Gianfranco Ferré Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2013

Sometimes just using black and white in a collection can be enough. At least Stefano Citron and Federico Piaggi – never huge fans of color and print – didn’t fail to impress with their black & white only collection, inspired by photographs of Guy Bourdin, which made for a monochrome colour palette with accents of gold.

Their designs looked ultra chic. Surprising shapes, mixed materials and asymmetrical details gave every look it’s fashion forward touch. A white skirt, strapless top and long black train looked stunning in it’s simplicity. Low V-necks were alternated with fully buttoned sheer blouses and several one shouldered jumpsuits made their appearance too. Perfect legs were revealed in a series of bermudas, cocktail dresses and short skirts. Still, the selection of streamlined longer evening dresses, which had gorgeous leather leave details around the waist and neckline, made just as much impact with their perfect graceful slits.

Citron and Piaggi stepped away from their very architectural shapes and kept things quite simple. A smart decision since this Gianfranco Ferré collection turned out more wearable than ever. The proof that a minimal collection doesn’t have to boring and less often is more.

First View Milan Womenswear SS2013: Pure Now

We open our Milan survey with a statement of minimalism and purity. Simplicity and geometry in contours and lines are sparked with reduced surprise and understated fun. Open and subtle graphic patterns, or most plain with volants, florals and dots. In simple and sharp basic white, grey and black or plain, vibrant and colorful.

It is striking that this exercise of the clean and serene, this excellence in manufacturing, seems too empty for designers and reviewers to label it just graphic and pure. They stress to look for a deeper meaning and search for the soulful, sentimental and personal. This is a noble attempt to design the now and tomorrow, detached from false sentiments of nostalgia.

Gucci shows aristocratic purism, Prada adds soul by making the graphic all tender an personal, Fendi deletes the logo’s to show clean integrity in reduced tailoring where Jil Sander celebrates the pure in light, fresh and pristine looks.

We like to label this as surprisingly gorgeous reductivism.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

Dsquared2 Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2013

If any of the guests was still a little sleepy at Dsquared this morning he or she sure must have been wide awake the moment they left the venue. Dean and Dan treated us to a loud and fast show, which, at 09.30 A.M. in the morning, can be kinda heavy.

To the beats of a high tempo Alright club mix raunchy dressed models appeared in mini skirts and leather, belly revealing tops with heart shaped straps. They wore hot pants, printed tees and leather jackets. We saw a few black maxi-dresses, a mono-kini and a shiny metallic jacket. Yet it weren’t really the clothes that grabbed our attention. It was hard to keep our eyes off the jewelry and accessories, as models were accessorized to the max.

They had chunky chain necklaces around their necks, hips and wrists. They wore leather gloves and caps adorned with pins and pearls. Ginormous earrings appeared from behind their hair and of course the bags weren’t quite subtle either.

As two male models dressed in white turtle necks took pictures of every single look a voluminous, floor sweeping, leopard printed gown was sent out as Dean and Dan’s final head turning creation. For SS2013 Dsquared is all about getting noticed. Then again, not every brand has to go on board of the minimalistic train.

Giorgio Armani Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2013

Giorgio Armani kept his ss2013-collection ultra subdued with cloud-like colors that moved into a range of lovely blues. The first part of the show contained sportswear pieces worn in layers, often a short jacket over a tunic and pants.  Airiness was the point, and often, the effect, as Armani worked mostly in lightweight silks. Armani’s message of elegant ease he delivered via jackets with softly pleated, flyaway backs; a  focus on shorts and some dresses in gentle prints. Into evening celestial prints and dazzling crystals — grids, starbursts and spheres — exploded against grounds of black and navy.

Missoni Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2013

Angela Missoni re-imagined the label’s signature knits through interesting plays with layering and transparency, often veiling the pieces in soft organza for an ethereal effect. A short fitted dress in a patchwork of pink knits was visible under a looser one in pink organza, and a sequined sheer floor-length gown was shown over a white knit version that hugged the body.
Missoni has a strong eye for color – often in gradations of greens and oranges – and the silhouettes and proportions were in control so the clothes had a certain allure. The final black dresses had a slight futuristic vibe.

Salvatore Ferragamo Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2013

It might have been a summer collection we were watching; today Ferragamo was all about coats. Strong trench coats with military details followed each other in a fast pace during the show. Done in shades of beige, kaki, off white and black they looked extremely wearable.

