Jil Sander Catwalk Fashion Show Milan FW2011

Raf Simons keeps on pushing the color-theme at Jil Sander. After two strong, minimalistic springcollections for him and her where he surprised the in all black dressed fashioncrowd with vivid colors and white T-shirts, his winter 2011 collection seems more in balance. He started with a dark suit, which actually was a mix of purple and black, combined with a shirt and sweater. But soon the colors changed into yellow, white, pink, orange and electric blue for total outfits and subtler mixes.

Simons replaced the mens shirt by T-shirts in shiny, bubbly fabrics and presented them in layers which added more volume and a fresh, modern touch to the minimal style.

Dolce & Gabbana Catwalk Fashion Show Milan FW2011

After a few strong menswear-seasons with the focus at Italian sartorial craftmanschip, Dolce & Gabbana moved on. They looked at Britain and 80’s style-icon Bryan Ferry, who’s slick style of shiny suits inspired a whole generation of young men back then. I guess Bryan Ferry was happy he grew out of that 80’s style of short, slightly squared jackets, wide lapels and tapered pants while watching the show in a slim suit and accompanied by two of his sons (who looked very smart too). It’s a big step from the handsome and streamlined Italian style we’re used to see at Dolce & Gabbana.

But maybe it’s just a matter of time. The look must seem bright new to a younger generation fed up with skinny pants and jackets. The new silhouette is more square and non fitted, jackets are much shorter and pants got low crotches. For the streetwise styling the designduo looked at British ska’s, with their hats, black and white, suspenders, short pants and shoes. The formal suit was mixed, a jacket with jeans, the pants with striped sweater, velvet with denim, faux fur with wool, pinstripes with pied de poule. There was even a hint of color next to the black and grey, red and bordeaux played a major role. The collection deserved the name Eccentric Tailoring –  only for those who dare.

Costume National Catwalk Fashion Show Milan FW2011

Costume National’s designer Ennio Capasa tried to mix traditional tailoring and fabric/construction research with a rebellious core. The result was less surprising as it sounds, because this is what he does every season. Experimenting with clean cuts, jackets without seams assembled by laser technique and a synthesis between formal and sportswear. Of course in signature black, with hints of res, royal blue, dark green and salmon for sweaters in soft mohair.

What I liked the most were the coats and jackets made of wool with leather sleeves, or made of fabric with knitted sleeves. But in the end it was a reset of ideas. Daring was a knitted tuxedo. And this season Capasa finally got rid of all the wite shirts and ties. In the name of a creative rebellion.

Ermenegildo Zegna Catwalk Fashion Show Milan FW2011

In a watery cold Milan the menswear fashionweek(end) took off with two classics: Corneliani and Ermenegildo Zegna. The design-team at Zegna seemed captured by China and mixed oriental themes with a more classic tailoring. Business suits had a sporty attitude thanks to the use of tweed-effects and utility touches. The silhouette was defined by straight shouldered three-button suits and jackets, as well as streamlined high-cuff trousers. The touch of China was visible in high collared Mao-jackets, bamboo-green, reds and shiny silk fabrics with a vintage patina. There was a slightly military touch to it thanks to army-belts, little leather pockets, combat-type boots and big shearling coats.

Item of the season will be the iPad-cases, as a sleeve or a shoulderbag. Almost every label is presenting one or more models in their collection.

It was a Live D fashion show, created in collaboration with director James Lima – who was a visual consultant on the film Avatar. Backstage models were filmed in the ‘Green Room’ using cutting edge filmtechnology. Front of house the images were projected on a giant screen in real time against a filmed backround, coinciding with the models arriving on the runway. The show unfolded both live and on screen  – as if the models were walking off the screen into the real dimension.

Highlights Milan Fashion Week SS2011

With the beginning of Milan Fashion Week the colorblocking started too. All big Italian fashion houses were in the mood for brightness. It started off with Gucci, then Prada, Missoni and Jil Sander followed.

It also became clear that the clothes were becoming more and more comfortable. The silhouettes were elongated and looser than before, the heels less high. That is, perfect clothes to lounge in next summer.

Oh, and one other trend: fringes and tassels as details on any possible item; dresses, bags, tops, hats, shoes, skirts and jackets. Major!

