Live from...Milan Fashion Week, Day 4

Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani got busy with print this season, offering an exploration of macro and micro scales worked in his signature tonal blue-grey palette. These may not be the boldest prints out there next summer but this is ultimately wearable pattern play for the Armani customer.

“The use of print creates an interesting visual effect that elongates and streamlines the silhouette, which is offset by the contrasting jacket with its soft lines and natural proportions." said Georgio Armani

The look: Casual elegance

Silhouette: Relaxed tailoring, fluid volume, lightweights

Key items: Tailoring is the cornerstone of the Giorgio Armani label, and for summer 2012 suit jackets and blazers feature raised button placements allowing the lower closure to flare slightly; there are 2 and 4DB jackets, 1SBs and soft structure casual blazers in lightweight fabrications for a casual off-duty touch; there are three principal pant shapes  - tapered and neatly cropped, tapered with volume created by an asymmetric wrapover front detail and a new jodhpur derivative with a tightened lower leg, creating exaggerated volume at the crotch; outerwear highlights include a series of flyweight silk nylon rain coats, a fitted wool biker jacket and double-breasted pea coat with curved closures, and a perforated suede snake-effect zip-through jacket; neat crew-neck sweaters arrive in glossy glazed finishes and chequerboard patterns

Colour: Signature steely greys and blue in a tonal range; jet and onyx darks with chalky pales and alabaster pink with crisp resort white

Fabric & knit: Summer-weight suitings, flyweight silk nylon, denim effect silks, gauzy sheer shirtings, semi-sheer knits, washed silk, seersucker, chequerboard knits, dense cashmere wool blends, crisp cotton and poplin, perforated suede, embossed leather and croc leather

Print & pattern: Pattern was Armani's core theme for the Giorgio line this season, offering painterly horizontal stripes and faded and degradé chequerboard pattern on sweaters, bleached flecks and spots on an evening jacket, suit and shirts in diminutive spots and geometrics, neutral-coloured dogtooth and optic zigzags

Details & trims: 3-button pant cuffs, asymmetric wrap-front pants, glazed and lacquered metallic finishes, high button placements on tailoring, bound blazer trims

Footwear: Velvet slippers, suede deck shoes and casual lace-ups all with a woven jute trimmed sole, desert boots, laceless shoe-sneaker hybrids, formal oxfords in stained leathers

Accessories: Patterned silk ties, silk neckerchiefs in midnight blue, bookish optical, luxe leather totes and multipocket nylon kit bags

DSquared

Dean and Dan Caten took their DSquared boys on a European Grand Tour this season – stopping at the Nordic Fjords, Mykonos beaches and churches and galleries of Florence before hitting up the London music scene dressed as punks and mods.

The look: The Euro traveller

Silhouette: Sporty layers and skinny tailoring

Key items: The Scandinavian look comprises sporty, activewear layers built with utility jackets and parkas, chunky sweaters, checked shirts, spliced jean jackets and bombers, casual shorts, slim-leg jeans and casual chinos; the Grecian beach gods wear a variety of shorts and swimwear including dropped-crotch jersey sports shorts, speedos, short resort shorts and tight swim briefs; For the Florentine pitstop there are smart tapered chinos with fold-back cuffs worn with a denim shirt, knitted tie and leather bomber for a young take on Italian sartorial styling as well as a plethora of casual blazers worn with cropped coloured jeans; the London look fuses musical influences from punk to Mod with tight-fitting zippered biker jackets in red leather or a denim jacket with spliced leather sleeves, Teddy Boy blazers with black lapels and slim-legged tailored pants

Colour: The colour palette is a game of two halves – first up are clashing brights of orange, blue, fuchsia and green worked against a lot of bronzed skin, then latterly a combo of red, white and black with denim blue

Fabric & knit: Signature distressed dark denim, coloured denim, cotton chino, treated cottons, gingham and plaid shirting, sweatshirting, jersey, suede, washed leather

