Tue, February 25 2020 » Fashion Blog
SPORTMAX FALL WINTER 2020 WOMEN’S COLLECTION – MILAN FASHION WEEK
This season, ensembles bear messages that transcend mere aesthetics. The Sportmax Fall-Winter 2020/21 women’s collection confronts both the imminence of a hyper-technological future and the pursuit of a connection with a deeper sense of self. A balanced dichotomy between two scenarios, the latest Sportmax collection also permeates a positive outlook that is open to dialogue, encounters and reciprocal discovery.
Fall-Winter is an embrace of style between a structured mood and a futuristic one, in terms of accents. The sweetness of female silhouettes is imbued with an authentic seductiveness, void of stereotypes.
On the runway, outerwear, the eternal symbol of the brand, takes center stage. Capes, coats, jackets and raincoats are fashioned with unconventional rows of buttons and are updated with exaggerated shoulders, detachable collars and decor embellishments.
Jackets are often defined by compact volumes that compliment short skirts or high-waisted, slightly-flared trousers. The same slacks and skirts are effortlessly married with the billowing elegance of delicate blouses lavished with demi ruffles or anterior plissé.
Layered vests and bodices are dominated by faux leather in solid colours or silver matched with fluid silk and knit dresses. Leather is also worked into pleated inserts or combined with knits, infused into tops, jumpsuits, skirts and pants.
A recurring element is the coordinated outfit, complete with coats and skirts, united by the same materials. Sartorial techniques derived from the tuxedo have been extended to a dress-coat combo version with satin lapels. Denim, incorporated with touches of duchesse, are also a homage to the classic tuxedo.
Dresses are a play on traditional tailoring, revealing underlying fabrics and asymmetrical silhouettes that facilitate three-dimensional effect. A delicate softness accentuates a sinuous figure.
The colour palette is a blend of neutral tones such as camel and khaki, juxtaposed by deeper colours such as navy blue, grey mélange — punctuated by white, pinks and light blues. Predominantly floral prints, as well as délabré upholstery-style patterns and jacquard motifs infuse a sense of levity into an overall futuristic theme.
Boots expand beyond the knee, fashioned with a sculpture heel. Sandals are crafted with ankle straps, while sneakers are reminiscent of astronaut footwear. The Space-Age concept is further emphasised by ultra-scenographic eyewear.
Tue, February 25 2020 » Fashion Blog
Tue, February 25 2020 » Fashion Blog
MOSCHINO FALL WINTER 2020 WOMEN’S COLLECTION – MILAN FASHION WEEK
From the gilded extravagances of Marie Antoinette to the candy-bright colors of Tokyo, Jeremy Scott’s Moschino Fall 2020 womenswear collection is all about fantasy, fun—and a bit of irony.
Think: the one-time Queen of France, but cosplayed today. Or, alternatively, as Scott calls her, “Anime Antoinette” stepping out from a flat-screen in 2020, time-traveling in reverse, and holding court in Versailles.
Through it all, an insurrectionary fire burns; when the elite rule with ignorance and decadence, rebellions stir. This is where Scott’s paradox surfaces; the collection is built on hedonism, but it’s the kind of fun that comes with fangs.
The palette is packed with frosting-pastels and hyper-saturation. Shapes are extra-exaggerated. The surreal gets sugar-coated. Farthingale and pannier-waist dresses are morphed into new silhouettes with hybridized hoodies or moto-jackets.
Denim is accented with gold threading; that same metallic embroidery appears as cherubs on skirt hems or leather lapels. Frilled hems add a lighthearted kick, while rainbow jewel-toned velvets recall a more recent sort of nostalgia (the 1760’s meeting, the 1960’s). Toile de Jouy motifs are reimagined with anime characters in situ.
As a cherry on top, Scott’s finale evening gowns—designed to mimic tiered cakes—act as a tongue-in-cheek take on Marie Antoinette’s famous alleged quote. (Whether or not she actually said “let them eat cake” is besides the point; the confectionery cocktail dresses stand as a sly comment on the denseness of certain people in power).