Gucci
The Gucci show was a great example of colorblocking to the max. The models looked glamorous from head to toe in their colorful designs, perfect leather pieces, shiny accents and numerous items with playful tassels. Like Marc Jacobs’s show in New York Gianni opted for a seventies vibe too. Yet the outfits of the sexy Gucci ladies were a bit more body-tight.

Jil Sander
Seemed to continue the colorblocking vibe the brand had launched during it’s menswear show in June. Simons used green, pink, yellow, violet and orange in one outfit and called it ‘a mille-feuille of color’. There were a lot of stripes too. The first few looks were made of large, floor-sweeping skirts and white tees. They made the models appear larger than life, but still looked elegant. We were impressed.

Bottega Venata
No colors at Bottega Veneta, but shades of black, white and grey. The silhouette was very loose letting the body shape almost completely disappear. Items like shirt dresses and suits made gave the collection a manly touch, without becoming less elegant. A great wearable collection from look 1 to look 41.

Roberto Cavalli
At Cavalli we celebrated forty years of an amazing, glamorous fashion house. Cavalli held a great show and a just as impressive after party. His spring/summer collection, which he presented in an area full of gigantic tropical leaves, was revealing and sexy. He came up with croc and python jackets and dresses with fringes all over the place. A perfect glamazone collection with all the right Cavalli ingredients.

Prada

Colorblocking, banana & monkey prints, stripes and Mexican hats, that is Prada SS2011 in a nutshell. Miuccia herself called the collection brave, bold and obvious. And only a designer like herself would be able to pull off some of these looks. The designs were often over the top, but there’s no doubt Prada will set some new trends for summer.The show immediately became everyone’s favorite and surely was one of the highlights of Milan Fashion Week.

On our way to Paris

Yesterday Peter and his colleague Jonas took the train from Milan to Paris, a 7 hour drive with stops in the Alps.

It’s goodbye to Milan

Three fashionweeks are over, one is still left. Tonight we pack our bags and tomorrow-morning we’ll leave for Paris. Wednesday the fashionweek starts with Rochas, Gareth Pugh and Dries van Noten, and the 7th of october it’ll all end with MiuMiu.

For now it’s goodbye to Milan, the city we enjoy the most. Not only because of those friendly Italians, but also because of the great food. We take two big shoppingbags of foodies back home.

Little celebration

Today we celebrated the fact that Alessandro has been our friend/driver for 10 years now. So we surprised him by dressing up his car with some guirlandes.  It’s always a pleasure to be in the car with Ale. He not only provides us with food and drinks, he is also the fastest driver around and always in for a laugh and a good story.

(And I still think he is the brother of George Clooney, but he keeps denying it)

Giorgio Armani Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2011

Of course it was a madhouse outside the Armani Theatro in Milan before the second Giorgio Armani-show. The rumour was confirmed: George Clooney was coming. So paparazzi and fans gathered outside and fought for the best picture. Clooney smiled all the time.

Luckily the collection stood on his own and drew the attention away from the American moviestar. Indigo-blue was the only color Armani used for this Touareg- inspired collection. The models wore small turbans, their outfits were thin layers of different textures (glossy, matt, glittering, transparant) and items which created a compact silhouette. Short tunics mixed with loose pants and cropped jackets, long skirts with flat shoes, accessories like amulets.

It was a beautiful, restraint and elegant collection. Sensual and relaxed, it made me forget the lack of color. Blue can be so mysterious.

Roberto Cavalli Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2011

With his spring/summer collection for 2010 Roberto Cavalli celebrated 40 years in fashion. The man that brought us sexy, fluid dresses in all kinds of animal-prints,bohemian  rockstar-clothes in python or crocodile and the real Italian style did not opt for a retrospective show. He invited a lot of his favorite models though and some were even walking in the show, like Laetitia Casta and Natalia Vodianova.

The others, Nadege and Heid Klum, watched the show front row together with Taylor Swift, Leona Lewis and Elisabetta Canalis.  They saw a very condensed collection that consisted of four things Cavalli is known for: long fringes, long dresses, catsuits and python(prints). Hip-hugging bellbottoms and long webby skirts were worn with tops that left hips, back and bellies exposed. Underneath the models wore bikini-tops. They looked like tribal hippies with their flat ironed hair.

The collection had nothing to do with color or minimalism, as we’ve seen elsewhere in Milan this week. This was Roberto’s own trip and he used his signature elements well.

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