They were either matched with slim pants and ankle boots in the same shade or skirts and knee high, peep toe boots in which many of the girls almost took a tumble. Massimiliano Giornetti worked with lots of different styles and fabrics. He used mesh tops, suede and leather together in one look and thanks to the fact that he did every look in just one color that worked out perfectly.

Giornetti’s creations might not have been very exciting when it comes to shape; he did make sure every look had something grabbing your attention as it came down the runway. He used sheer lace details, leather accents (snake skin and croc too) and added a touch of shiny metallic to glam it all up. The result? A selection of fine day wear clothing, which can easily be mixed and matched into any woman’s wardrobe. And perhaps she can look for another pair of knee high boots…

Dolce & Gabbana Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2013

Stefano and Domenico didn’t have to travel far for the inspiration of their summer collection. Sicilian tradition was the designers’ (Domenico has his roots on the Italian island) starting point.

Dolce & Gabbana took their theme of choice quite literally, displaying prints of famous theater puppets and using images of Caltagirone head-shaped ceramic vases and dishes. Elements which they mixed with stripes to recall the beach umbrellas and sun beds of local shores, thus creating the wardrobe for a hot summer of ’13.

Like you’d expect from the two designers a lot of craftsmanship was put into creating the clothes using natural materials like straw, raffia, organza, cotton, linen and brocade. A coral colored basket-like mini dress and several midollino corsets being the ultimate example of the designers’ strive for handmade perfection. And even though materials may be rough and stiff the models looked graceful and feminine in their A shaped looks, which were all accentuated at their waists.

Besides presenting their new collection Dolce and Gabbana did a little promotion for ‘their’ island as well. Several designs read “Hand made see, sun, love” as Domenico Modugno sang about how wonderful life actually is.

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m heading to Sicily next summer. Can’t think of a better place to rock one of those printed bathing suits…

 

 

Trussardi Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2013

What better place to hold a fashion party than on a Manhattan building’s rooftop? Right. So for Trussardi Umit Benan Sahin took us there for a cocktail and the presentation of his summer collection. His dress code didn’t exactly read cocktail, though, as models appeared in menswear inspired looks. grandma dresses and sporty casual wear.

Long tailored pants made the model’s legs look sky high as loose fitting tops and jackets gave them a little more ‘body’. Sahin made his Trussardi girls look streetwise too, by playing with leather parts and letting the models walk with their hands in their pockets. Chopped up bangs and shoulders bags added to that effect.

The few dresses maybe added an extra touch of femininity, though the contrast was a bit high compared to the tough street chic looks.

Going Trussardi next summer? Pick your favorite elements (sporty, menswear inspired or vintage chic) and mix ‘em up with your personal wardrobe. Just play around a bit, there’s never just one way of wearing things.

 

 

Marni Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2013

Firmness. Sparseness as elegance. The new Marni collection is a weightless exploration of volume. Form is reduced to its pure essence, laid bare to expose the precision of the cut and beauty of the fabric.
Clothes stand away from the body, gently drawing moving contours around it. They float, fold and turn. Silhouettes are clean and sculpted: A-line, trapeze and to the knee.
A sense of spontaneity is focal: dresses look like fabric was folded, rather than cut, into the final shape; pleats and peplums create sensuous additions on tops and skirts. The tension between delicacy and strictness adds nuance: short-sleeved shirts and matching pants are as efficient as uniforms; basques bring focus on the hips; flowery patterns are feisty.
The color palette contains white, black, dark green, touches of aqua, pale grey, orange, red, purple. Firm, compact fabrics enhance the bare pureness of the lines: cotton canvas, tape jacquard, bonded leather.

Emilio Pucci Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2013

Peter Dundas, the British designer at Pucci, proved himself capable of designing collections for this Florentine house without the famous kaleidoscopic Pucci-prints. And still, it’s as glamorous and elegant as it ever was.
For Spring, Dundas filtered his style signatures through the lens of Vietnam. The designer used occasional military reference as well as traditional Asian motifs and showed bomber jackets, sheer veiling, tattoo embroideries, and a cargo jacket in kimono-style. The collection did have some prints, but they were not the focus.  This time Dundas layered a woodblock motif over the vintage find to make it modern.

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