(ANSA) - Milan, January 14 - The 1960s took on a soft pastel shade with pieces including pink coats and pants and ended on a black note at Gucci's menswear 2014 fall-winter show in Milan on Monday.

Regardless of the colour, Frida Giannini's mood board was inspired by a golden decade which first exalted youth as a value in fashion.

And Gucci's youthful vibe took centre stage in a palette embracing soft pink, baby blue, camel, brown and cream, all block colours and no prints.

Silhouettes were essential with ultra-slim pants, neat coats and boxy sweatshirts.

Narcissism and ambiguity were sparked by contrasts - the military-style caps similar to the trademark hat worn by ballet legend Rudolf Nureyev, the tight pants contrasting with the thick-soled shoes fastened with hip-buckled side closures, a hot trend in men's and womenswear accessories. The Gucci trademark style oozed in the generous use of leather, even just as a detail on a pocket or for an elegant shirt.

And different fabric combinations gave depth to the collection like a black velvet suit with leather lapels, a wool and neoprene jacket and shearling coats lined in nappa leather.

Indeed fur is making a major comeback in menswear next winter with few labels showcasing their menswear collections in Milan this week resisting its animal attraction - be it real or faux.

Emporio Armani showcased a multitude of pieces in faux fur including coats and waistcoats.

Armani worked for a new contemporary classic style, not devoid of irony, with suits featuring pants brushing the ankle, slightly short jackets with three to four buttons and a waistcoat - a youthful look part dandy and part country gentleman. Bow ties replaced the traditional tie as the deacon of Italian fashion vied to please a clientele of 30-year-olds with an easy yet innovative style embracing a traditional palette with a surprising brownish-purple shade reminiscent of a colour widely used by Neapolitan tailors in the 1960s.

The fur note was also used in sweaters evoking astrakhan, stoles and jackets.

And fur virtuoso Fendi challenged the idea that fashion is something essentially built on fabric.

The workmanship and innovative colour palette showcased in Milan included a leather coat lined in black and white as well as a marmot fur coat in blue and brown.

Exotic leathers were also used in accessories with the house's it-bag, the iconic Peekabo, in a large version for men lined in crocodile.

A nappa leather jacket was finely worked to look like croc, a reversible black cashmere coat lined in astrakhan.

No matter the fur type or its shade, Fendi's haute luxury peaked through the lining of a coat or in reversible pieces - something preciously intimate to be shown exclusively at the user's pleasure.