Print & pattern: Breton stripes, recoloured camo, a parrot graphic, kitsch T-shirt slogans and doodle graphics, stars, tiger heads

Details & trims: Sporty drawstrings, pieced fabric panels, pyramid studded lapels, biker zips

Footwear: Walking boots, colourful activewear-inspired sandals, casual loafers, pointed lace-up shoes in patent leather

Accessories: Skinny knitted scarves, lightweight woven cotton scarves, blunt-ended knitted ties, skinny ties, straw trilbies, trucker caps, knitted beanie hats, workwear gloves, alligator belts, gold key chains, square aviator sunglasses, geek chic opticals

Ports 1961

A well-edited collection proved simplicity works for chic summer style at Ports 1961 yesterday.

The look: Streamlined resort chic

Silhouette: Neatly tailored

Key items: 4DB suits with a longer-length jacket and full but straight-legged pant, 1SB suits are pinched for a slight flare; outerwear offers crisp sleeveless trench coats and simple fly-front car coats; semi-sheer knit sweaters are layered over patterned shirts or T-shirts, while short-sleeved summer shirts arrive in glossy ciré or smooth suede; elsewhere there are tailored shorts and polo shirts for that true resortwear style

Colour: Manila-toned neutrals with crisp optic white; intense ink blue and classic black provide the staple darks

Fabric & knit: Cotton summer suiting, semi-sheer knits, ciré, suede, leather, silk

Print & pattern: Optical lines and waves

Details & trims: Peaked lapels

Footwear: Luxe leather cross-strapped sandals, smart white leather derbys

Accessories: Chain-handled clutch bags, thin leather belts with clip fastening

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Live From... Milan Fashion Week, Day 6

DSquared

Dean and Dan Caten may have cited Cold Mountain as the inspiration for their 19th century American pioneer women, whose cattle-drawn wagons and icy landscape provided this season’s theatrical backdrop, but the stylistic link to Oscar-nominated film True Grit seems an altogether more timely connection. Whatever the reference, the look was heavily themed and heavily costumed, but when distilled essentially focused on the brand’s core offer of white shirts, dirty jeans and nipped jackets. 

The look: True Grit pioneers
Silhouette: Fitted bodies, maxi lengths
Key items: Most looks were built from a few core staples - tapered or slim cropped jeans, high-collared white shirts or puff-sleeved shirts in leather with dirty denim, short nipped-waist tailored jackets or shrunken bikers, topped with a floor-sweeping maxi coat. The maxi coats were star pieces, arriving in rugged fox, as a fur-lined parka, and flannel or leather fit-and-flare great coats. Elsewhere there were wide-leg paper-bag-waist pants, bias-cut or twisted-seam maxiskirts and fringed blankets and knitted shawls wrapped as cosy layers
Colour: Black, dark denim blue, white and grey, with accents of dusky rose pink and maroon
Fabric & knit: Dirtied and faded denims, washed leathers, crumpled wools, flannel, cotton shirting, corduroy; furs including coyote, fox and castor
Details & trims: Leg-of-mutton sleeves, black ribbon bows, bib-fronted shirts, paper-bag waists, wool blanket fringing, fur collars, faded and washed treatments, crumpled finishes
Footwear: Lace-up ice-skate boots
Accessories: Suede gauntlet gloves, long leather gloves, studded belts, paper-bag girdles with over belts and braces (US: suspenders), leather tubular cord belts, fur clutch bags, coloured crystal jewellery and brooches, ten-gallon hats

Just Cavalli

While other designers are tempering the runaway 70s trend, at Just Cavalli it was still in full swing, and joyously so. It was an upbeat and youthful mix of ditsy prints and floaty layers, double-denim looks and swishy goat-hair jackets, which made for a delicious cocktail of kooky girlishness. 

