Up close: materials at Marni

WGSN highlights some of the interesting textiles and prints from the ever colourful Marni A/W 11/12 collection.

• Dense fabrics: double-faced wool crepe, bonded lurex knits, wool fil boucle
• Jet beading and dangling knitted beads, black on blue
• Sequinned patterns

             

• Constructivist geometric prints, weaves and knits
• Free-hand linear grids and windowpane checks
• Offbeat colour: hot pink with camel and black, royal blue with dirtied mustard 

 Read our full collection review here.

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Live From... Milan Fashion Week, Day 5

Missoni 

In a season in which the emerging trends have focused on vintage references and an intense palette of autumnal brights, Missoni’s autumn/winter showing blew like a breath of fresh air - or should that be fairy dust? - with its enchanting fairytale palette and lighter-than-air knits and weaves. By adding in slouchy menswear pieces and reworking proportions, the look brought a new sense of youthfulness to the house, which has been a mainstay of Italian fashion since 1953. “First of all I graded all the colour and then applied the same idea to the knits, dissolving from thicker stitches to thinner,” said Angela Missoni. “I tried to create three-dimensional shapes through braiding, but keeping it as light as a feather. I wanted to show how winter can be both light and warm.” 

The look: An enchanted winter fairytale
Silhouette: Long and languid grounded with oversized deconstructed menswear
Key items: Floor-sweeping maxi coats brought a new meaning to the word luxury, worked in degradé snakeskin with floral chiffon linings, layered over slouchy watercolour raschel-knit pants and tunics, whisper-light ombré knits, and flower-appliquéd conversational-print sheer dresses. Languid bias-cut knit dresses swooped to ankle, spliced with diagonal panels of silk velvet, while raw-edged slouchy masculine tweed jackets, soft shorts and blanket plaid cashmere skirts added that all-important grounding touch. Woodland creatures such as fox and rabbit were worked as feather-light furs, dyed in candy cotton colours and delicate knitted lace jackets morphed into clouds of wafting marabou feathers at their hemlines
Colour: A flower-fairy palette of palest pistachio, faded hydrangea blues and lilac, aquamarine, jonquil, cotton-candy pinks and apricot. Ivory and vapour grey
Fabric & knit: Degradé snakeskin, georgette, suede, silk crepon, brushed cashmere, knitted fox, rabbit, mink, raschel knits, silk velvet, knitted lace, fine Lurex knits with intarsia flower patterns
Print & pattern: Delicate floral motifs and a hand-drawn conversational print
Details & trims: Appliquéd florals, raw edges, scrolling floral embroideries
Footwear: Snakeskin patchworked biker boots
Accessories: Angora beanies, skinny snakeskin belts, caps, angora socks, fur collars, fox jewellery

Aquilano & Rimondi

Autumn/winter 2011 was a glittering affair from Aquilano & Rimondi, with a collection of sumptuous colour, luxe-touch fabrics an artisanal approach to print and decorative trims.

The look: Handcrafted and 20s
Silhouette: Shorts and flapper-inspired
Key items: The knee-length shift was a recurring theme, dissected into panels with linear appliquéd ribbons or fused fabric mixes. Likewise, simple coat shapes had the same artisanal appeal. Devorated shell tops or laminated knits topped straight-legged cigarette pants, and there were neat boxy suits as part of the lookColour: A luxurious palette of sophisticated neutrals based around camel tones, with warm caramel, cognac, old gold and grenadine, accented with chartreuse, pewter greys, marigold yellow, pale rose and forget-me-not blue
Fabric & knit: Cashmere, satin, hammered satin, metallic leather, velvet, sequins, lamés and Lurex, iridescent silks, marabou
Print & pattern: A random distressed houndstooth pattern, creating an almost scribbled effect
Details & trims: Jewelled studs, crystal trims, distressed antiqued ribbon trims, beading, hand-stitched linear ribbons
Footwear: Studded strappy metallic courts
Accessories: Strings of crystal with gold leather buckle trims

