Live From... Milan Fashion Week, Day 2

Prada

             

Miuccia Prada was in playful mood for spring/summer 2012. Drawing on retro Americana influences for her latest menswear collection, she referenced golfing, kitsch resort dressing, and vintage 50s sportswear, worked in happy mismatched combinations of neat tailoring, with strong commercial casual sportwear looks that are bound to be a huge influence on the junior high street.

The look: Miami golfer meets the rhinestone cowboy

Silhouette: Casual and easy, but pin neat

Key items: A focused set of key items reworked in various colours and fabric or print combinations, with the neat but boxy 6DB and 2SB jacket coming as a blazer or as a suit component teamed with a classic pant silhouette and the contradictory mix of a printed resort shirt. A more casual look focuses on knee-length shorts and a zipped padded jacket worked in-anything-goes mismatched fabric mixes, or the kitsch printed resort shirts which look set to be the collection's hottest item. Americana influences include classic Western shirts reworked in clashing prints or with rhinestone trims, maybe teamed with an incongruous floral print pant. Patterned Johnny-collar tops and simple Harrington jackets embellished with cowboy-style studs are two other key items we can expect to see impacting the high street any day soon

Colour: Cool greys and a range of washed sky blues mixed in combination with 50s-style Formica pastels – think lemon, baby blue and blue, mango, and spearmint – used in prints, contrasting with summer darks, like espresso, Burgundy, indigo and charcoal, with camel as a grounding neutral

Fabric & knit: Mohair suitings, lightweight micro check suitings, windowpane check suitings, cotton poplin, chambray, cotton, jersey, fine-gauge knits

Print & pattern: Vivid retro florals, small-scale foulard-style geometrics in rich darks, quirky 50s-inspired conversational on pastel grounds

Details & trims: Rhinestones, studding treatments

Footwear: Two-tone kiltie-fringed golf shoes in pastels or rich dark colour combinations of tan, with oxblood or navy, some with glittering rhinestone trims

Accessories: Floral-patterned golf bags look set to be the new hot Prada accessory item, along with printed flat caps, cravats and neckerchiefs. Flat envelope document/iPad case-style bags get the Prada treatment in clashing two-tone colours or with decorative rhinestone trims

Read more »

Live From... Milan Fashion Week, Day 2

D&G

It was a riotous rave over at D&G where the colours and lettered logos of 80s clubwear provided Milan with an awakening electric shock. More than slightly reminiscent of Missoni’s mis-step of a spring/summer 2011 show, this collection tackled the same taste issues, while keeping it buzzy, youthful and fun – which after all are the hallmarks of the D&G brand. 

The look: 90s logo mania
Silhouette: Tube thin with oversized outerwear
Key items: Knee-length knitted tube dresses and stretchy pencil skirts – some with a longer chiffon skirt trim - were recurring items, as were cropped sweaters, printed leggings and skinny pants; elsewhere there were kangaroo-pocketed sloppy sweaters, untucked silk shirts and loose silk cardigans. Outerwear was oversized, arriving either as big statement parkas in fur or printed silk with wildly coloured fur lining, or low-breaking DB boyfriend blazers worked as mannish coats. For party time, there were straight-cut sheer black dresses cut just below the knee, embellished with large-scale sequinned letters. The finale parade offered oversized silk tees or fitted cotton T-shirts worn with cloud-like marabou miniskirts
Colours: Crazy multi-colourings - neon brights on graphic black, candy colours on marl grey
Fabric & knit: Printed silk and chiffon, letter logoed jacquard knits, shrunken wool, stretch cotton jersey, fur and teddy-bear fleece, marabou feathers, cotton, habutai silk
Print & pattern: Bands of random letters in multicolours
Details & trims: Fur or printed silk coat linings, sequinned letters, deep V-necklines, chiffon pussy bows, kangaroo pockets, drawstrings
Footwear: Wedge-heeled hi-top sneakers with a contrast toe, in bright colours or black and white
Accessories: Small chain-handled bags carried as clutches (the Anja bag), bijoux jewellery with big letter charms, wispy patterned scarves

Prada

With Prada it's foolish to tout just one period of reference, because here things are never that obviously thematic. Still, this season’s sleeveless shifts, drop-waisted girlishness and colour-blocked checks did hint at a 60s infusion. 

