Versace Fashion Show Milan Womenswear SS2016

Who run the world? Beyoncé knows. And Donatella knows too for sure. For this show it felt like those two leading ladies have been sharing the same thoughts: Who are we as women? And are we happy with who we are and the life we’re living? The Versace squat that walked down the runway seem to have the answers. The soundtrack of the show was ‘Transition’ by producer and DJ Violet and Friends, and was originally recorded to commemorate International Women’s Day. The perfect song for a show that was dedicated to all women regardless of age, color, religion, sexuality, or what sex they were born with. And that woman is matured, confident and sexy by nature, ready to bloom and explore in the urban jungle. She’s fierce and fragile at the same time. As a girlboss you don’t always have to be harsh, bitchy or have any other unhealthy attitude, sometimes you just have to let the clothes do the talking. And according to Donatella that means long time smashers such as animal prints, snake textures, sharp tailored suits, belted army blazers, platform shoes reaching sky high and lots of sexy dresses. No Versace show would be complete without some I-need-this-right-now dresses, right? We all need from time to time some off-shoulder, sheerness and cut-outs to reveal our best assets. Perhaps not at the office (try the military jacket!), but definitely at a party or any other sexy and fun occasion. It was a surprisingly mature and strong collection, without being too flashy or trashy. Sensuality and womanliness seem to be redefined. At least, for now. And so we end up with one more question: Would this be Versace’s new direction or just a fling?

Prada Fashion Show Milan Womenswear SS2016

If there’s one thing you can be sure about when it comes to Prada shows each season, it’s to expect the unexpected. So what to think of a show called ‘conservative eccentricity’? Miuccia Prada presented her Spring 2016 collection in a golden room, therefore they transformed the headquarters in Milan. All that gold interior matched perfectly with the heavy-metal mouths on the models, one of the most discussed details -same goes for the baby hairs- of the show. Gold mouths? Wait, what? How? Why? It was all the work of make-up mastermind Path McGrath. And you better get used to it, because what Miuccia Prada says normally goes.

This collection was, just like previous ones, based on the steady main pillars femininity, strength, and style. The main silhouette was a boxy jacket and skirt, which looked conservative indeed. But at Prada nothing is what is seems, so don’t fall for ‘just a jacket’ or ‘just a skirt’. We signed for modern tailoring with a twist. And that’s where the eccentricity comes in, that was translated into semi-transparant pieces revealing all there’s underneath (but still ladylike), XXL paillette lady coats, retro colours, extravagant accessories, bold metallic stripes or mixing so many different prints and textures that would’ve normally hurt your eyes but seem to work perfectly now. Miuccia Prada wasn’t present herself because of a family bereavement, but we would like to sent her a big bravo. She proved once more why she’s the leader of the fashion pack.

Max Mara Fashion Show Milan Womenswear SS2016

You know that moment, most times early in the morning, when you’re in hurry and you button up your coat in the wrong way? Like a weird asymmetric zig zag buttoning. And you go like: shit, another minute lost. Well that, according to Max Mara, wasn’t so bad after all. In fact, it’s runway material. The models showed many trenchcoats and double-breasted pea coats all buttoned up the wrong way. It was a fun and imperfect detail in the overal perfect, clean and modest mono-themed collection. Or as they called it on Instagram: Nautical simplicity with a luxury twist, which was accompanied by a backdrop and catwalk projected with waves. Who would’ve thought you could actually do walk on water? So yes, before we knew it we were checking off a sea of classic stripes, cotton maritime sweaters, the blue-white-ivory-red combinations, the rope handles on bags (their signature JBags even had ropes), gold buttons, semaphore flags, nautical symbols and sweet dolphin and seagull prints. The flared trousers, oversized sleeves, see-through details and starred tank tops added a little rock ‘n roll touch to it. Just like the soundtrack of the show ‘What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor’. Get on board, mate! This ship is ready for the waters. Drunk or not.

