MaxMara Catwalk Fashion Show Milan FW2010

While the so-called ‘Face of the Future’, actress Zoe Saldana (from Avatar), attended the MaxMara show, the brand in fact returned to tradition. The traditional aspects of the collection were the silhouettes and the fabrics.

Long coats were the showpieces of the fall/winter collection, so hopefully it’ll become a cold winter. The coats came in cashmere and corduroy. From the waist down they resembled wide pleated skirts. They were so long, their fabric even touched the floor. The coats’ upper parts had some military influences: double breasted, epaulets and XL collars.

The models marched on the runway in high black boots. A few times their loose-fitting, high-waisted pants were tucked in those boots. Leather belts with big pockets attached, gave the collection a masculine touch. Fur mittens were a funny extra.

The second half of the collection the corduroy returned in a few tops.  It formed a great contrast with the golden lame dresses that quickly followed.

The last few pieces of the show looked like they’d taken the longest to make. A black skirt, dress and coat were beautifully embellished with shiny crystal flowers. These delicate items felt a bit Russian.

It seems like the military trend is up for a second season. Although we’ve already seen a lot of it, MaxMara’s ultra-long military coats were a pleasant surprise.

Antonio Marras Catwalk Fashion Show Milan FW2010

Antonio Marras didn’t just chose a theme for his show, in fact a real classic story was the inspiration for his winter collection.

Marras told the story of Paska Devaddis, a female bandit who ruled the Sardinian mountains around 1900. Devaddis was renowned for her mixing of men’s and women’s clothes. She used to ride on her horse a lot, so to the sound of galloping hooves the show started.

The version of Devaddis Antonio Marras presented wears floral lace dresses in bright colors. Yet she hides these feminine dresses underneath several different thick layers. She puts on all these layers to keep herself warm.

One of the items Devaddis likes to combine with her dresses is a heavy sleeveless coat in tweed or fur. She wears the ones that have been disassembled and are sewn back together. Capes and military cloaks with epaulets also fit her clothing style.

Every now and then Devaddis shows her feminine side by revealing some body parts through a very transparent dress or some see through lace. She also wears pleated skirts and her capes have many jewel embroideries.

Although Devaddis is no longer with us, she might just become the next style icon. The combination of clothes was really great and refreshing and with the Devaddis story in mind it all looked even better.

At the end of the show the window frames that were hanging at the beginning of the runway were lifted and all models appeared again. To the sound of trampling hooves the 43 Devaddis look-a-likes strolled down the runway one last time.

Giorgio Armani Catwalk Fashion Show Milan FW2010

With his winter collection Giorgio Armani promoted ‘The new chic’. According to the show notes this meant the whole collection was ‘precisely stated in shape and color’.

The new chic surely wasn’t represented in the black ‘wigs’ the models wore on their heads. It seemed as if they’d just attached a mop to their hair that covered up a big part of their faces.

The new chic did have a lot to do with shape. A-line and asymmetrical shapes dominated the runway. Just like in Giorgio’s summer collection their were more than enough one-shouldered dresses. A lot of looks formed a mix of a skirt and a (black velvet) jacket. Armani in fact introduced ‘The new jacket’, fastened by the hooks at the side to create a ‘wave effect’.

Coral red, Tibetan orange and a hint of green were the new chic colors. They were combined with black and white and corresponded with the colors of the lights on the catwalk.

They even popped up in Giorgio’s sleek evening wear. The dresses had a lot of shiny details. Jewel embroideries – mostly floral shaped – were placed all over some pink and red designs. Large brooches were a nice and chic addition.

We loved the new chic idea, but though the collection was pretty chic it might have been a little more renewing.

Jil Sander Catwalk Fashion Show Milan FW2010

The soundtrack at Jil Sander consisted of shooting and screaming voices; this was a woman on a mission. It was from the movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. A part of the collection had the same sci-fi computer-game fantasy: form fitting catsuits,  rompers and knitted shorts suits all in black. The boots with velcro-closures did it too.

Another part of the collection Raf Simons presented, was modern and classic: fly-front jackets, skirtsuits, and slim coats in supple, light tweed and softly colored windowpane checks. This is the Jil sander-brand as we know it from her succesyears in the nineties. This was retro-minimalism at its best. Young women wil like the short skirts and tough boots, older women will feel comfortable in the black dresses and pantsuits. The luxury is in the fabric and make without screaming the brands name.

Gianfranco Ferré Catwalk Fashion Show Milan FW2010

The catwalk at the Gianfranco Ferré show had the shape of an H, so the audience was divided in two. The enthusiastic people seemed to be sitting on the right side. They applauded for several looks, while the left side just sat there quietly.

The looks that gained the most applause were a shiny gold coat worn by Natasha Poly and a long evening gown with a low back in the same shade. We loved a camel colored skirt worn with a beige top (both with a lot of texture) and a white pair of high waisted pants combined with a white top (both with visible pleats).

Some of Aquilano and Rimondi’s coats were pretty strong as well. They came in black, gray and beige and had lots of leather and fur accents. They were worn on top of some (knee-length) skirts and thanks to the waist belts they emphasized the models’ slim silhouettes beautifully.

