Dries van Noten Catwalk Fashion Show Paris Womenswear FW20914

Dries van Noten not only presented his fall/winter 2014 collection in Paris, he also prepared an exhibition in the Museum des Arts Decoratifs. His fall collection was audacious and practical, making for powerful, chic-with-a-twist viewing. Op Art graphics and color-centric rave-culture inspired the Belgian designer.

One of Van Noten’s great strengths is his ability to control visually intense motifs, any apparent randomness is intentional. His swirls, overlapping triptych circles and broken-striped grids were applied with bravado executed oh-so-carefully. At times, he went for the contrast of the caustic-on-classic. At other times, he opted for full-on visual shock value. Undulating stripes were another interpretation.
Throughout, Van Noten integrated athletic references — jackets and pants with zippers and parachute details that stood in contrast to the collection’s more obviously polished fare. Either way, he kept his proportions ample, right down to the primary accessories: big, 3-D flowers.

Rochas Catwalk Fashion Show Paris Womenswear FW2014

For his Rochas debut collection designer Alessandro Dell’Acqua ensured he made a true statement. He presented a ultra feminine collection full of voluminous skirts, coats and dresses. Beside elegance the looks breathed luxury too, visible through the rich materials (velvets, jacquards, brocades) and embroidered details, which popped up everywhere. In a sober color palette ranging from baby blue and pastel pink to burgundy, petrol, navy and gold Dell’Acqua introduced fluffy winter coats (in fact two of them worn at the same time), tassled over the knee skirts, woolen fifties dresses, crystal encrusted bodices, embellished blouses, peplum tops, patent leather jackets and a finale of stirdy floor sweeping gowns. To make the oversize silhouettes even more powerful he added bright leather beaded gloves. Dell’Acqua sure had no trouble expressing himself and with so many statement pieces neither will the Rochas woman come fall.

Our review will follow soon, meanwhile enjoy our images.

First View Milan Womenswear FW2014: New Understatement

 

There are alternative ways to make a woman look beautiful. We saw brave and masterful innovative cut and pattern-making, smart updating of traditional skins and silks and an intelligent play with shades and light. The outcome looks new, modern and understated – sophisticated elegance with a self-evident comfort and natural flair in shapes that are not all that natural. What we look at are complex drapes, mathematical mosaics, intelligent coupes and smart technical finishing.

Tomas Maier, for Bottega Veneta, called these fab outcomes “puzzles’ – simple silhouettes with clever nips, skilful pleats and intelligent trompe l’oeil illusions. Ending up to be comfortable dresses in a sensual cosmetic pallet, to make women feel good.

Alessandra Facchinetti for Tod’s found ways to use leather less like skin and more like fabric which leads to streamlined, modern, women friendly outfits in lacquered patent leather.

Where Bottega Veneta uses ‘puzzles’, Tod’s mentions ‘mosaics’, both as results of in-depth explorations of pattern-making. Their efforts are inventive, unorthodox and challenging classical tailoring standards.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

 

First View Milan Womenswear Fw2014: Avant Garde

Where other designers stage fashion, Prada treats us on tales and inspirations. A holistic experience, theatrical performance, and an inspirational happening. As always firm-rooted in cultural heritage she reflects on Germany’s cultural avant-garde and the oeuvre of director Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

It was a scenery flooding with vibrating contrasts – black, gold and furious red – transparency and opaque – veils and shearlings – matt and shimmer.

Deco-influenced patterns and silver trimmings among others at Prada. Bold gold-fringed starlets at Just Cavalli, corsage accessorized furs covering veils at Fendi and constructivist shearlings covering slink sheer shifts at Prada.

Inspired by Fassbinder’s love for culture and telling a story, he also showed her the darker sides of life. She mused on the opposite of rich, the doom and gloom of glam and casted sensual and eccentric she-devils wearing Prada.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

 

Giorgio Armani Catwalk Fashion Show Milan Womenswear FW2014

Giorgio Armani went green with his fall 2014 collection. In combination with gray that is. According to Armani green, lime-green – is a stimulating color and a bit avant garde. But the result was more classic in the end. Armani opened the show using different shades of gray, often in combination, for jackets, pants and dresses. He loosened his tailoring for easy coats with one-button closures at the neck.

Then the green showed up subtle, as a small stripe on a jacket collar, but later full on, in dresses and integrated separates.

Evening started with black jackets and T-shirts over fluid green pajama pants, some of them crystal-embroidered. The mood was casual. Pretty gowns followed, some cut with bodice treatments. These came in gray and black with varying degrees of lime.