Of course, in the Moschino timeline, satire and subversion is always envisioned with both grand theater and good humor.
Tue, February 25 2020 » Fashion Blog
ALBERTA FERRETTI FALL WINTER 2020 WOMEN’S COLLECTION – MILAN FASHION WEEK
Daywear, tailoring, and femininity are the elements of the new contemporary. Alberta Ferretti Fall Winter 2020/21 collection explores an unconventional fashion through a study of well-tailored daywear. Traditionally, associated with men’s tailoring, checked fabrics were used to reinvent the classic womenswear aesthetic and produce a sharp vision of contemporary femininity.
“I started working on this collection thinking of a woman that was far from the established ideal. I have always focused on promoting femininity, but for this collection I pushed myself further by giving garments the ambassador role for sophisticated, yet sustainable daywear.” says Alberta Ferretti. The collection is essentially composed of a series that seeks solutions for both practical daywear and ethereal eveningwear.
Shirts, jackets, pants and coats that come in checked cashmere, are crafted with tailored cuts and accompanied by newly interpreted denim looks. The sartorial cuts are also used to shape new volumes on sleeves. Additional styles of silk fil coupé shirts and trousers are fashioned alongside chiffon tops and skirts tacked down by embroideries.
Shearling or cashmere coats, brocade dresses and chiffon aprons are also styled with moiré silk trousers. The effect of an exaggerated shape and amplified volume was achieved by ruches finished with hems supported by an internal thread that settles the form, while detaching it from the silhouette.
An elevated colour palette was carefully considered. Shades of grey and tones of black serve as a base, to the red, mauve, purple and blue hues. Coordinated accessories such as leather gloves are accompanied by high boots and voluminous bags in matching checked fabrics.
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Tue, February 25 2020 » Fashion Blog
Mon, February 24 2020 » Fashion Blog
FENDI FALL WINTER 2020 WOMEN’S COLLECTION – MILAN FASHION WEEK
It is behind beauty that sometimes profound truths are hidden. Through the FENDI Women’s Autumn / Winter 2020-2021 Collection, creative director Silvia Venturini Fendi delves into the duplicity of the FENDI woman, describing the idiosyncrasies of her powerful femininity. Thus the subversive concept of “soft power” emerges, from the boudoir to the boardroom, expression of a world full of emotions and rituals.
The chromatic and textured contrasts combine shades of gray and warm neutral shades with touches of pastel colors and bright FENDI yellow. Structure and softness reign supreme, bringing to the fore a forbidden balance between severe austerity and sensual abandonment.
Through unusual contrasts and elegant monochromes, an intoxicating mix of cashmere, fur, leather and lace becomes the backbone of this season’s FENDI wardrobe. Tailoring and outerwear are built around a narrow waist; flared military coats, shiny jackets and precious blazers are structured through the bodice, with shoulders that glide to the flat tip or fall into Giulietta sleeves.
The voluptuous forms open in cozy high-necked sweaters, pleated skirts in leather and organza blouses with bib, in contrast with the rigorous lines of the nurse’s collar, the stripes of the male shirt or the details of the quilted satin and felt corset.
Revisiting the animal designs, the leopard-stained paisley peeks over sartorial garments in brushed wool and inlaid fur, embellished with a band of fringed beads or fluorescent apricot Chantilly lace. Sober and provocative at the same time, the FENDI femme fatale cannot give up audacity.
The FENDI Autumn / Winter 2020-2021 accessories collection recreates the atmosphere of the boudoir through the padded leather boots with cage and the satin pumps with strap. Available in three sizes, the new accordion design Peekaboo opens in a big smile, revealing interchangeable internal clutches in smooth and precious leather. It also appears on the catwalk in a version with golden leather fringes or applied lace profiles and pearl tassels.
In collaboration with the London brand of accessories Chaos, designed by Charlotte Stockdale and Katie Lyall, the Maison presents a line of “technological jewels” and small accessories, offering a luxurious response to the daily need to bring your own items. Nothing is missing, from the smartphone cases in woven gold mesh to the perforated FF minaudière, from the smartearplugs to the smartwatch holders.