Salvatore Ferragamo

Sleek, sophisticated and seductive are the words that sum up Massimiliano Giornetti’s vision for Salvatore Ferragamo next winter, where the designer opted for a masculine/feminine play on silhouette, with subtle 80s references and a chiaroscuro palette of black, white and shades of grey. 
The look: Boardroom vixens
Silhouette: Sharp, tailored, masculine-feminine mixes
Key items: Masculine tailored blazers and coats teamed with sleek jumpsuits for a new take on boardroom dressing, while the coin was reversed with the side-split pencil skirts and plunging wrap dresses or seductive blouses. The new pantsuit came as a lean wrap-belted jacket worn with tapered cropped pants. Sheer blouses added to the sexy mix, along with wrap skirts, a strictly tailored wrap leather coat with a flared skirt and contrast facing, and for evening, beaded sheer LBDs and glittering lamé columnar gowns
Colour: A chiaroscuro palette of black, white and all shades of grey
Fabric & knit: Pinstriped suiting, houndstooth checks, Prince of Wales checks, leather, satin, jersey, Donegal, lamé, sheers, lace, velvet. Add in fox and lynx for the plush-touch luxe factor
Print & pattern: Houndstooth and dogstooth, simple black and white spots
Details & trims: Beaded tassel trims, fabric- and pattern-blocking
Footwear: Courts with snakeskin or croc trims
Accessories: Calfskin and crocodile bags, Swarovski-jewelled panther bracelets and chokers


Marni

The show notes touted “rigorous shapes and a restrained sense of embellishment” for Marni this season, and there were certainly fewer crusty paillettes than ever before. Instead, Constructivist geometric prints were the key vehicle for decoration here, wildly played out across simple shapes that acted as blank canvases. Less decorative and less sporty than usual, winter at Marni came over all grown up. 

The look: Elegant coordinated dressing with Marni-esque twists via pattern and colour
Silhouette: Elongated columnar layers with rounded shoulders and a fluted swing at the back
Key items: Coordinated separates were the key device here, such as a DB cocoon coat with matching wide-leg pants or long tunic tops layered over pencil skirts. Short-sleeved sheath dresses were columnar in cut, ending just below the knee, while fur jackets and coats added a plush volume to the simple linear shapes. Bonded leather pieces - a funnelneck cap-sleeved jacket and a couple of oversized coats with rounded shoulders - had a stiff, structured quality, while softer pieces arrived as printed silk blouses with a high neck and vertical slash at the chest, or silk skirts or dresses with pointed or dipped hems
Colour: Signature off-beat colour mixes such as pine green with blancmange pink, or royal blue with dirty mustard, against solid anchors of navy, grey, cream and dense black
Fabric & knit: Lurex glitter knits, metallic jacquards, dense double-faced wool crepe, printed silks, wool fil bouclé, knitted wool felt, bonded leather; mink, fox, beaver and racoon furs
Print & pattern: Constructivist-inspired geometrics, a strictly linear octagonal pattern, blotchy windowpane checks, freehand linear grids
Details & trims: Exaggerated shirt tails on tunic tops and coats, black cluster paillette sleeves, diamond fur appliqués, rounded balloon sleeves
Footwear: Constructivist-inspired shoes with platform and block heel cut from one piece of wood, chunky multilayered platform wedges, stack-heeled Mary Janes, and lattice-strapped platform slingback sandals with jewelled detail at the front
Accessories: Long slouchy leather gloves with a fabric trim; fur-cuffed gloves and thick-cuffed gauntlet gloves with a metal clasp. Deco bijoux jewellery including necklaces comprising horn, wood and resin elements interspersed with quartz or pyrite flakes; oversized pendant earrings made up of multifaceted boules and modular geometric shapes. Bug-eye sunglasses, perforated bonded leather clutch bags and printed purses with metal lever clasps

Dolce & Gabbana

High energy and with a hefty dose of kitsch and costume, Dolce & Gabbana riffed on the recurring theme of masculine/feminine dressing, which has been explored elsewhere in Milan this week. But this wasn’t simply a case of adding a boyfriend blazer to an otherwise feminine collection, at Dolce & Gabbana next season, you can be either Teddy boy or Glitzy girl. 

