Emporio Armani Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2011

According to the pressrelease the collection of Emporio Armani was concentrated around ten elements: glamour, geometric deco, lightness, sheath, daywear, sleekness, shades , shape, form and fancy. Well, it briefly told what the collection was about: different layers of different shapes created new (sleek) forms, stretch see through tubes and leggings tamed the short dresses and skirts, minreal shades got company of green, black and watermelon red.

Max Mara Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2011

Somehow the summerseason is never the strongest at Max Mara. Winter means coats and they’re good at that. So the trenchcoats and suits were the best of the spring summer collection plus the long dresses in solid colors like red, purple and yellow.

Color was an important theme of the collection besides minimalism. The team at Max Mara tried to translate the big trend of next summer into a special look, but somehow the short flared pants looked a bit outdated and too tight for now and the use of some hairy fabric did not quite succeed. And even the translation of a minimal style was not totally convincing. Although the striped jackets and dresses and nude-colored shirts and shorts were a good shot.

Bottega Veneta Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2011

Just like his menswearcollection for ss2010 Tomas Maier tried to mix formal and casual wear into ultra-comfortable womenswear without losing the feminine touch. So flowing dresses got structure thanks to leather inserts, tankstops were attached to wide skirts decorated with studs, dresses were long, wide and fluid and suits looked as if they came straight out of the water.

The silhouette was close to the body but never tight, sometimes (crocodile) leather contrasted with the  silk and jerseys that had a wetlook.  It was the fluidity of the fabrics that gave the collection it’s sensual touch. Colors were rather modest compared to the vivid pinks and yellows we spotted in other collections. Bottlegreen, gray, black, white, babyblue and taupe were the key-colors. The flat sandals and slippers accentuated  the casual theme.

Moschino Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2011

At Moschino every look that came down the runway was screaming for attention. Hats, turban scarves, golden jewellery, large sunglasses, bows worn with blouses, belts, shoes tied around the ankles and big bracelets. Not to mention the clothes itself, with their had eye-catching prints and golden embellishments. All items got Rosella Jardini’s full attention.

The show started off in the same style as last year. Models wore hats combined with scarves and white blouses with black bows. Yet soon the new prints came on; big red & white stripes, black & white Vichy checks, flowers and loads of large polka dots.

Some looks felt a bit navy-inspired, due to their colors and prints. A few double breasted jackets and nautical rings were in that style as well.

As in last collection their was a lot of gold. It was used to decorate some of the skirts and jackets and the jewellery (necklaces with tassel tips, chain belts, Lily of Florence earrings and big bracelets) was made from it. Yet the golden rings we saw on some jackets last season had made way for pearls this time. Big faux pearls, that is.

You can imagine it was hard for us to focus on this over the top collection. There were definitely some great elements, yet it was all a little too much.

So, if you’re planning on wearing some of the looks, try to keep it simple. Wearing one or two eye-catching items is just fine.

Fendi Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2011

Last season was all about the fifties and sixties and their feminine Mad Men-inspired looks. Now, just one season later, Fashion Week is all about the seventies. It started last week in New York with Marc Jacobs and Anna Sui and this week the seventies were all over the place at Gucci and Fendi.

The two Italian fashion houses not only promoted the style from the same period, they also showed their designs in the same color palette, existing of turquoise, orange, purple and blue.

Harem pants and tops with puffy sleeves were combined with bright waist belts. When Karl Lagerfeld added 3-tone belts, shoes and bags the color blocking theme was complete.

Still there were some graphic prints too and some of the first outfits were white dresses with a remarkable burning passion cut flame print. Just like we saw at Alberta Ferretti the Fendi show had asymmetrical dresses (with just one sleeve) in it as well. We didn’t necessarily love them immediately, yet by the time it’s summer again we certainly will.

Overall the collection looked glamorous and, apart from the high heels, very wearable. We got a feeling fashion is going to be so relaxed next year.

Oscar de la Renta Catwalk Fashion Show New York SS2011

It was a typical Oscar de la Renta-show, full of pretty dresses, dramatic evening-gowns and impeccable make up. But somehow it all looked a bit too retro to me, the hair, the accessories, the setting, the mix, even the music.

I’m sure there are ladies who adore his style, but it has very little to do with fashion and new ideas.  This is Oscar. And Oscar is what you get : a dream of young girls going to their prom.

There were ladylike tweeds, windowpane plaids, and raffia embroidered linen garments.  For cocktail hour, there were a number of modern dresses, like a strapless dress in navy gazar embroidered with black organza or a white swansdown tutu. The evening gowns looked like promdresses, some with just one shoulderstrap, the other with a matching bolero, ruffled or with embroideries all over.

Ralph Lauren Catwalk Fashion Show New York SS2011

After a few strong seasons Ralph Lauren played it safe and also ‘on trend’ with a western inspired collection. I say safe, because this is the subject he’s good at and he did it before and it made him famous.

‘Little house on the prairie’-dresses were mixed with leather cowgirl pants, poet-blouses, leather jackets with fringes, jackets with lace inserts and Navajo-patterns for bags and vestst. Accessories were alike: belts with big buckles, silver chokers, hats and scarves.

Although The West is a theme during this New York Fashion Week (Rodarte, Donna Karan), the Ralph Lauren-collection didn’t add anything new or inspiring to what we already saw. But hey, it will sell anyway – especially if you’re not into minimalism or arty-farty-styles.

Phillip Lim Catwalk Fashion Show New York SS2011

Maybe Phillip Lim likes to puzzle, regarding the puzzle-piece concept of his ss2011 collection: garments without a back, side or bottom all created one look. Sometimes a skirt looked like an apron, or a dress seemed a three piece item.

The overall impression of this collection was chic, modern and fresh with hints of clean sportswear. Chique layers, structured shapes, and a colormix of camel, baby-blue, taupe and beige. Lim also played with contrasting fabrics, sheer with opaque, lambskin with sequins. And we really liked the menswear tailoring.

Proenza Schouler Catwalk Fashion Show New York SS2011

With their spring collection McCollough and Hernandez seemed to be heading in a new direction. Their clothes seemed more lady-like or, as the designers referred to it themselves, ‘more polished or grown up in a way.’

In a beautiful and soft color palette of pale lavender, pastel yellow, salmon, pink and peach they sent out Chanel-like matted tweed jackets, hand-died and T-shirt dresses and tees and sheer, loose-fitting tank-dresses.

Like in their Resort collection the designers worked with the special Japanese Shibori tie-dye technique, which fit perfect in this collection.

Their embroideries, ruffled details, softer approach and lingerie-looks made the collection very feminine. A few colorful bags and some arty necklaces where the only accessories of the show, but that was just fine.

Narciso Rodriguez Catwalk Fashion Show New York SS2011

Narciso Rodriguez did minimalism way before the young American designers discovered it, the ones who showed their simple collections this week in New York. Rodriguez knows how to make a simple, pretty and easy dress – it made him famous.

The designer went back to his heydays in the nineties, looked at old pictures of celebs wearing his dresses and decided to leave out all the noise again and focus at strong tailoring and simple tea-dresses. Collarless coats were thrown over silk tank dresses, dresses were cut on the bias and colors were dark and blushy.

You see, minimalism can be very romantic and feminine too,

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