Leather straps, zip cords and bracelets with links present an assortment of charms with letters of the alphabet, golden lighters and a minimalist set of liqueur glasses. A pen-shaped earring works on both paper and tablets.
The FENDI Women’s Fall / Winter 2020-2021 show takes place on the live notes of SONOIO, an electronic music project by Alessandro Cortini, keyboard player of the acclaimed industrial rock group Nine Inch Nails.
Mon, February 24 2020 » Fashion Blog
MAX MARA FALL WINTER 2020 WOMEN’S COLLECTION – MILAN FASHION WEEK
Painters, poets and philosophers, composers, cartoonists and crooners from Shakespeare to Stevie Nicks, TS Eliot to Tracy Emin, Jeanette Winterson to Jean Genet; they have all felt the lure of the sea. Max Mara shares their fascination.
The ocean is a potent metaphor for the human condition; hazard and hope, love and longing, valour and vaingloriousness. Tales of ships and sailors are universal. “In civilisations without boats,” Michel Foucault observed, “dreams dry up.”
Ms Max Mara has been dreaming a lot of late. Daydreaming. A little tired of the hidebound conventions of corporate life, she sits at her desk and entertains fantasies of running away to sea. Her dreams cast her as the captain of her own ship, out to rule the waves and make her fortune.
Northward bound, from Morocco to Murmansk, she imagines majestic wintry seascapes. And whilst she’s charting her course with characteristic Max Mara levelheadedness, she detects a surprisingly romantic impulse stirring within her.
And what’s in this latter-day adventurer’s wardrobe? Well, the maritime theme yields a variety of silhouettes and a newer way to mix Max Mara’s signature camel, grey, white and, naturally, navy. There are coats of all kinds; officer class greatcoats, capes, cabans, and duffels with toggles and tassels. Luxuriant robe-de-chambres are tied at the waist with an elegant rope.
Ruffles and gathers lend debonair swagger to the shoulders and sleeves of camel hair classics, pinstripe jackets and a skirts with hemlines that dip dramatically on one side. A capacious Max Mara doudoune is perfect for the harshest inclemencies – its outer shell is resilient nylon, but its wadding is a cashmere fleece.
Of course, an epic sea adventure requires a fair amount of stowage. Hence Max Mara’s Marine bag capacious and soft but with structure like a ship’s keel.
Mon, February 24 2020 » Fashion Blog
GUCCI FALL WINTER 2020 WOMEN’S COLLECTION – MILAN FASHION WEEK
A RITE THAT DOES NOT ADMIT REPLICAS
I have always thought the fashion show as a magical event capable of unleashing spells. A liturgical action that suspends the ordinary, charging it with a surplus of intensity. A procession of epiphanies and dilated thoughts that settle into one different partition of the sensitive.
In this party that feeds on expectation, my thought finds its shape and becomes public. Ties obsessions and anti-gravity thrusts. Stop on the improbable. Caress that human nostalgia that others call imperfection. Sews, with the precision of love, every little detail of the scene to offer it to a community of interpreters.
There is the enchantment of the gift, in this rite that does not allow replies. There is the promise of one precious delivery. The lights go out. The gatherers stand waiting with open hands. Everything is perfectly silent, to welcome my crooked beats and my vertigo. To this tribe of emancipated spectators I offer my poetry.
Let them question it deep. May they help me understand it. They can translate it or betray it. Use it to wake up dormant questions. Or simply reject it, in the absence of gates of compassion. The gift is living matter, a puzzle whose meaning belongs to no one.
Even today we will live this ritual, sacred to me. A procession of steps will draw the space, like chimes in the temple. Mysterious bastings will take their oath to light. A score of notes will magnify prophecies imprinted on moving bodies.