The whole collection was, as the designers put it themselves,  very modern, dynamic and super feminine.

Alberta Ferretti Catwalk Fashion Show Milan FW2010

Although Alberta Ferretti had to design a winter collection her dresses were just as airy as they were last summer. Alberta used a lot of see through material and shiny silk-chiffon. She introduced some pleated designs and brought back the nudes from her summer collection. Instead of the flowers from last season the dresses now got crystal embellishments, gracefully put around the neckline and on the shoulder.

We know the dresses looked wonderful, but there is no way women are going to wear these ‘summery’ dresses in their daily life next winter. For a special party or a chic event, on the other hand, the dresses and ankle boots will be perfect. Especially the evening dresses looked very delicate. Some of them had transparent sleeves, but you had to take a close look to even see the fabric.

Apart from the frilly dresses there were fur coats that actually seemed appropriate for winter. They came in cream, blue, gray and black. Their waistbands and pleating at the back made them look extra elegant.

Commercially this was a smart collection. The women buying the new Alberta Ferretti dresses will need to buy one of the designer’s fur coats as well to keep themselves warm throughout the winter. Still it seems like their legs will be cold next year.

Emporio Armani Catwalk Fashion Show Milan FW2010

The Emporio Armani collection was pretty and upbeat, just what an uptown girl needs. A short fur or leather jacket, loose pants which narrow at her feet, a draped top and of course a glitzy dress for the night.

Armani played with textures, colors and shape. Techno-materials were used next to more traditional textiles as organza, wool and velvet. Colors were typical Armani-style: taupe, dove-gray, beige, slate and cloudy gray. Although the brick-orange was quite surprising  and didn’t do it for us. But maybe his growing Asian market will love it.

Throughout the collection we noticed a refined exchange between masculine and feminine, which is typical Armani. Jackets, pleated at the back, were made of organza, a chalk stripe waistcoat took the place of a T-shirt and shirts evolved into featherweight ultra-feminine tops.

DSquared Catwalk Fashion Show Milan FW2010

Phew! That was a hell of a collection and show at DSquared, especially after such a trendsetting show at Prada.  Men put in cages of glass, models landing at the runway behind the bars of an old elevator, elektro-disco yelling and clothes that looked like twin-brothers Caten revisited The Matrix.

They took the successful movie as one of their reference points, but also manga and Jekyll and Hyde. The result was a dark sci-fi collection full of black leather, latex and red details (underwear, gloves, legs).  It was all about shape and a sharp silhouet softened by fur-coats. There were some nice pieces: a leather and wool trench, some tailored jackets and a chic Forties-style dress, nipped at the waist and cut with a wide neck. Hopefully they will make the pencilskirts with a split before they hit the stores, because models could hardly walk in them.

Extremes were the high heels with spines as the heel, veins in blue and red drawn at a nude top, metal chains and bones-accessoiries.

Prada Catwalk Fashion Show Milan FW2010

You don’t wanna fight with the new Prada-woman. She looks sensuous and very elegant in her 50’s housewive dresses, but she’s in control and self assured. She is who she is.

This was yet another Prada-collection which leaves you distressed and thinking about what was going on. Someone called it retro-future, severe chic or restraint meets assertiveness,  I would call it women breaking free. Disturbing jazz filled the room and the models were walking down the runway with beehive-hair, bare faces and in prim dresses with high pointed shoes.

Take a closer look and you see the silhouette of the breasts sticking out, push up ruffle bra-dresses and a glimpse of knitted collars at chic coats and LBD’s with a plastic ruffle. It was exciting to see fuller-figured girls at the show – Doutzen Kroes and Lara Stone a.o. – who walked secure and celebrated their femininity. Interesting were the sweater-dressing – a blue cable knit at a full cable knit skirt – the dark 50′ prints and the rubber coats in camel. The collection was about sex appeal, but in Prada’s world, it’s not about baring all. It was conservative, sometimes almost funereal, except for the suggestive, exaggerated focus at the bust.

Hopefully the thick knitted knee-highs and maillots don’t itch too much, because they add just that edgy touch to the outfits. Especially worn with those fragile looking patent leather shoes.

Just Cavalli Catwalk Fashion Show Milan FW2010

At today’s presentation of the Just Cavalli winter collection it was clear this line is aimed at young customers. Primary colors like blue, red and yellow were visible in almost every look. They were there in some leopard printed house pants and on a few crazy printed leggings. Even the fur on some coats came in those colors. Besides, some of the skirts and dresses were pretty short, teenage short you might say.

Fortunately Roberto Cavalli was able to add some sophistication to his collection as well. He designed some romantic, transparent blouses with ruffles on the neckline and on the sleeves. Yet we didn’t really get the sort of bib he added on top of those blouses. It had it’s own ruffles and details and seemed to be tied at the models’ backs.

The crazy mixing continued when we saw wide belts, matched with short skirts and small jackets with pointy shoulders and fur collars, all in a different print.

By adding some tartan prints, multiple fans, necklaces with huge pendants and several patchwork sweaters Roberto Cavalli proved he dares to experiment. Though we admire his courage we advice to combine his items with more basics.

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