The look: Boys and girls out on the town
Silhouette: Elongated and oversized masculine tailoring vs shapely body-con
Key items: Central to the masculine looks were crisp white shirts and longline wide-cut DB coats - both offered with or without sleeves, and exaggerated collars or revers. Pants were carrot-shaped with a long dropped crotch and cropped tapered leg, often worn as part of a suit, with a short one-button jacket with wide peaked lapels. For the feminine side of the collection, signature second-skin sheaths and corseted dresses were important, as were familiar billowing maxidresses and pussy-bow chiffon blouses with cuffed balloon sleeves worn with high-waisted pencil skirts
Colour: Plenty of monochrome, with highlights of pale pink, canary yellow and turquoise. Metallics also played an important part - principally gold but also molten turquoise, magenta and copper
Fabric & knit: Masculine suitings including pinstripes, herringbone, Prince of Wales check and pied de poule (houndstooth), with double-faced gabardine, cashmere, floral jacquards and white poplin shirting. For the feminine pieces, there was stretch charmeuse, tulle, lace and chiffon, while high-shine sequins and plush furs ran throughout both themes
Print & pattern: Kitsch prints with great commercial value - stars in various scales, musical notes and scores, tiger stripes
Details & trims: Ornate jewelled embroideries, star appliqués, shimmering paillettes, lace panels, embroidered lapels
Footwear: Masculine lace-up flats in sequins, animal print or yellow leather, with black polka-dot appliqués and candy-coloured monk-strapped styles or brogues; pointed courts (US: pumps), slingbacks and lace-up shooties decorated with leather appliqué stars, musical notes or piano keys
Accessories: Trilbies and pork-pie hats, miniature Miss Sicily bags attached to belts, soft clutches matching the appliquéd footwear, purse-shaped snap-clasp bags on decorative chain handles, large star-shaped earrings, resin cuffs

Versus 

It seems Christopher Kane is obsessed with the LBD. First came his own in London, decorated with colourful gel-filled squiggles, and then yesterday they popped up in Milan for Versus, here with exposed corsets and glittery geometric prints. While that made for a succinct vision and one that is ultimately commercial - after all, you can never sell too many little black dresses - it perhaps lacked the colour and excitement that Kane and Versace usually do so well. 

The look: Minimal graphic
Silhouette: Sharply tailored
Key items: The LBD arrived in no fewer than 15 incarnations, with even the fitted crombie coats working a dress-like aesthetic with corseted waists. The dresses were all cut at the knee but featured various peekaboo panels revealing sheer boned corsetry beneath. This same device appeared at the waists of tailored jackets or between a leather crop top and long A-line skirt. Interspersed with the dresses were thick-strapped vest tops, strict straight-cut pants, and ribbed charcoal-grey sweaters striped with a zigzag intarsia
Colour: Black and dark charcoal grey with prints in purple, magenta, midnight blue, emerald green and pewterFabric & knit: Double-faced crepe, wool flannel, polished leather
Print & pattern: Stencilled geometric glitter prints
Details & trims: Ridged external corset on the waist of a coat, bra cups, thick dress straps
Footwear: Black ankle boots and chunky-strapped sandals with block heels covered in pink or purple crystals

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Live From... Milan Fashion Week, Day 5

 Dolce & Gabbana

After celebrating their 25th anniversary last season with a retrospective hit parade of signature looks, Dolce & Gabbana almost seemed to start afresh with their summer collection, conceptually wiping the slate clean with an all-white collection - save for a splash of leopard print or sexy black - all crafted in the most exquisite variants of Sicilian lace.
The look: The collection was titled Sicilian Sensuality
Silhouette: Tailored sheath versus swingy peasant
Key items: Abbreviated jackets with bracelet-length sleeves paired with short swingy skirts or tailored pencil sheath dresses ending below the knee; unstructured duster coats and cardigan-jackets; sheer peasant blouses and dresses with blouson volume at gathered waists or puffed sleeves; gaucho pants, smock tops, petticoat dresses, frilled-hem bloomers and pretty playsuits, sleeveless boleros, knitted edge-to-edge jackets, wide-strapped sundresses, slim-fitting tailleurs, cropped tops; a finale of lingerie-inspired chemises, slip dresses, petticoats and corset-and-maxi brief sets
Colour: White, white and more white, with a dash of black and natural-coloured leopard skinFabric & knit: White Sicilian lace, embroidered sheers, cutwork cottons and broderie, cotton tatting lace, crochet, lustrous silk, chiffon and georgette
Print & pattern: Leopard animalia, traditional yellow floral with creeping stems - on white ground
Details & trims: White lace appliqués on leopard or sheer, broderie panels, scalloped hems, crystal diamond trims and twinkling silver rhinestones, corset lacing
Footwear: Wooden platform high-heeled sling-backs in clear plastic, decorated with white crochet lace flowers or mules with rosette detail
Accessories: Signature Miss Sicily handbags in white cotton lace; clear plastic formal handbag with lace appliqué; small across-body bags with chain strap decorated with gold coins and dangling jewels; crochet clutch bags in gold lurex yarns and diamond crystal trim or white knitted crochet with gold chain inlays; gold hoop earrings; chandelier earrings with paste stones and jewels; gold cluster necklaces and bracelets or fine gold necklaces with small cross pendants