However, there is something that usually remains buried in this ceremony: the effort of parturient who accompanies the tremor of creation; the mother’s womb where poetry, from shape to shape, it blooms. So I decided to raise a veil on what he loves to hide. That miraculous of skilful hands and restrained breaths come out of the shadows.
Let it be done visible that collective intelligence that takes care of gestation, with rage that rages. That build a throne for that tattered and somewhat crazy beehive that I chose as home. Because that is the house that I venerate: the blessed passage through which beauty comes out of the shell.
Alessandro Michele
(Voice over) – Federico Fellini
A camera, some friends around willing to help me, a troupe, a troupe extraordinary. A troupe of circus performers. Of those who do the circus while doing show, they still do it while they take it apart and they are already leaving and also there departure becomes show.
It is, I said, perhaps a declaration of love in cinema, perhaps a a little too private, perhaps narcissistic, I repeat shameless, without limits. But, that’s what I did. The cinema that was just that, was hypnotic, ritualistic suggestion, that is, something religious.
We left the house, parked the car somewhere, then we went he lined all the rituals in processions: the ticket, the curtain that opened, the mask, look at the half-lit audience, recognize friends. Then this light that dims, the screen turns on and the revelation begins.
The message. An ancient ritual, always, in short, that changed shape and ways but it was always that: you are there to listen.
Mon, February 24 2020 » Fashion Blog
N°21 FALL WINTER 2020 WOMEN’S COLLECTION – MILAN FASHION WEEK
OUT OF SCALE
Setting in motion a new, alternative point of view. Unlike the usual. Removing the constraint of rules and abolishing the imperative to meet common standards. Offering clothes utter freedom of expression, for the meaning they inherently hold, while in no way overshadowing the will of the individual wearer. Constructing a quirky silhouette, one beyond any control-center vision, yet using customary, familiar, normal shapes. The N21 collection for fall/winter 2020-21 utilizes the “out of scale” design method to signal a new and freer path for women. More autonomous, more remarkably interesting. Underlining differences and proposing new types of co-existence among elements and items.
Alessandro Dell’Acqua, N21 creative director. «I started from a men’s pinstripe shirt, preserving both cut and shape. On it, I drew the figure of a woman, one who has no use whatsoever for clichés, rules, determinate dimensions; but who, on the contrary, mixes, chooses, subverts the same. With in mind a woman who lives on her own terms, adopts an exquisitely personal viewpoint, I made use of an “out of scale” method making it possible to throw off/confuse references, in order to put together a collection that takes shape through apparently discordant elements. I liked the idea of accentuating and underscoring differences, so as to come up with surprising and often improbable combinations. The lead I dea for m e was a woman who does not let social roles oppress her, force her into stereotypes, and who by mixing proprtions and other aspects succeeds in living/expressing her own attitudes in a better, truer way.»
2010 – 2020. N21 is celebrating its tenth anniversary. With no sense of nostalgia or self-celebration, the history of the brand’s first ten years impacts the collection, one where the creative paths forging it are fully recognizable. The lace dress, macramé work, the masculine/feminine mix, a punk mood. In general, it’s the remix of a creative process free of any nostalgic inclination. The story unfolds through marks of recognizability, all while composing out of scale figures that enable a confusion of references.
The collection. A men’s-size stripe shirt to wear with everything, everywhere, on every occasion: under an ample sheer chiffon shirt complete with wide ostrich feather border hem, for example. And then jackets, melton coats with macramé along bottom, skirts, shirts: all with safety pin applications in flower corolla patterns. Plus coats mimicking giant shirts; chains forming straps on sexy sweetheart-neckline dresses or holding in place drapings on micro-holographic-sequin ones; body-hugging dresses in bouclé; fake fur coats with lining in leather; see-through lace dresses with outsized sleeves; matted loop-stitch knit cardigans with big feather borders; voluminous tops in ostrich and grouse feathers.
Accessories. High-heel pumps and sandals with chain details. Also, a chain defines the big buckle on the new Daft Bag, a medium-size leather shoulder bag capturing all of the collection’s out of scale aspirations.
Sat, February 22 2020 » Fashion Blog
