MILAN, Italy, June 26, 2007 (AFP) - Hot shades evoking the sunny south and rock/leather chic dominated Milan's fashion ramps Tuesday, June 26th as Giorgio Armani and Dolce and Gabbana unveiled their men's lines for next summer.

Creation of Giorgio Armani in Milan - Photo : Filippo Monteforte/AFP

Armani's silhouettes were sleek and classic : clothes gently draping the body and bottomed off by elegant mocassins or slip-ons styled like Turkish slippers.

Creations of Giorgio Armani in Milan - Photo : Filippo Monteforte/AFP

Coats fell impecably over retro-style shirts with deep necklines. And the humble T-shirt was a study in sophistication and crafted in the purest silk.

Creation of Giorgio Armani in Milan Photo : Filippo Monteforte/AFP

The colours of the collection Armani christened the "South" line were dominated by blues, off-whites and "greige," a colour the Italian fashion designer claimed to have invented combining beige and grey.

Creation of D&G, in Milan Photo : Filippo Monteforte/AFP

A straw boater topping a Bermuda suit was as tongue in cheek as Armani would go, but not so Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana who opted for shock value with trash, rock and leather chic on the penultimate day of the five-day run.

Creation of D&G in Milan - Photo : Filippo Monteforte/AFP

Black leather pants and Bermudas festooned with zips, peekaboo jeans torn fashionably just under the buttocks and strewn with nails for a suitable grunge effect, micro-mini swimming trunks in black and white and a Union Jack bandanna were some of the offerings.

Creation of Trussardi in Milan - Photo : Filippo Monteforte/AFP

Nicola Trussardi's collection was more neutral with pale pink shirts and neckties and a classic black pullover.

Marni on the other hand opted for the simplicity of form with conventional black suits accessorised by exquisite neckties and shirts in royal blue and other time-tested shades.

Creation of Marni in Milan - Photo : Giuseppe Cacace/AFP

Five designers including French duo Marithe and Francois Girbaud will showcase their collections on Wednesday, June 27th the last day of the show in Italy's fashion capital.

Before the fashion world turned its attention this year to Milan, it was rocked by the sudden death of leading Italian designer Gianfranco Ferre.

Ferre, known as the architect of fashion, died on July 17 aged 62 after a brain haemorrhage and was buried in his birthplace of Legnano near Milan.

A week after his death, the fashion house that bears his name on Sunday presented its summer show for men to a tearful audience that gave him a posthumous ovation.