The look: 60s dolly with a girlish subtext
Silhouette: Short and drop-waisted
Key items: Fit-and-flare coat-dresses, straight-cut shifts, and collared shirt dresses all featured a dropped waist, accentuated with a low-placed belt or martingale; sleeveless shifts were offered in colour-blocked paillettes, some featuring fur trims or a short capelet over the shoulders; a series of oversized dome-shaped coats in polished snakeskin with wide cropped sleeves and exaggerated clover-leaf lapels
Colour: Black and navy with lipstick red or teal; white, cosmetique nude blush, vapour grey; autumnal colours of marigold yellow, burnt orange and russet
Fabric & knit: Bonded wool, teddy fur, organza, large transparent and colour-tinted paillettes, polished snakeskin
Print & pattern: Large-scale windowpane checks and coloured Mondrian-style grids
Details & trims: Silver buttons on outerwear, oversized childlike plastic buttons and buckles on dresses, contrast collars, low cut-away backs and buttoned martingales, transparent tinted oversized pailettes layered as scales, fur trims and sleeves, oversized clover-leaf lapels on coats, off-centre buttoning
Footwear: Tall snakeskin boots – some ending in a new mid-calf length, with shaped heels; suede sock boots with faux Mary Jane shoe
Accessories: Sporty skull caps fastened under the chin, goggle-like tinted bug-eye sunglasses, short elastic-cuffed suede gloves, fox fur stoles, hand-strapped clutch bags

Albino

“I was inspired by New York and the American art scene from the 50s through to the 80s, Rothko to Haring,” designer Albino D'Amato told WGSN. But when the collection did arrive, those strong arts influences were barely readable, save for a few multicoloured spots and stripes towards the end. Instead the clothes acted as a blank canvas for simple shape, used to promote an exploration into grainy, furry or tufted texture. “There was a lot of focus on texture because the shapes are really simple – straight tubes or a slight trapeze, set against texture – there were no plain fabrics.” Albino D'Amato 

The look: 50s-infused ladylike dressing
Silhouette: Simple shapes cut away from the body and soft structured swing
Key items: The collection worked best at its simplest – tweedy T-shirt dresses, a single-sleeved wool tee worn with skinny drainpipe pants or any of the collarless swing coats; elsewhere there were cropped jackets hemmed in fox, fur pencil skirts, tailored and cropped pants featuring tufted knee panels and dresses with cut-away backs and an over-complicated ruffled tier falling from the back of the shoulder
Colour: Shaded nuances of brown and cream; dense saxe blue, multicoloured prints on black – tomato red, emerald green, magenta and light blue
Fabric & knit: Glittery lurex-shot tweed, grainy herringbone and houndstooth tweed, wool jacquard, dense ribbed knits, double-folded neoprene, mohair, fil coupé lurex tinsel, silk, stiff wool gazar, fox
Print & pattern: Painterly macro polka dots and large-scale stripes in diagonal or chevron placements – both on black grounds
Details & trims: Cut-away backs hanging away from the body, tufted fibres used in placement panels on pants or banded skirt hems, faux skirt-and-top detailing on the back of dresses, randomly positioned fox fur trims, cut fil coupé tinsel-like fringing, kimono sleeves
Footwear: Pointed courts with skinny ankle strap, with textile uppers

Luisa Beccaria

With a strong eveningwear sensibility, Luisa Beccaria never usually strays too far from her delicately ethereal aesthetic. But there was a notable new drive for daywear this season, which focused on tailoring and neat knitwear, as she bathed her girls in a palette of shimmering gold, inspired by Byzantine mosaics.

The look: Pretty as a picture
Silhouette: Sinuously feminine in demure lengths
Key items: Two tailored skirts suits opened the show – one sleeved and one sleeveless, both long-line and trimmed in fur, later came wide-leg pants or pencil skirts topped with textured cardigans or a polo-neck knit tank, and a host of elegant outerwear - from a through-belted cape to an elongated wool pea coat in a glazed silver finish and a softly fluted midi-length coat with a scrolling ruffle collar. Cocktailwear offered a lustrous gold duchesse dress with gathered waist, a tailored off-the-shoulder sheath with box detail and a pantsuit in gilded floral jacquard. Despite the extended daywear offer, eveningwear is Beccaria’s forte and this season she offered exquisite fluted gowns in finest Chantilly lace and barely there embroidered tulle, but a couple of options in millefeuille organza ribbons and tiered plissé frills looked overworked and awkward
Colour: Gold and metallic sunbeam pales, ivory, blush, ballet pink, mauve and lavender
Fabric & knit: Herringbone tweed, compact wool, glittery knits, taffeta, duchesse, gold Chantilly lace, crepe, georgette, ribbons
Print & pattern: Vintage roses, foiled gold overpainting
Details & trims: Lettuce-edged sunburst pleats, jewelled shoulder tabs, scrolling collars on coats, gold sequinned embroideries, cut-away backs, millefeuille layers
Footwear: Block-heeled platforms with an ankle strap in mixed metallic leathers
Accessories: Gold lace headscarves and bejewelled tulle chokers

Bluegirl

Blugirl was onto a winner this season. An elegantly grown-up collection ticked several of next winter's trend boxes, albeit it for the more sophisticated customer, with a palette of vivid colour, luxe-touch fabrics and ladylike silhouettes.