Marni

Consuelo Castiglioni continued with her own distinctive brand of madcap mixology at Marni yesterday, this time with a strong sports theme to give her offbeat aesthetic a punchy graphic twist.
The look: Graphic sports 
Silhouette: Elongated layers and dropped waists
Key items: Trapeze tunics over cycling shorts; long-line zip-through scuba tops with asymmetric pelmet ruffle; laser-cut leather coats; collareless dropped-sleeved jackets and coats cinched at the waist with double belts; two-tone scuba treggings cropped mid-calf, or cropped pants with double-ruffle cuffs; wide-cut tees with narrow stand-up collar; tunic dresses with asymmetric double-ruffled hems; macramé lace minidresses; curved-hem leather A-line dress; criss-cross laced knitted long-sleeved sweaters; tops with flouncy dropped-waist peplums
Colour: Trademark bold colour combinations such as parrot green with beige and tan; pink and purple with orange; royal blue and sunshine yellow edged in black; flashes of salmon or blush pinks and neon orange
Fabric & knit: Laser-cut leather, dense stretch knits, jersey, crumpled linen, cotton, Aertex mesh, gauzy organza sheers
Print & pattern: Tropical-coloured vintage florals, signature sports and honeycomb geometrics, diagonal graphic stripes layered in contrasting directions, psychedelic swirls and florals
Details & trims: Leather tape ribbons with silver aglets, daisy appliqués on sheers, sporty raglan sleeves, colour-blocking edged in black trim, signature all-over macro-paillettes
Footwear: Flat kiltie-fringed sandals with wide soles, kiltie-fringed sandals with woven platform and high block heels, mid-heeled wood-platform sandals with shaped vamp and buckled straps
Accessories: Reduced-proportion sunglasses with elliptical frames; soft leather sports helmets; tubular assemblage necklaces with large ball-bearing beads, cylinders, clustured boules and transparent resin modules with pyrite inerts; overscaled flat-linked chains with enamelled geometric inserts; foldable square calfskin bags with contrast-coloured patent leather handles; knitted bags with embellished bases; framed handbags in two-tone basket woven leather or raffia; bucket bags in patent leather or featuring geometrical intarsias


Missoni

"It was about energy after two years of crisis," Angela Missoni said. Indeed full of vivacious exuberance, there was also a strong youthful undercurrent, perhaps influenced by the increasing involvement of daughter Margherita. Maybe this collection signalled a transitional phase for the family-run house, but transition can be an awkward time for a brand before it finds its new feet.
"I wanted to play with fashion and have fun. I wanted a blank canvas so that I could experiment with a lot of new techniques, like working with nylon and doubling with tulle, in order to keep both lightness and structure," Angela Missoni told WGSN.
The look: Mexican fiesta in Las Vegas colourSilhouette: A-line flare and boxy columns, a variety of lengths
Key items: Ankle-length dresses, cape-sleeved tent dresses, maxiskirts, beaded cropped tops worn with side-split Bermuda shorts or A-line skirts with a wide waistband; side-split gaucho pants; kaftans; long waistcoats; a wide-sleeved duster coat with fringing at the back; midi-length trapeze dresses that hang away from the body; long-line tunics over midi skirts; a skaterdress with sheer underlayer
Colour: Violet, orange, sky blue, lemon yellow with fluorescent green and neon pink, edged in graphic black
Fabric & knit: Mexican zigzags, fret zigzags, macro flame-stitch, high-tech structural nylon inserts, jacquards
Print & pattern: Irreverent slogans such as Going Bold, Pocket Rocket, Give Me Honey Baby, and Shaking All Over. Colour-blocking, geometric pattern-blocking, graphic zigzags, Mexican stripes and weave patterns, border patterns
Details & trims: Tabard-like side straps, pointed handkerchief hems, sequined letters, apron ties at the back, cutouts, patchwork, over-embroidered sequins and appliqués, beaded fringing, side splits, cape sleeves
Footwear: Multicoloured knit-tie sandals with low stubby heels in fluoro colours
Accessories: Floppy square-brimmed sun hats; kitsch charm bracelets; frameless octagonal sunglasses with flat built-up bridges; shoulder-strap bags and knitted leather handbags carried in clear plastic bags