The look: Kooky prim
Silhouette: Loose 70s-style tiers and layers, strong-shouldered tailoring and midi lengths
Key items: There was a girlish sweetness to the tiered dresses, ruffled bib-front blouses and wide-legged blouson jumpsuits, which was offset with prim pieces updated with kooky twists such as the box-pleated midi-length skirts that paired with cropped tweed tees. Double-denim looks were clearly 70s-inspired - a longline jean jacket lined in curly Mongolian lamb worn with boot-cut jeans, or the A-line button-through midiskirt in degradé denim paired with a light-wash western shirt. Also 70s-inspired were the goat-hair coats and jackets - either as cropped chubbies or full-length maxis. Tailored pantsuits comprised oversized jackets with a broad shoulderline, and either swishy wide-leg pants or snug-fitting cropped capris
Colour: Blush pinks, blonde camel and old gold; 70s shades of grenadine, golden ochre and clotted cream, with purple with red colour-blocked brights; inky washes of degradé denim blues
Fabric & knit: Grainy tweeds juxtaposed with printed crepe de chine and silk cadi; woollen grayscale plaids, a heavy kingfisher blue and old gold floral jacquard, powdery sky-blue suede, washed and degradé denim, delicate floral lace, wet-look all-over sequins in black or gold; Mongolian lamb, shearling, kidassia goat hair Print & pattern: A great collection for print - small-scale patterns including ditsy florals on a grid check, cherries and berries on mismatched light/dark grounds; leopard and snake animalia, paisley
Details & trims: Girlish collars in contrast colours (sometime detachable), satin tubular cord bow belts and trims, eyelet-threaded lacing, ruffled tiers and faux layers, bell-shaped sleeve cuffs, frilled heart bib, uneven squiggly necklines and hems, sheer lace inserts, panelling, wavy scalloped edges on denim pieces
Footwear: Heeled penny loafers with riveted stud platforms, also in a peep-toe version; heeled or flat suede shoes with string ankle-straps
Accessories: Flat brooches and necklace pendants of butterfly or floral motifs, octagonal or square wood bangles decorated with modular steel elements; chain-strapped bags (carried as clutches) in tweed with striped fur tails, leopard-print clutches; oversized round-framed 70s-style sunglasses

Giorgio Armani 

After his all-black showing for Emporio earlier in the week, Giorgio Armani lightened his palette with delicate touches of skin and blush pinks. That softer hand turned also to shape, with a concentration on fluid shapes with an uber-feminine fluted swing. 

The look: Graceful femininity
Silhouette: Fluted swing or elongated layered bias columns
Key items: The two fluted zip-through frock coats that opened the show signalled a focus on fluidity and movement, followed through with the swishy bell-flared cropped pants or wide-legged trousers that underpinned most looks. Sinuous lines continued with Armani’s signature convex peplums and a new swingy ripple hem on longer-line jackets, balloon-hemmed tunic tops that peeked out from under the clouds of marabou-feathered chubbies, and the crinoline-shaped mididresses and coats. Tailoring highlights included slimline DB jackets with a flattering cutaway closure, which also appeared on funnel-necked evening jackets later. For evening there were organza petal boleros and silk fringed wraps over languid silk dresses, strappy flared tunics and drapey caped velvet tops, layered over the same wide-leg pants as before
Colour: Signature onyx and industrial grey were given a lighter touch, with blush skin pinks and barely there beige, moonlight silver and a single shot of cognac
Fabric & knit: Ribbed velvet, watery silks and satins - some in glitter finishes, organza sheers, chiffon, fine lace, panne velvet, lustrous silk-wool suitings in plaid and micro pied de poule (houndstooth); shaved mink, marabou, goat trims
Print & pattern: Overblown monochrome portrait print
Details & trims: Braiding, intricate and heavily worked bead and crystal embroideries, sequin stripes on sheer, long silk fringing, organza petals, sheer organza trims on velvet evening jackets; string straps, watery drapes, sculpted convex peplums, undulating rippled jacket hems
Footwear: Snakeskin peep-toe Mary Janes, ankle boots with lace appliqué, lace sandal boots
Accessories: Large jewelled earrings, pearl-studded silver heart brooches, glitter resin bangles stacked in minimising size; thin satin envelope clutches, squashy clutch bags in pearlescent pink leather and snakeskin day bags

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Live From... Milan Menswear, Day 4

Z Zegna 

Fabric innovation is at the core of every Zegna collection. This season instead of taking techno textiles in an experimental direction, Alessandro Sartori applies them to classic styles for a film noir 40s theme this winter. The result? Covetable, wearable clothes with all the benefits of futuristic exploration. 