The look: A day at the races
Silhouette: Elegantly ladylike and tailored
Key items: Outerwear was a key feature of the collection, with tailored SB coats, DB trenches and subtle military styling, as well as the cape in every manifestation - from a sassy shoulder cape in green shearling to decorous tailored looks. Knitwear was casually styled, coming as knitted cardigan jackets with suede or rabbit fur trim or as luxe cashmere fine-gauge hooded cardigans – all layered with slick to-the-knee pencil skirts and cropped jodhpur-style pants. Print and pattern had an equine feel, worked as silk blouses or soft-waisted dresses with the house's signature skin prints coming into play as an alternative option. And for evenings celebrating in the winner's enclosure, a series of little black dresses in the finest chiffon and Chantilly lace with capes of layered organza ribbon
Colour: A fulsome palette that spanned the season's autumnal colours with camel, tan, all shades of pumpkin and soft caper green, moving through to vibrant jockey-silk brights like cobalt, strawberry pink and daffodil yellow, all grounded with black
Fabric & knit: The emphasis was on luxe cashmere offset with tactile shearling, leather and furs, with silk twill for dresses and blouses and delicate chiffon and Chantilly lace for evening looks
Print & pattern: An equine print featuring bridle and saddle motifs; a painterly conversational pattern of horses and their riders; re-coloured leopard prints
Details & trims: Crystal trims, fur trims, suede edging on knitwear
Footwear: Snakeskin ankle strap high-heeled courts, slouchy suede and fur boots
Accessories: Coloured clutch bags and purses, tasselled necklaces, long gloves, three-quarter-length socks, double skinny snakeskin belts, colour-blocked high-crown trilbies

MaxMara

Clean, modern and simple were the hallmarks of MaxMara's deluxe winter looks, with subtle rustic overtones in the form of plaid and check, kilted shapes and casual mink-trimmed parkas. But it was the minimal lines and subtle fabric mixing that stamped the collection with its luxurious simple look. 

The look: Modern rustic
Silhouette: Lean and minimal
Key items: Outerwear ruled the day. Strong minimal silhouettes were stripped of buttons or detailing, with lean duffel hybrids, asymmetric-wrap tailored silhouettes caught with a single strap and buckle at the hip, a narrow biker-inspired coat and the softer appeal of a fringed blanket wrap. Neat-waisted suits continued the sparse feel, clasped at the waist with a flat-buckled belt, and dresses were worked in tonal fabric mixes of brushed wool with matt cashmere panels in shades of white. Simple bustier dresses and wrap skirts came in sequinned plaids and there was a final luxe touch in the parkas and coats with their mink skirts – all teamed with simple jersey leggings
Colour: A muted palette of cool whiter white, paper white and putty added a quiet reflective feel to the look, working well with the collection's minimal shapes. Punctuated with inky blues, black, camel and classic flannel grey and the softer accents of poudre, bois de rose and primrose yellow
Fabric & knit: Luxury wools were top of the agenda here with brushed finishes contrasted with the smoothest cashmere and double-faced effects. Leather and ponyskin, mink, calfskin and lamb added to the luxe appeal of the collection
Print & pattern: Checks and plaid reworked in sequins and beaded effects
Details & trims: Flat patent or leather straps with silver buckles, fringed trims
Footwear: Flat winter white lace-ups with a white sole, ponyskin courts
Accessories: Hand-held flat-bottomed bags in leather or ponyskin

Fendi

Karl Lagerfeld took a walk in the country for his latest collection for Fendi, albeit it a rather sophisticated one. Rustic looks were full of innovative fur, autumnal-shaded wool and mismatched texture. 

The look: A walk in the Black Forest
Silhouette: Multilayered and A-line
Key items: Throw-on fur coats and gilets brought a luxe touch to Lagerfeld's layered wool and tweed. Boxy A-line coats and short swingy jackets were overlaid with statement pockets, ruched elasticated sleeves and wide revers. Soft dirndl culottes and cropped cuffed pants came with simple shell tops, decorated with a frisson of bias ruffle at the neck in a sculpted take on a jabot, while flecked sweaters and a knitted tracksuit – incongruously teamed with heeled Mary Janes – added in the cocooning comfort factor. For evening it was back to black, with prim-and-proper dresses in lustred sequins offset with the sheerest tulle sleeves pinpricked with microscopic gold beading
Colour: A rich autumnal palette of wood-shaded browns and neutrals, teamed with golden ochre, sapphire blue and burgundy with a grounding of black
Fabric & knit: Luxe furs worked in feathered bands of muted colour, tipped with glow-worm pricks of light or tufted into tweedy effects layered over dense bouclé, soft cashmere, double-faced wool, leather and flannel. Sheer blouses and lustrous satin offered a more decorative look along with low-shine sequins for evening
Print & pattern: Checks on sheer grounds
Details & trims: Ruffled jabot necklines, vivid-coloured buttonholes, metallic buttons, contrast piling, alligator cuffs, fabric pockets on knitted bottomweights
Footwear: High-heeled brogued Mary Janes in brightly coloured patent
Accessories: Ribbed tights added a splash of colour, felted hairbands, felt tote bags with raw leather straps, boxy hand-held bags

Read more »

Live From... Milan Menswear, Day 2

Prada 

Miuccia Prada likes to challenge fashion, often taking the ugly and turning it into something unexpectedly directional and fashion forward. For her winter menswear collection the references come from the 60s - and everything kitsch and bad taste about the period. In this case it’s turtleneck twinsets, boxy suits and diamond-patched suede commuter coats.  