Gucci Fashion Show Milan Womenswear SS2016

Gucci’s new designer Alessandro Michele has some big shoes to fill, following up on Tom Ford’s version and Frida Giannini’s fashion eye. The heavy bearded Italian, who was appointed the new creative director of the billion-dollar Italian luxury brand at the beginning of this year, showed his third collection and took his feminine, rose-tinted ideas forward. History always looks better second or third time around, especially when you leave it to the hands of Michele. The women he sent out yesterday seem to be coming straight out of the seventies. The flared trousers and suits, bold glitter glasses, botanical embroidery crawling over, bow ties everywhere (how fun was the pineapple tie), lots of colour, the long sweepy dresses, ruffles from head to toe and what about the rick-rack trims. There was also a huge focus on fabrics: 18th Century brocades, metallic leathers, iridescent organzas, macramé and floral chiffons. All mixed and matched together. Everything was rich in detail and well thought. No room for nonchalance, modesty or primness, but enough room for romance and femininity. Underlined with many bold accessories, from dazzling bags to flower earrings and rings, dangling on arms and fingers. Some looks almost seamed like drawings on the model’s body. The collection may be quite bold or ‘naked’ for some of us, but it was full of want-it-now items.

Hot List: 24 black list upgrades

There’s no woman that doesn’t rely on head-to-toe black (except for Anna Wintour, who hates it). When you’re in hurry, have an important meeting or going on a date, black means you’re never out of style.  It’s the colour of mystery and mortality and for many designers, this inky hue is their mainstay. It may not be the most original or daring choice for summer, but it’s definitely elegant. Like Christian Dior said in 1954: “You can wear black at any time. You can wear it at any age. You may wear it for almost any occasion.” So even when the temperatures rise it’s nice to play it safe and not stress about wether your bold summer colours and indie prints match. But sometimes our daily black uniform can use a creative and unexpected upgrade to make an chic and offbeat combo. Which means you can experiment with different fabrics (mesh!), silhouettes and lengths – there’s more than just a black dress- to see what works for you. Have a little fun and experiment, cause the runways are offering you many choices. You may not have an actual runway in front of you, but remember: the street is your runway. So for everyone who’s not sure how to give your black uniform a twist, here’s a hot list of 24 options that will do perfect in summer time (from the beaches to rooftop cocktail parties). Because it’s not always a bad thing to be on the black list.

Menswear Trend Report SS15: stick you neck(lace) out

The first ever New York Men’s Fashion Week came to a close last week. But it proves there’s lots going on in the world of menswear fashion. And while NYC was all about the SS16 trends, the present moment still requires some good SS15 ensembles. And one of the most remarkable trends for men to wear this summer is the necklace. Most men will ask themselves which shirt or bermuda to wear when the temperature is rising, but what necklace? Not really. But after you picked your favourite shades to match your favourite shirt, perhaps it’s time to add a little something something to it. As a unexpected or fun detail. Jewellery offers an easy way to upgrade your warm-weather attire and won’t make you sweat in any way.

However, necklaces are obviously more dangerous territory (or female territory) than bracelets and cuffs. It can totally make or break your look and it’s totally a matter of balance. We saw many variations and combinations of neck decoration; rock ‘n roll like Saint Laurent, keep it cool like Cavalli, smiley faces that double up as functional watches at Moschino or religious christian necklaces at Dolce&Gabbana. The key here is to keep things as low-key as possible ór go bold and bright. It’s time, dear gentlemen, to stick your neck out.

Model Focus: Aya Jones

Making your model debut exclusively at Prada (#holygrail)? Say hello to the 21 year old stunner Aya Jones, of Ivory Coast/French and British descent, discovered on the Rue du Rivoli in Paris. And how can you be mistaken with such endless legs, wide eyes, pillowy lips (buh-bye Kylie Jenner)and a heart-shaped face? She looks a bit like a younger version of Naomi Campbell, who happens to be her role model.

You may think this beautiful youngster has been there, done that, but it’s all yet to come. She’s the breakout star to rule fashion week. It was only for spring summer 2015 that she first set foot on the catwalk as a Prada exclusive and now she’s the face of their latest campaign. So you could’ve guessed after that first show, there was a huge line on her front door. For the last seven months she has been walking runway after runway; Viktor&Rolf, Giambattista Valli, Valentino, Dior, Nina Ricci, Paco Rabanne, Maison Martin Margiela, Sonia Rykiel, Valentino, Miu Miu, Valentino Sala Bianca 945 Haute Couture. And once you got the catwalks, you got the media. She already starred on the cover of Teen Vogue and Numéro and appeared in Japanese Vogue and CR Fashion Book.

