Alberta Ferretti Fashion Show Milan Womenswear SS2016

At Alberta Ferretti the color code was, for a change, not girly nude and pink, but earthy. Sand, beige, terra cotta, mustard, tangerine, olive and ivory set the mood for a boho collection. One where suede and sheer dresses followed up on each other presented in front of a backdrop video of sand. Yet the overall feeling was light and airy, like you’d expect from Ferretti. A large part of the dresses was floor sweeping making some loose fitting outfits, like a coral red dress, a sand colored satin shirt dress, an off shoulder striped number, appear perhaps a little too shapeless. To reach a younger audience, that is. An audience whose attention Ferretti will definitely catch with this festival/safari chic presentation. Those macramé bodices, cropped lace tops, Victorian blouses, long dresses with high slits, sexy shorts will appeal to them for sure. A tangerine colored floor sweeping number seemed fit for queen Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones. On trend gladiator sandals to go, but perhaps best make a choice between statement necklace and earrings. In a finale of frayed dresses four feathered pieces seemed a little heavy, although they’ll look exquisite on a red carpet somewhere. It’s no secret creating dreamlike dresses has been Ferretti’s specialty over the years. Yet today the 65 year old designer proved she’s still in touch with a more casual, youthful and free spirited side too.

Our images will follow shortly.

Marc Jacobs Fashion Show New York Womenswear SS2016

“Marc Jacobs: One Night Only!” read the light box above the Ziegfeld theatre, the location of Marc Jacobs fashion show and the cinema where he, growing up in New York, saw so many movies. And oh boy, did Marc treat us to a special night out. As the stars of the evening, models acting as celebrities (even though they sometimes actually are in real life, hello Kendall Jenner) strutted the red carpet and posed in front of the Marc Jacobs photo wall we were escorted to our seats where we could watch them make their entrance. A live band played the New York Dolls’s 1973 song “Trash.” as Natalie Westling, dressed in an asymmetric raffia skirt and blue sweater, kicked off the fashion show. Clothes ranged from full on sequined and sheer party wear to sportive baseball jackets and striped sweaters. From denim on denim (as seen on Saskia de Brauw) to rock chick gone bridal (the final look). Stripes, stars, checks and prints of painted faces emphasized the theatre theme. Yet it was a bit back and forth with style, silhouette and color palette. Not to mention Marc’s selection of models was a bit out of the ordinary (hello Beth Ditto). Marcs SS2016 vision was hard to grasp in the short time frame of the show. The elegance and refinement of Marc Jacobs were still there. Yet looks were given a more playful Marc by Marc Jacobs touch. As if the designers discontinued fashion line and it’s bigger sister had merged. Presenting us with the best of both MJ worlds.

Calvin Klein Fashion Show New York Womenswear SS2016

Slip dresses are, besides those famous boxers Biebs parades in these days, perhaps the fashion piece Calvin Klein is best known for. So in yesterday’s show Francisco Costa made sure he put some focus on them. He gave the dresses, done in a porcelain palette and matched with simple trainers, a deconstructed touch, straps and fringes dangling everywhere. Making looks feel messy and giving them a certain je ne sais quoi-touch. Pieces thrown on without putting much thought to it. Like you would on The Morning After; the show’s theme. Blossom prints added an extra touch of romanticism to the story as elegant chains gave the finale of silky slip dresses even more grace. A fresh approach for Costa whose CK collections were so serene, clean and minimalistic before.

Jeremy Scott Fashion Show New York Womenswear SS2016

If anyone knows how to make fashion fun it’s Jeremy Scott. With his homage to the sixties, B-movies and sci-fi he go in touch with his most playful side. And so we witnessed models with heavy pouts and big wigs entering the runway in A-line dresses, bikinis as well as mini skirts and cropped tops. With a palette ranging from peachy to turquoise vibrant television prints, spongy knits, shiny sequins, transparent belts, mesh stockings, larger than life earrings and a necklace meets dress made out of blue and green polka dots it was all in the mix. A collection for the cool kids who dare to wear to make a bold statement by wearing something a bit off. Or for the older ladies who want to answer to their lighthearted fashion sense.

Lacoste Catwalk Fashion Show New York Womenswear SS2016

Although best known for it’s croc embroidery Lacoste is approaching it’s branding differently for SS2016. For instance with ‘Lacoste’ printed on a navy two piece worn by Lineisy Montero or on a hooded dress worn by Harleth Kuusik and ‘Rene’ (referring to founder and tennis champion René Lacoste) printed on a menswear polo. But also by turning it’s sportswear up a notch. Leaving the classic polo shirt aside and focusing on new shapes and silhouettes. Like an elegant blue number sported by Maartje Verhoef that seemed a mix of both a bathing suit and a legging. Or a vibrant red zipped dress and matching cap Bhumika Arora pulled off perfectly. But the fresh touch was also in those roomy jumpsuits, short bomber jackets and belted blouses. Sportswear pieces given a little twist by designer Felipe Oliveira Baptista. Not to mention the way the creative used the flags of so many countries as eye catching prints. Cuts dictated by the geometry of banners – lines, triangles, lozenges, the horizontal Y of South Africa. Primary colors – the blue, white and red shared by the flags of France, USA, England and Russia – but also the yellow and sky blue of Sweden, resonate in the collection’s color palette. A nod to the Olympics in Rio next summer, for which Lacoste may again dress the French team. An honor you don’t just go by in your ready to wear collection and an ultimate opportunity to send out a message of diversity.

Diane von Furstenberg Catwalk Fashion Show New York Womenswear SS2016

Diane von Furstenberg’s eponymous label is turning forty and what better way to celebrate than to by looking back? With a vibrant, colorful and super sweet collection she seemed to pay a tribute to her biggest success, the wrap dress. Inspired by Fortvna, after the Roman goddess of luck and the subject of the first painting Von Furstenberg ever bought it-girl models of the moment paraded in a selection of printed numbers. Like a multi printed wrap dress Karlie Kloss opened the show in. Or a silky jumpsuit shown by Ondria Hardin. Not to mention the ruffled, belted ensemble that made Anais Mali’s gorgeous skin look even more flawless. The show could have done without a few golden butterfly embroideries. But luckily there were some leather pieces, leopard lining and black sheerness to give the girly-cute collection a little bit of an edge. Because especially with every girl sporting blue eyeshadow and wavy hair with a big flower in it the sweetness of this show might have hurt our teeth just a little bit.

Givenchy Catwalk Fashion Show New York Womenswear SS2016

This year year is Riccardo Tisci’s tenth at the Givenchy-house, and there was a sense of celebration and coming of age amongst the clothes. It was a collection which spelled out and repeated almost calligraphic black and white variations of the same sentences: Ivory slip dresses and rouleau-strapped camisoles with lace edges, worn over excellently tailored black pants cut to taper gently over pointed shoes. Supple crepe tuxedo jackets with tails, soft kimono coats, and transparent organdy trenches glimmering with jet embroidery. Many, many body-skimming sparkly silver shifts.

Aficionados of Tisci maybe recognized the most spectacular of his couture dresses, one with a degrade feather effect, and another with leather patches applied on tulle in the shape of alligator skin. And then there was the face decoration, taken to another level of beautiful elaboration, in studded golden jewelry, tulle frills, and lace.

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.

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.

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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