The look: Bad-taste 60s retroisms made minimal and modern

Silhouette: Square-cut flat planes, oversized top halves

Key items: Tailored suit jackets are oversized and boxy with exaggerated wide-cut sleeves, either high-breaking three-button SBs or four-button SBs buttoned to the neck, while pants are tapered and cut above the ankle or cropped just below the knee; square-cut 60s-style polo shirts and twinsets comprise a narrow turtle neck and V-neck combo in glitter knits; elsewhere there are zip-up track tops and viscose jogging bottoms, carrot-leg suede pants and suede commuter coats with contrast diamond panels

Colour: Winter darks including claret, plum and racing green; metallic parrot green, magenta pink and peach; tan and cigarillo browns, accents of kingfisher blue and clean white, a heavy use of matt black 

Fabric & knit: Smooth lightweight suitings, glitter lurex knits, suede, cashmere, viscose 

Print & pattern: Retro knit patterns  

Details & trims: Diamond patches

Footwear: White Chelsea boots with thick soles, highly polished lace-up Oxfords, hybrid lace-ups with flat sneaker sole 

Accessories: Hard case luggage, square bowling bag, knee-high glitter knit socks with single Argyle diamond

Bottega Veneta 

Tomas Maier astutely recognises that with menswear it’s not about reinventing the wheel, but about remaking traditional items in “uncommon ways”. For autumn/winter he does this by mixing materials on single items and updating fine wool suiting with subtle over-patterns.

“There is a very limited playground for men, as there is a precise code for wardrobe already. So it is about evolving pieces through fabric, colour, proportion and construction,” said Tomas Maier.  

The look: Classic with a subtle twistSilhouette: Unstructured natural fit tailoring, generously sized outerwearKey items: Suits are comfort-cut and masculine with a natural unpadded shouldered jacket. Smoking jackets for evening include a low-breaking DB with no lapels; heavy-duty outerwear is oversized and long in length – cabans, leather or waxed cotton parkas, trench coats and a blue duffel with buttoned tabs; cord pants are generous at top and tapered to the ankle; hybrid shirts feature knitted or leather patched sections on the sleeves; knitwear includes a ribbed shawl-collared sweater and a placement stitch cable cardigan

Colour: Inspired by the exterior pipes of the Pompidou Centre in Paris, a palette of industrial grey, black and navy is punctuated by large expanses of flat colour – vermilion, mustard, bright royal blue and lettuce greenFabric & knit: Grainy wool suiting in crumpled finishes, dense felted wool, fine jersey, cotton, corduroy, washed and aged leather, cashmere, alpaca, soft knits with irregularly placed stitch patterns, velvet

Print & pattern: Specially finished wool suiting features subtle pattern woven into the fabric dark-on-dark and then overprinted to create “visual texture”- crosshatching, broken stripes, scuffed effects

Details & trims: Fabric splicing – tailored jackets with knit sections and shirts with leather patches, inside-out pocket patches

Footwear: Strapped work boots

Accessories: Cross-body messenger bags and holdalls with leather-stitched trims, suede totes, soft crocodile envelope bag, eyelet belts, leather gloves

Salvatore Ferragamo

MassimilianoGiornetti plays with 70s references for winter, from the bootcut pants to thepolo sweater-blazer combo that is fast becoming a trend from Milan.

 “There are some 70s references – it is veryNew York, very chic and glossy, but playing with the sartorial by putting bigouterwear over the neater tailoring,” said Massimiliano Giornetti.