The look: Film noir-inspired 40s masculinity
Silhouette: Wedge - broad shoulders and tapered legs, oversized outerwear
Key items: Overblown coats in bonded techno fabrics, broad-shouldered DB suits, 40s-style tapered pants and abbreviated jackets with wide lapels are the key elements; other highlights include a shrunken cable-knit sweater, hooded windcheater top, knitted four-pocket zip-through jacket, parkas and belted macs in winter wool
Colour: Charcoal, yellow manila, golden tan, loden green, petrol blue and layered greys
Fabric & knit: Signature techno fabrics including a bonded leather that resembles neoprene and weather-proofed wool, fluffy mohair, felted wool, flannel, wool plaid and gingham checks
Details & trims: Western shirt details, spliced textiles
Footwear: Teddy Boy-style shoes with crimped soles, either slip-on or featuring a double-buckle monk strap
Accessories: Wide ties, belt bags, slim top-handled attachés, boxy luggage-style bags

DSquared 

A small collection of just 31 looks offers a distilled message from the DSquared boys this season. Stripping away their usual flamboyance, Dean and Dan Caten drive home their jeans-shirt-jacket mantra for autumn/winter by stating it over and over again. 

The look: Distilled DSquared
Silhouette: Stocky torsos with tapered legs
Key items: A small collection built on separates, the essential pieces comprising slim tapered jeans (some with twisted seams), a shirt in three options - classic white, blue-white striped with puritanical narrow collars, and plaid for a more casual look - are all worn with an unstructured and crumpled blazer; waistcoats and aprons act as layering pieces and long-rise leather pants offer an alternative to jeans; tailored coats arrive as fur-collared DBs or nipped-waist 3SB Crombies, while a hybrid jacket made up of a tailored wool blazer with leather biker closure, a grey cable knit sweater and a dark denim bib-front shirt are also notable
Colour: Limited to black, white, grey and faded denim blue. A single shot of khaki arrives as a casual cotton waistcoat, while cranberry-coloured scarves serve as an occasional accent
Fabric & knit: Wool blends, flannel, leather, faded and crumpled denim, plaid shirtings – some diffused, cotton, cable stitch knitPrint & pattern: Plaid shirting
Details & trims: Leather sleeves on wool coats, twisted jean seams, ruffled shirt placket, narrow collars and revers
Footwear: Ski-hook walking boots in scuffed brown leather, polished black lace-up brogues
Accessories: Fedoras with tall crowns, neckerchiefs, striped scarves, low-slung studded belts, clusters of pin badges, buckled braces, gauntlet gloves, black-framed optical

Neil Barrett

The commercial success of the "megging" (man-legging) is questionable, but the super-skinny pant offered by Barrett allows focus to fall on his strong outerwear and knitwear offer. 

The look: Slick urbanwear
Silhouette: Straight and columnar, occasionally shrinking to skinny
Key items: Three trouser shapes underpin the collection – pieced neoprene-and-leather leggings, skinny tailored and tapered trousers and a voluminous 40s-style pegged pant stopping short of the ankle; outerwear staples include wide DB pea coats, slim-fit baseball jackets, funnel-neck bikers and long-line cardigan-coats; knitwear offers horizontally banded crew-neck sweaters in contrast-knit stitches, spliced striped sweaters and granddad-style Henleys; creative separates include a pieced 2SB blazer, an abbreviated parka with long fur trim and shorn sheepskin tops
Colour: Tough black, warm milk white, navy blue and flecked mid-tone greys
Fabric & knit: Neoprene, leather, flannel, pinstripe, pieced knits, shearling and rabbit
Print & pattern: Degradé knits, spliced striped knits
Details & trims: Leather shoulder patches, double-layer shawl collar, spliced and pieced constructions, topstitching
Footwear: Chunky-soled lace-up army boots with a bulbous heavy-duty toe
Accessories: Fingerless gloves, coiled knitted scarves