First View Milan Womenswear FW2014: Touch me Feel Me

 

The FENDI show, by Karl Lagerfeld, opened with fitted dresses erupting into tufts of fur at their seams. Lagerfeld punned that the effect was a “fur escape”. No escape though when it comes to fur this season. Puzzled we are spotting the overwhelming flood of critique-less fur. Gone are the days of manifest, consideration and reflection. Strong felt when it comes to the multidisciplinary, industrial and less known fashion designers of this era, so little when it comes to the globes powerful fashion stages.

Hairy surfaces are favoured and savoured in many ways this season. The superior quality of Italian craftsmanship demonstrated in pixel patch-working puff and fluff at Fendi. Strolling the Highlands in Max

Mara’s discreet and natural precious knits. Where Just Cavalli rocks in rich tapestry brocades and manipulated hair and fluff patterns.

‘Violets for Your Furs’ was the Billie Holiday’s song that inspired Lagerfeld – cold comfort for our furry friends.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

 

 

First View Milan Womenswear FW2014: Soft Spo(r)t

Here the accessible side of fashion on show during fashion week Milan. Soft touch comfy wear with a sporty esprit in plain and simple near-traditional shapes. Parka’s, trenches and woollen shirt-dresses reflect the spirit of the 60s neat and polite society, as exclaimed by Gucci. Orderly details and subtly shifted proportions, jut raising or lowering the waistlines. In sophisticated off-color-combinations that add that contemporary touch so much needed to trigger the desire-and-buy-me-machine.
Just Cavalli in general went for the hairy fluff, but here he wrapped his model in snug short shearling in a pretty pale pastel. At Fendi zippered skirts and parka’s, sporty as well as romantic, with tufts of fur on luxurious casual coats. And also Gucci tapped into the casual side of its heritage, with smart double-breasted coats, short high-waisted dresses in sugary macaron-shaded and faded pastels. To quote Suzy Menkes for NYTimes: ‘All good and luxurious stuff’.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

Dolce & Gabbana Catwalk Fashion Show Milan Womenswear FW2014

For ever inspired by their beloved Sicily designers Domenico and Stefano this time pulled from the moment in history when invaders brought myths, legends and thus fairytales to the island. Doing so the show’s backdrop was one big mesmerizing fairy tale wood. Models were dressed as little red (grey and purple) riding hoods sporting large capes with fur trimmed hoodies. Cartoon-y Foxes, owls and squirrels were embroidered onto their clothing, as well as large flowers and keys (to the castle). There were frogs to be kissed. The color palette was warm (purple -amethyst-, ruby, emerald, burgundy, mustard), fabrics were rich and decorated (with beads and sequins) to the max. Attention was in the details, from diamond encrusted gloves to embellished handbags; this was luxury fashion at it’s finest. And though every single piece was beautifully made there were creations for the castle’s servants and there were show stopping princess gowns. One purple, floral printed, sheer dress, another in yellow and the closing look in red were truly magical. Not to mention the grande finale full of glittery Tinkerbell dresses. We’re enchanted..

Salvatore Ferragamo Catwalk Fashion Show Milan Womenswear FW2014

Salvatore Ferragamo on Sunday was classic with just the right amount of edge and modernity. Massimiliano Giornetti presented sophisticated, deep colored (bronze, green, orange, purple) looks in rich materials like cashmere, leather and fur with brushed plaid details and leopard spots. To make things more interesting he played with those ingredients, dipping leather pleats in metallic paint and giving fur pieces a leather trim. Multiple variations of the cape, sleeveless coats, high collars, accentuated waists, slick hairdos, perfect little handbags, power sunglasses, high-heel riding boots, tights instead of bare legs and the fact that there was not a pant in sight (just dresses and skirts) made the collection extremely elegant. Giornetti wasn’t trying to hard to do something modern, refreshing or edgy; this was classic luxury at it’s best.

Missoni Catwalk Fashion Show Milan Womenswear FW2014

Messy buns, black mascara from the night before and comfy, slightly sporty attires; Missoni’s girls were 100% in the relax mode on Sunday morning (and that is just how Sunday mornings should be). “A very feminine girl in men’s oversize outerwear”, was how Angela Missoni described her collection as she sent out loose cargo pants (with large side pockets), shiny waistcoats, sleeveless knitwear and body hugging tops, fur jackets and hoodies came in the liveliest of fall shades. The brand’s signature zigzag came in small and larger forms; displayed on and woven into woolen coats, knitted pencil skirts, different tweed variations, suit jackets and in XL size on a fur top. Designs had geometrically shaped, colorful appliqués too. Nothing to go crazy for right away, yet a typical Marni addition. Gloves, bags and hats gave everything an extra luxurious feeling. Laying in bed all day might be just about anyone’s favorite Sunday activity, perhaps a little lunch would be a good idea.. ‘Cause Those clothes need to be seen!

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