The look: 70sluxe

Silhouette: Tauttailored jackets and bootcut pants, oversized outerwear

Key items: Astrong emphasis on outerwear in generous proportions – overcoats, DB trenches,parkas with quilted hoods, luxurious deep pile shearling jackets with widecollars; high-breaking 8DB suits with new longer jackets and peaked lapels arecut close to the body; taut reefers worn over cashmere polo-neck sweaters andpaired with subtly bootcut pants for that 70s look; suede utility shirts andleather four-pocket bush jackets; ribbed sweaters with a criss-cross lacedV-neckline and smart cargo pants feature a long rise and buckled ankles

Colour: White,poudre cosmetiques, muted rust and brick reds, teal greens and petrol blues

Fabric & knit:Signature suede and leather, fine wool suiting, double stripe shirting, cotton,cashmere, thick ribbed knits, silk

Print & pattern: Newsuiting stripes including a double chalk effect

Details & trims: Wideshearling collars, buckled leather straps on trouser cuffs, contrast nylonsleeves

Footwear: Formalshoes in a unique washed leather with high soles in technical rubber, moccasinswith ornamental stitching, sneakers with contrasting rubber soles and treadswith an embossed optical-patterned sole, fringed driving shoes

Accessories: Silkfoulards featuring floral, fruit and animal pattern, fedoras and berets; nubuckand calfskin belts with motif buckles; totes and briefcases in soft suede withcroc or tegu detailing, an oversized natural cowhide bag, hobos, backpacks andsaddle bags in greased nubuck with rough-cut leather straps

Vivienne Westwood

Referencingthe impending royal marriage in her show notes and her own British nationality,Vivienne Westwood's winter collection has a distinctly British flavour.

The look: Englisharistocrats

Silhouette: Broadshouldered, signature tapered legs

Key items: Smartand formal tailoring with broad DB jackets sitting tightly across the shouldersworn with button-down high-collared shirts; outerwear highlights include aflannel blouson, quilted yard jacket, abbreviated pea coat with exaggeratedswing flare at the back and a striped red velvet tux jacket with leatherharlequin-diamond shoulder patches; pant shapes include extreme dhotis inheritage fabrics, carrot-leg chinos, fluid pleat-front pants and tall wadersworn with braces; eclectic styling layers mismatched waistcoats, fine-gaugepolos, leather-panelled cardigans and cotton shirts

Colour:Cornflower blue, poppy red, dark maroon, shades of grey and pops of magenta

Fabric & knit: Finelightweight wool suiting, heritage fabrics including windowpane checks,pinstripes and yellow tartan, flannel, tweed, faded and bleached denim, marledyarns, pictorial intarsia, cotton shirting

Print & pattern: Aknitted intarsia featuring kissing birds surrounded by rope twists, skull andcrossbone intarsia, black on grey overprinted irregular stripes on shirts

Details & trims: Highbutton-down collars, asymmetric button closure on a blazer, brassmilitary-style buttons, diamond-shaped leather patches

Footwear: Distressed tartan brogues and hi-tops with Velcro straps,ponyskin laced boots with runner soles

Accessories: Tartan holdalls, striped braces ( suspenders: US)tapestry belts, coloured webbing belts, bow ties, printed tote bags, zippedfanny pack belts, space-dyed socks, lapel pins

 

Missoni

Angela Missoni takes the concept ofknit dressing to the max for her autumn/winter collection, working double-facedknits into soft unstructured layers that play with mismatched pattern andtexture in luxe yarns like alpaca, Shetland and cashmere.

"It's a collection full ofsurprises - from the earthy colour palette with unexpected flashes of brightcolour to the fact that many of the pieces are reversible, even the trousers. Originallythe inspiration was Ireland - the tweeds, the big chunky cable sweaters, theearthy palette," said Angela Missoni.

The look:Cosy countrified winter dressing

Silhouette:Soft unstructured layers

Key items:Knitwear forms the core of the collection for everything from the double-facedknitted suits to the high-buttoned narrow shawl-collared cardigans and buttonedknit vests that layer under easy-cut tailored coats, chunky knitted jackets andcolourful check blousons. The rustic inspirations come through in the quiltedshooting gilets, big Aran tunic knits and the 4-pocket quilt tweed jackets allteamed with soft drawstring knit pants and relaxed-fit flannel tailoredtrousers

Colour: An autumnal rustic-inspiredpalette that spans pigeon greys to warm clay and terracotta tones, earthy loam browns,camel, poppy and cool mallard greens

Fabric & knit:Luxe alpaca and cashmere or Shetland yarns, Donegal and pebble knits combinewith soft touch flannel and rustic tweed. Checked wools add pattern interest tooffset random space-dyed and flame-stitch jacquards

Print & pattern:Woven checks, flame stitch and space-dye knits

Details & trims:Drawstrings on easy pants, leather buttons

Footwear:Chunky back-zipped suede boots with a coloured flash on the back of the whiterubber sole

Accessories:Soft unstructured suede hats, long patterned knitted scarves, shoulder bags,knitted gloves with bright trim

Emporio Armani

Tailoring takes a back seat thisseason at Emporio Armani, as the designer opts for the coat in every shape andform as the crux of his autumn/winter collection.