Giorgio Armani 

Titled Remix en Gris, the winter collection from Giorgio Armani fuses his two signatures – sophistication and sport - resulting in series of hybrid pieces, such as tailored jogging bottoms, quilted waistcoats and nylon suits. 

The look: Remix sports-meets-sophistication
Silhouette: Broad and masculine, longer-length coats
Key items: Naturally there is a strong emphasis on tailoring in signature comfort fits – either wide straight-legged pants or a more voluminous double-pleat option with broad-cut suit jackets; a strong sportswear influence is also evident with jersey suits, tailored jogging bottoms, thick quilted puffa jackets and secondskin fine-gauge knit tops that resemble cycling jerseys; long-length overcoats reach below the knee and options include a button-tabbed duffel, a military-esque khaki great coat with wide cloverleaf lapels and tailored DB option in silver satin; layering pieces included funnel-neck shirts, edged waistcoats (US: vests) or formal shirts-and-ties
Colour: Signature inky blues and steely silver-greys make up the core palette, while for evening jet black is punctuated with violet, hot pink and orange for shirts
Fabric & knit: Lustrous wool mohair and silk wool suitings, micro-patterned jacquards, heritage suitings including chalkstripe, plaid checks and a grainy windowpane; flannel, jersey, satin, silk velvet, cashmere blends, sporty techno nylons and quilted down-filled nylons, signature exotic leathers, plush furs and brushed suede
Details & trims: Feature revers including extra-wide clover leaf and notched shawls; quilting - diamond, horizontal banding and a Chesterfield style; concealed DB fastenings, popper-fastened suits
Footwear: Wide round-toed derby, tall lace-up boots, tasselled slip-ons with a polished/rubbed toe
Accessories: Unstructured leather totes, formal top-handled square north-south bags, leather gloves, round-framed sunglasses

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Live From... Milan Fashion Week, Day 6

Roberto Cavalli

Celebrating his 40th anniversary this season, Roberto Cavalli did away with his usual big-cat prints in favour of slinky snakeskin and slitheringly skintight clothes, given swingy movement with an abundance of on-trend fringing. 
The look: Reptilian rock goddesses
Silhouette: Maxi lengths all the way; second-skin bodies and exposed midriffs
Key items: Cutaway halterneck maxidresses with dropped-waist skirts sitting low on the hips and exposing the midriff; sleeveless jackets and short waistcoats worn with second-skin lace-up hipster pants with a slight flare at the ankle; printed button-up shirts in silk chiffon; tiny bra tops or printed bikinis worn with hip-slung maxi skirts; string-strapped crop tops worn beneath a peaked-shoulder leather/skin jackets
Colour: Pale vapour greys, ice blue, blush pink and jet black
Fabric & knit: Raw-edged python and alligator skins, suede, slicked leather, satin, printed silk chiffon, linen, laddered and crochet knits, macramé
Print & pattern: Cavalli steered clear of his signature big-cat animal prints, opting instead for trompe l’oeil pieced snake or alligator skins and collaged feathers, including spotted guinea and a striped feather that almost resembled tiger
Details & trims: Lashings of fringe - plaited/braided, beaded or degradé; whipstitching, leather-cord lacing, patchworking and pieced skins, macramé, sheer panels, sequinned snake patterning on sheer chiffon base, beading, crochet inserts, patchworked lace
Footwear: Barely there crisscross-laced sandal boots and matching flat sandals
Accessories: Fringed cord-wrap bracelets, gold and silver beaded stacked bangles, necklaces made of tangled or plaited chains and leather thong fringing, macramé fringe collar-necklaces hung from metal rings, fringed and tasselled long-strapped shoulder bags, and low-slung across-body messengers