At such a young age she has already conquered a huge part of the fashion landscape, but there are still many mountains to climb. ‘It would be a dream to have a cosmetics campaign and to work with Chanel, Dior, and Louis Vuitton’, she tells Interview Magazine. We would definitely make a bet on this one. Who’s in?

Trend Report SS15: Flat forward

Let’s talk flats for a minute. We mean, except for the fact that they’re a huge trend right now(we’re not only seeking a flat stomach, that’s for sure), it’s summer for god’s sake and that invites you all the more to take off those high heels, take fashion a little less serious as you would normally do and give your feet a much needed holiday. Most of the time flats are our secret best friend (changing shoes right before you walk into the office or shoe-changements in the cab before making your entrance during fashion week; guilty as charged!), but this season it’s time to get your most comfy buddies out of the closet and give them some time in the limelight. And you may go flat, but that doesn’t mean you’re neglecting points on grace and elegance. Make sure the shoe has a slim and demure silhouette and choose by forehand what pair of shoes fits best with what outfit, whether you choose easy-going sandals (Dries van Noten), ankle-strap loafers (Chanel), cut-out flats (Carven) or Balenciaga’s pointy-toe flats.
It has never been this tempting to stay flat on the floor for a whole season. Sometimes the most fun part about getting dressed is about what’s going on down under, so make sure it’s worth while.

Monique Collignon Couture Light Catwalk Fashion Show MBFWA SS16

Mother Earth is obviously the main topic this Amsterdam Fashion Week. And for Monique Collignon it was time to turn yet another page of her earth prelude this week, revealing chapter two of her Earth Delight story. The catwalk was blocked with an enormous inflatable planet. And what better way to warm up your audience than to press play Michael Jackson, whispering his earth song in your ear (“what have we done to the world”). It led to absolute silence minutes before the lights turned off.

While her show on thursday’s opening night was based on earthy minerals, this one’s based on nature’s four elements: earth, water, fire and wind. The main differences were not so much in the designs itself, but mostly in the use of colour. When talking of nature’s treasures, you can’t skip its beautiful shades. Each element had it’s particular color scheme: Earth (soft pink, beige, green), water (white, blue, green, yellow), fire (red, orange, pink, black) and wind (black and white). Outfits consisted mainly out of dresses in all sorts: knee-lenght, ballet-like, sleeveless, covered with sequins or wrapped around the body. If you’re not a very dressy person, the elegant cinched or strapless jumpsuits might be a good option. Some looks were accessorised with animal printed scarves and clutches. No surprises there for the real Collignon fans (except for the sneakers), but just a rich collection both timeless and modern.

Susana Bettencourt Catwalk Fashion Show Amsterdam SS16

The SS16-collection is the beginning of a new cycle for Susana and this one’s the first of another four chapters. And also a new start to experiment with new fabrics and techniques without losing her solid signature. “For me it was about how I can keep on developing my work, but people can still see in a second that this is me.” It resulted in her familiar lace techniques and knitwear details, but with a new embossing technique. The collection is build around the way we see the world. How can we all have so different views? “The first book you get to read on Central Saint Martins is about the human body anatomy and especially the eye. So I totally got involved in that, explored every bit of it, as close as I could to the pupil, the colours and even the whole structure of the vains and translated this to my designs.”

Remarkable this time was the absence of colour and ethical details, something we have seen a lot in all her previous collections. “This time I wanted to keep it really simple and clean, so I’ve chosen white as main colour. The ethical detail was mainly in the white paint around the eyes.”

To understand the path taken by Susana as a fashion designer, we need to go back a few years and travel to the Azores in Portugal, where her passion for knitwear and traditional lace techniques were developed from early in her childhood. Relocating to London, to undertake a BA in Fashion Knitwear at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, Susana continued to hone her knitwear and women’s wear skills and translated her sculptural designs into the dimension of seamless knitwear. She explores the boundaries between technology and hand-crafting knitwear techniques, developing the jacquard to the extreme in order to make textures and volume in detail. And it got her pretty far. Her signature collections have won over fans the whole world over, including pop diva Lady Gaga. Will it also in Holland? As Plato once said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In that case, she did a pretty good job tonight.

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