The look:Urbanised casual

Silhouette:Soft and unstructured with mismatched proportional layering

Key items:The coat appears in every shape and length – most noticeably in new longer-lineproportions cut to below the knee and featuring high asymmetric collar details.Silhouettes are lean and tailored or come as shrug-on unstructured shapes.Layering is key to the look, with easy tunic knits, boxy gilets and stripedpolo necks, teamed with relaxed elastic cuff pants. Sporty blousons and zippedneck knits as part of the new EA7 golf range

Colour: Every shadeof urban grey offset with inky blues, camel, signature taupe and flashes ofwarm plum and loden

Fabric & knit: Tactiletextures add a paradoxical twist to the urban feel, with boiled and felted wooland flannel, leather, pinstripes, jersey, cashmere, shearling, suede, velvetand double-faced knits

Print & pattern: Asingular painterly graphic print in brush stroke-like black and white

Details & trims:Asymmetric necklines, zipped necks on knits

Footwear:2-tone golf shoes, patent laced boots, work boots, cavalry-style riding boots,loafers

Accessories:Leather tote bags, travel bags, leather gloves with an ombréd effect, longgauntlets

Moncler Gamme Bleu

It’s hunting, shooting and fishingall the way at Moncler Gamme Bleu, with country pursuits given atongue-in-cheek twist for urban living

The look:Country bumpkin comes to town

Silhouette:Multi-layered with offbeat proportion play

Key items:The quilted jacket comes in every shape and length from cropped to mid-calf,layered over quilted pants, knee-length shorts, britches and jodhpurs, quiltedgilets and chunky country knits. A quilted salopette is layered over a quiltedSB and there are huntsman jackets, poacher quilted gilets, a quilted trench anda quilt blouson, teamed with Barbour-inspired jackets and coats

Colour: A countrifiedpalette of pine, grey, camel, pine, loden green and huntsman red contrastedwith the graphic simplicity of black and white

Fabric & knit:Traditional country tweeds and wools are quilted, all in a medley of checksfrom glen plaids to tattersall, dogtooth and Prince of Wales through to classicroyal Stewart tartan, offset with velvet, waxed or oiled cotton, suede andshearling

Print & pattern: Wovencheck and plaid provide the pattern interest

Details & trims:Suede gun patches on jackets, suede panels and knee patches on britches and jodhpurs,shearling collars, brass buttons and snaps, poacher pockets

Footwear:Classic leather riding boots, wool and leather riding boots

Accessories: Poacher satchels, riding caps, quilted gloves and gauntlets

Albino Deuxieme

Oneof the best collections of the week so far comes from Albino Deuxième, whoreduces menswear to a series of easy minimal pieces accentuated with a play onthe ultimate in tactile fabrications.

The look: Modernand minimal with a touch-me-feel-me appeal

Silhouette:Unstructured and square cut over relaxed-fit bottom weights

Key items: Thesquare-cut tee-shaped top is a key piece in the collection, worked in astrakhanor lofty brushed mohair, layered over silky tunic shirts and easy-fit pants.Outerwear comes as unstructured and often unlined pea coats, silky parkas,shrug-on jackets with snap closures or as a sleeveless coat. A shrunken jacketshape hallmarks the tailoring, with a truncated SB balanced by fuller-leggedpant shapes or relaxed-fit dark dye jeans

Colour: Anintelligently layered palette of muted greys and espresso brown, taupe and amedley of urban greys shot with accents of sapphire, teal, milk and bone

Fabric & knit: Tactilefabrics offer a soft touch, giving a soft diffused feel to the minimal silhouettes.Think lofty brushed mohair and astrakhan or broadtail, silky shirtweights andtaffeta, jersey, felted luxe wool blends, rustic herringbone and dark-dye denim

Print & pattern: Asimple linear T-shirt print, brushstroke-effect monochrome prints on an ivoryground

Footwear: Chunkydistressed-effect military boots in pale coloured leather

 

Read more »

Live From... Milan Fashion Week, Day 2

D&G

From chalet girls to flower girls in just one season, D&G was in full bloom yesterday, with a parade of country-cottage florals and tablecloth checks in an unashamedly girly collection.
The look: Pretty picnic with a touch of gypsy romance
Silhouette: Flirty tiers and wide-cut pants
Key items: Bloomers are fast becoming a collection staple for D&G, and this season they arrived either as a voluminous linen pair or tiny gingham versions peeking out from behind apron skirts. The wide-legged straight-cut gaucho pant was also a key item played out in repeat through various fabrications. Both were teamed with cropped peasant blouses, strappy sun tops with ruffled peplums, or printed button-down shirts. Elsewhere there were floral dungarees, flared jeans, playsuits, trapeze smock dresses pulled off the shoulders, and a denim pinafore layered over a rara-skirted gingham dress. The signature finale was a series of floaty chiffon maxidresses in gypsy tiers, with pussy bows, blouson sleeves or ruffled necklines
Colour: Red, white, denim blue and a raft of delicate pastel shades as grounds to the floral prints Fabric & knit: Linen, chintz cottons and poplins, rustic crochet, dark denim, lace, printed chiffon, gingham and Vichy checks, PVC
Print & pattern: Disney-licensed Snow White placement T-shirt graphics and a host of garden florals - roses, hydrangeas, freesias, violets and mimosas - overblown, ditsy or sprigged, worked on pale grounds such as washed sage green, sky blue or dusky pink
Footwear: Cork wedge platform wellies with ribbed-knit turnover cuff, extreme platforms with woven wedge soles featuring a corsage at the ankle
Accessories: Printed headscarves; oversized canvas shoppers, totes and slouchy shoulder bags; five-pocket concertina-construction Lily Twist handbag in printed florals on white ground