DSquared

Dean and Dan Caten did away with their fast and fetishistic looks from winter and opted for the casual appeal of boyfriend-dressing this season, drawing on the subtle sex appeal of an unbuttoned shirt or a sweater-and-miniskirt combo. 
The look: Borrowed from the boys
Silhouette: Masculine, relaxed fits
Key items: Androgynous ensembles such as a boyfriend blazer - complete with natty pocket kerchief - worn over a satin pelmet-hemmed slipdress, a chambray shirt worn open with mannish wide-leg slacks, or a simple boyfriend sweater teamed with a silk shirt and mini skirt. Masculine DB suits and satin tuxedos for evening; plenty of shorts - short boy shorts, plaid walking shorts or casual rolled denim shorts. A minimal soft-belted mac with turned-up boyfriend-cut jeans; flat-front cropped pants and a croc-leather bomber jacket; swing coats; crisp white shirts paired with A-line miniskirts with single open pleat at the front. For evening, reworked formalwear including a dress-shirt-inspired bib-front satin dress and a plissé maxiskirt with thigh-high split worn with a waistcoat-cape hybrid
Colour: Crisp white, cigarillo browns, dark denim and navy blues and faux nudes, flashes of royal blue or jade green, black for evening
Fabric & knit: Cotton poplin, silk, satin charmeuse, chequerboard-woven grosgrain ribbon, chambray, dark-wash denim, even plaid, polished crocodile leather, neat mid-gauge knits, a chunky open-stitch knit
Print & pattern: Scarf print on silk - a check pattern made up of belts, chains and ribbons
Details & trims: All-over sequins and bead patterning, flower beads, chequerboard-woven grosgrain ribbon decorated with paste jewels and clear plastic rings, fine Chantilly lace trims, cutwork embroidery
Footwear: Simple crisscross-strapped leather sandals, diamante-studded T-bar heels, flat masculine brogues either in polished dark brown leather or two-tone - worn with slouchy ankle socks
Accessories: Geek-chic opticals and sunglasses, long fine-chain necklaces, hip-slung belts with chain fastening, silk neck scarves, straw trilbies, minimal open-top leather totes with double handle, briefcase-inspired formal bags with traditional concertina construction


Giorgio Armani

Inspired by the Tuareg people of North Africa, Giorgio Armani's monotone collection was played out in a range of blue hues representing the shades of night-time desert skies, while silhouettes were long, lean and layered. 
The look: Blue nomads
Silhouette: Long and lean with the occasional swing flare
Key items: Square-shouldered blazers in smooth slicked leathers paired with sheer cowl-necked tops; nipped-waist DB tailleurs layered with flared tunics and softly tailored tapered-leg pants; cropped edge-to-edge jackets, collarless zip-through jackets with curved cutaway closures; a spaghetti-strap corset top with bow detail; signature waistcoats worn as tops; one-shouldered or strapless column gowns for evening
Colour: A palette of moody blues ranging from lustrous prussian blue to rich inky navy and shadowy midnight blue-black in monotone matt/shine mixes
Fabric & knit: Satin, silk jacquard, slicked leather, wool mohair, lace-like knits, high-shine metallic gazar, taffeta, chiffons sheers, silk
Details & trims: Braided frogging, crystals, sequins and couture-like beaded embroideries inspired by the night-time desert skies
Footwear: Open-weave heeled pumps with lace-up detail and shrunken forepart platforms; satin courts with bow trims; signature flat pumps
Accessories: Tuareg turbans, wire-framed sunglasses with graded lenses, wide soft leather belts, metallic neckscarves, shirt cuffs, stacked bracelets and bangles, Berber-inspired jewellery including amulet necklaces decorated with enamelled moths or jewelled scorpions, chainmail collars, large flat glass bead necklaces

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