarism. These strong willed men (and a handful of women) were ready to take on the world.

Muscular men in mountaineering gear heralded the latest inspiration at Dirk Bikkembergs. Fur trimmed coats brought warmth while skintight base layers helped retain it while large, durable bags came with fur blankets. Sporty jackets zipped all the way up to the shoulders, sometimes revealing a bit of skin while leather jackets were cut close to the body and fitted trousers came with zippers, securing the important items one keeps in their pants from falling out. As for tailoring, there were cropped jackets with on-tone shirts and bolo ties, all paired with tights and strapped trainers.

Every season, Belgian designer Dirk Bikkembergs picks a sport as his starting point; previous sports included hiking and mountaineering. For Spring/Summer 2015 it was all about a triathlon. First came the swimming portion, swimwear, towels and other body hugging layers abounded. Next came the cycling portion, with one model bringing that idea home as he carried his bike while donning an all-white athletic inspired outfit. Last, but not least, was the running portion, with equally sporty layers including leggings, and fluoro colors. As for sportswear, there was plenty to choose from, including sleeve-less jackets, well cut short sleeved shirts, as well as a handful of great outerwear.

Sports are an important starting point for many menswear designers and at Dirk Bkkembergs it was all about hiking and mountaineers. Models donned opaque shields, adding to the collection's sleek and renegade-like feel. Close-cut tailoring was utilized on coats and pants while tops were tight and often times featured fur, either as a trim or accent, or as a coat.

Milan's obsession with sports and florals continue at Dirk Bikkembergs as the Belgian designer creates a short collection with surprising elements like a perforated white jacket or neon infused floral jackets and shorts. Bikkembergs has been showing sports-themed collections for years so, in essence,he's been ahead of the crowd at MFW for years now.