 Haute

This season sees a new creative direction for Haute under the steerage of British design duo Marcus Constable and Catherine Brickhill.
The look: "Dress Sculpture" was the collection title
Silhouette: Bursts of sculptural volume, occasionally short and swingy
Key items: Voluminous DB cocoon coats, storm-caped utility jacket and gilet, abbreviated tux jacket with chiffon faux-layer, pencil skirt with sculptural fin at the side, or a short and swingy skirt with large godets; ruched and pleated cotton jersey tops; cocktail dresses including a tailored satin sheath or sweetheart-shaped babydolls; bustier maxidresses and a tailored cigarette-pant jumpsuit with a fin working asymmetrically across the torso and the hip
Colour: Faux nudes, washed saxe blue, navy, silver and grey, gold, black and white Fabric & knit: Unprocessed cotton, silk guaze, striped silks and linen, organza, satin crepe, cotton jersey, metallic taffeta 
Print & pattern: Graphic black-and-white Art Deco-influenced linear pattern, an all-over painterly Baroque pattern
Details & trims: Origami-inspired pin-tucking, pleating and ruching; sculptural fins and folds, raw and frayed edges, silver paillettes with short beaded fringe
Footwear: Pointed satin platform Mary Janes with spike heel; multi-strap courts
Accessories: Skinny black leather waist belts


 Maurizio Pecorara

A bang-on-trend hit from day two of the Milan shows, Maurizio Pecoraro's collection was inspired by the late Yves Saint Laurent's work from the 1970s. The clothes traversed jet-set poolside chic to colourful Studio 54 disco glam.
"It's 70s bohemia! I went to Paris on holiday and saw the recent YSL retrospective and I was blown away. On my return, my dream was to continue my passion for what I had seen," Maurizio Pecoraro told WGSN.
The look: A 70s hit paradeSilhouette: Midi and full lengths with the occasional super-short surprise
Key items: Midi-length pencil skirts, high-waisted flares or hotpants teamed with halter tops, shells with single-shoulder waterfall ruffle and swingy caped tops. Breezy sheer kaftans, swingy skater dresses, maxi tent dresses and a finale of white shirts and smocks with decorated yokes or bibs
Colours: Creamy latte neutrals, pale gold and white were the cornerstone colours, punctuated with pops of orange, violet, mustard, magenta, cobalt, sunshine and turquoise
Fabric & knit: Macramé, crochet lace, linen, muslin cheesecloth, matelassé, metallic organza, super-fine nylons, soft raffia
Print & pattern: A watery floral degradé, a black-on-neutral mono-colour floral
Details & trims: Hand finishing, raw edges, crystallised all-over sequins, handmade flower appliqués crafted from macramé and decorated with semi-precious stones; large sculpted covered-wire corsages
Footwear: Flat platform sandals
Accessories: Fringed messenger bags, wide-brimmed straw sunhats, leather or suede cummerbunds, multiple beaded bracelets

Prada

Miuccia Prada upped the ante on the second day of the Milan shows, sending out an exuberant exercise in colour and print that took fashion back to basic building blocks in terms of colour and shape. 
“It was all about workwear and cotton and very simple. I used all the shapes from the menswear. Everything was in Japanese cotton. But then I wanted to do something like a musical. Something more bold and feminine. Something between minimal and baroque. Something more brave,” Miuccia Prada told WGSN. 
The look: Playful and simple with the emphasis on colour and print
Silhouette: Elongated and lean with the simplest shapes reworked through colour and pattern 
Key items: Prada played with the simplest shapes - boxy zipped jackets, easy pencil skirts, cropped boxy tops, V-neck uniform-like tops and shift dresses, strappy ruffled-hem sundresses, round-shouldered 2SB tailoring - and reworked them in various permutations of vivid colour, prints and stripes
Colour: Like the silhouettes, colour went back to basics. Think paintbox primary brights, poppy, cobalt and jade, offset with clashing fuchsia and tangerine, a deeper pine green and inky blues, accented with a flash of crisp white and a grounding of sooty black
Fabric & knit: Simple honest cottons and canvas
Print & pattern: A riotous and irreverent mix of simple stripes, with hand-drawn Baroque scrolls and cherub imagery, cartoon monkeys and bananas, along with a Josephine Baker-style dancing-lady motif
Details & trims: Flounced hemlines on simple shift shapes, mini ruffles at necklines, pop-pom trimmed hemlines
Footwear: Deep platforms and wedged heels defined the season’s footwear, worked in stripes and chequerboard patterns with laced uppers or simple ankle straps. Meanwhile, 20s-style T-bars and Mary Janes came in striped basketweaves with round buckles
Accessories: Fox-fur stoles were brightly coloured, and bags were worked in the palette of vibrant matching brights or simple stripes, with chunky double-handle shapes, envelope-style shoulderbags and smaller purse effects. Eyewear took up the Baroque theme with curlicue frames, and hats appeared as huge striped sombreros.