Versus

Christopher Kane is into his stride at Versus, where he managed to typify the house's sassy rock-chic vibe in his latest collection, concentrating on working the silhouette with offbeat fabric-mixing and colour-blocking.
The look: Punk-meets-preppy chic
Silhouette: Sassy body-con silhouettes but with a girlish appeal
Key items: Dresses formed the crux of the collection, with short flippy apron wraps through to elongated asymmetric ruched sheaths in mixed plaids and prints. Other key dress shapes included fit-and-flare colour-blocked skater dresses with form-fitting bra tops and apron-wrap skirts. Cycle shorts, narrow stove pants and striped pencil skirts teamed with ruched tops continued the body-con theme, softened with a lean blouson jacket and semi-sheer cardigans or knits
Colour: Colour was hard-edged and bright, from the black-ground plaids that came in two or three colourways, to micro prints in shades of blue or red. A Mondrian-like palette of brights - poppy, cerulean, jade and magenta - was worked into Cubist-inspired flat blocks of clashing colour
Fabric & knit: Stretch plaids in several colourways, mixed in happy profusion; semi-sheer knits and nylon, leather, stretch cottons
Print & pattern: Traditional plaids came as prints and weaves; micro florals on dark grounds
Details & trims: Small collegiate crest badges, rouleau ties, strategically placed cutouts, ribbed welt trims, godet fans of crystal pleats
Footwear: X-strap sandals, chunky T-bars, shoe boots with contrast trims 
Accessories: Clutch purses and satchel-style shoulder bags in plaid with bright trims


Salvatore Ferragamo

Salvatore Ferragamo's latest collection tapped into several of the season's key trends, with longer lengths and a luxuriously worked early-70s vibe.
"The inspiration came from a movie of the late 60s - La Piscine. I didn't want to be nostalgic, but I did want to capture the atmosphere. I decided to play with deeper lengths because I really wanted to make a story about retranslating that elegance and sensuality in a refined way." Massimiliano Giornetti told WGSN.
The look: Early-70s peasant dressing with a luxe twist
Silhouette: Elongated and casually styled
Key items: The long tiered peasant skirt or maxidress featured in several colourways and fabrications, skirts teamed with midriff-baring cropped knits or halter tops. The tailored pantsuit came with a 70s edge in the flared cropped pant shapes, and there were 70s influences too in the safari jackets, leather-trimmed A-line skirts, the full-sleeved smock shirts, and the flippy crochet suede-trimmed dresses. Outerwear was luxuriously unstructured, with bathrobe-wrap trench coats and swingy casual jackets
Colour: A luxe palette of ivory and white, warm sand and caramel shading, through to lemon and mimosa, into sage greens, cornflower blue, teal and ink
Fabric & knit: Macramé and crochet compounded the 70s look, along with summer suede, linen and cotton poplins, canvas, leather, sheers and embroidered voiles
Print & pattern: A subtle leafy border print on white grounds and a floral/foliage all-over pattern in muted colours on white
Details & trims: Halternecks, rouleau straps, self-coloured embroidered appliqués on semi-sheer grounds
Footwear: Simple raffia and canvas with the luxe touch of python and crocodile for uber-flat sandals, laced-leg gladiators and two-tone pumps
Accessories: Headscarves, crochet long-strapped bags, alligator-trimmed dual-handle bags, leather belts with everything, chokers and pendants in metallic mesh and wood

Aquilano & Rimondi

A change of beat from Aquilano & Rimondi, who opted for vivid colour, an elongated silhouette and a newly youthful vibe.
The look: Subtle 70s references
Silhouette: Elongated and neat
Key items: Long skirts slashed to the thigh; tiered peasant skirts and neat blouses; long jersey tube dresses in mixed prints; floral-patterned pantsuits; pencil skirts and short-shorts, square-cut tees worked in sequins and stripes; asymmetric one-shouldered dresses; ruched midriffs on long sheath dresses; crisp tailored blazers and slashed pencil skirts
Colour: Colour was a riotous mix of cobalt, yellow, mandarin, jade, lime, brick red and soft poudre pink, offset with accents of magenta, black and white, and a flash of citric neon as a finale
Fabric & knit: Printed cottons and voiles, double-faced satin, sequins, plissé silks, crepe de chine
Print & pattern: Simple colourful 70s floral combination print worked on black grounds, stripes, spots, small micro pattern 
Details & trims: Contrast braid trims, intense beading patterns with jewelled trims, contrast piping, ruching effects
Footwear: High strappy sandals in brights
Accessories: Narrow brightly coloured belts

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