Fendi

A breezy summery look from Karl Lagerfeld, who addressed the season’s trend for all things 70s with his romantically inspired showing full of easy smocks, drawstrings and flowing sleeves. 
The look: 70s romance
Silhouette: Soft and blousy
Key items: Smock shapes proliferated from easy drawstring-waist dresses to off-the-shoulder bloused tops, often teamed with a full mid-calf skirt or softly cut wide pants. Caped sleeves added volume, and there was a play on hemlines with high-low effects and gentle bubble hems. Tailoring came as a short-sleeved pantsuit, and shirtdresses featured wide square-cut sleeves and longer-length fluted skirts
Colour: Crisp white married with a palette of cool blues that ran the gamut from cornflower through ultramarine and marine to a range of pretty aquas. At the opposite end of the spectrum, there were warm sunny apricots and peachy oranges with a flash of red and violet
Fabric & knit: Cottons, waxed finishes, silk, grid checks, hopsack weaves
Print & pattern: An engineered scorched-paper print, pressed flower-inspired floral patterns
Details & trims: Drawstring and elastic-cased details
Footwear: Block-heeled ankle straps, chunky wedged platforms
Accessories: Bi-colour bags in grained and smooth leathers. Leather belts, striped bags, alligator-trimmed bags, fur stoles, scarves decorated with miniscule fur pom-poms


Luisa Beccaria

There may have been nothing directionally new, but it was a deliciously feminine and highly commercial collection from Luisa Beccaria, full of the kind of pretty dresses, skirts and tops that uptown girls will love to wear.
The look: Feminine and romantic
Silhouette: Soft and fragile, waisted or softly draped
Key items: Soft blouses and skirts were key components of Beccaria’s fragile feminine looks, with fluttering fluted sleeves and smock shapes teamed with delicate A-line or easy pencil skirts. Dresses came as wrap shirtwaisters and pretty sundresses, or for evening, floaty draped chiffon columnar shapes. Pleat shorts and crochet knit pants-and-cardie combo added a sporty twist while still retaining the collection’s overtly feminine edge
Colour: The palette mirrored the romantic mood, with shades of white layered with pale poudré pink, rose, raspberry and peach, palest primrose and cappuccino
Fabric & knit: Fabrics were delicate and fragile, reiterating the collection’s feminine mood, with organzas, silk chiffons, eyelets, cloqué, weightless Chantilly lace, cottons and linen, and fine-gauge knits
Print & pattern: Micro florals in shades of washed red, blue and green worked in pretty stripes on a soft white ground; mixed florals on pink grounds and a splashy poppy print
Details & trims: Self-coloured embroidery on organza used as inserts, cut-work hems, pintucks, knotted details on caped sleeves, multiple ruffles
Footwear: Stain wedged espadrilles, T-bars
Accessories: Suede belts with corsage trims, wide corset belts, canvas poppy-print bag


Sportmax

A youthfully inspired collection from Sportmax, who bucked the trend for romantic and flowing 70s looks in favour of something sharper and more graphic, with crisp swingy 60s shapes and a clean-cut colour palette.
The look: Swinging 60s
Silhouette: Short and sharp with simple trapeze lines
Key items: The trench manifested itself as a swingy crisp white outerwear piece, as well as appearing as a sleeveless dress and a bustier over a simple white sleeveless shirt, while a trapeze-line PVC mac was another stand-out coat shape. Elsewhere it was all about youthful babydoll dresses - best in dark-washed denim - culottes and belted jackets, tunics, fluid pants and A-line shift dresses
Colour: White and inky blue accented with poppy red, strawberry, hot pink and orange, a flash of chrome yellow and black
Fabric & knit: Simple crisp cottons, denim, broderie and eyelet in varying patterns, wet-look patent, suede and organza, paillettes 
Print & pattern: Stripes, a silhouette butterfly print, a collaged check and stripe pattern in satin weave sheers
Details & trims: Metallic applied butterflies, guipure lace applied butterflies, snaps and zips
Footwear: Strappy courts with ankle ties
Accessories: Boxy bags on long leather straps, sporty belts

Read more »