The Gucci fall 2010 ready to wear show was full of long, lean silhouettes and some of the skinniest pants you'll ever see. The show began with lots of winter white separates, then segued into pale grey and tan ensembles, then finished off with a stunning array of black cocktail dresses. This is the year to stock up on fabulous little black dresses, there's no question about that. Designer Frida Giannini used lots of lots and lace in the evening wear section: the black lace hoisery was especially pretty. As for the boots: they were suede and thigh high. Take a look:
Giorgio Armani said his fall 2010 ready to wear collection was all about the "New Chic." That means bright colors -- orange, midrange pink, cherry red and emerald -- appeared along with black and white looks. Silk, velvet and sequins all were key. The A-line shape is clearly having a moment this fall, as is the traditional leather handbag with handles. Take a look:
The Fendi fall 2010 ready to wear collection was a mixture of the fabulous and the truly awful. On the fabulous end was a parade of some of the most gorgeous black cocktail and day dresses we've seen in a long time. Paired with sophisticated navy accents and shoes, the dresses also had fabulous black swing coats. (The section of black clothing starts at around the 5:39 mark)
On the truly awful end was Karl Lagerfeld's collection of patchwork (real) fur coats. They were truly hideous. The separates were a 1940's/1970s/1980s hybrid with lots of unflattering dirndl and circle skirts, layered with belts and sweaters. It would be difficult to find a more unflattering skirt shape than the dirndl. It's guaranteed to add twenty pounds to your hips in an instant. The trapeze shape and the A-line dominated.
Here's the entire collection: this video is without sound.
The Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2010 ready to wear show in Milan showcased some really marvelous clothes. The duo's inspiration was Sicily and classic designs that have been updated. For the first time in a long time, professional women have lots of runway looks to choose from. The matching suit is back in a big way. Dolce and Gabbana said tailoring was key to this collection and sent jacket after jacket down the runway: from short to long there is something for every one. In addition to the fabulous suiting, there were lightweight dresses and lingerie looks. One of the many standouts was the gold earring and charm covered jacket: it's truly stunning.
In this video, Stefano Gabbana give Hilary Alexander of The Telegraph a guided tour of the collection. It's fascinating. Take a look:
Dolce and Gabbana's lower price line, D&G, was shown at Milan Fashion Week and it was a great success. The theme was apres ski and it was just fabulous. The color palette was cream, navy, burgundy and grey. The alpine outfits were sporty, fun and very, very attractive. There were loads of sweaters with reindeer, funky alpine leggings, amazing sweater dresses and even knit rompers. They were accessorized with giant fur booties.
We especially loved the leggings, knit skirts and the sweater dresses. Take a look:
The Telegraphreports that Milan Fashion Week has been thrown into absolute chaos because of Anna Wintour's request that the top designers move their shows to dates she will be there. Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Fendi all complied, but it has really thrown the schedule into disarray. Italian newspapers are calling her arrogant, and some have suggested it would be better that she skip Milan entirely.
Anna requested the schedule change so she could go to Paris Fashion Week right afterward, then be in Los Angeles in time for the Oscars.
Milan's world famous fashion festival lasts from Feb 24 until March 2. Now the most important haute couture houses are reorganising their shows to coincide with her visit, from Feb 26-28.
Her decision has left fashionistas in a panic and prompted accusations of arrogance.
"Anna Wintour, the woman who holds Italian fashion in the palm of her hand," ran a headline in Corriere della Sera, the country's most respected broadsheet.
"She wants designers to schedule their shows during these three days," said Mario Boselli, the president of the Italian Fashion Chamber.
He told The Daily Telegraph: "It has bad consequences for many, many people involved in the shows, from stylists to models to hairdressers. It's absolutely crazy.
"She's welcome in Milan but if she only comes for a fleeting visit, perhaps it would be better is she stayed at home."
Mr. Boselli told The Telgraph that the same request had been made to Paris Fashion Week, but the French -- being French -- replied with a hearty non!. He noted wistfully that the French "have a bit more spirit" than the Italians.
Miuccia Prada showed her Spring/Summer 2010 collection in Milan at the Prada headquarters. A large screen divided the room -- and the audience -- in two. On the screen doorways, scenes were projected of beaches and sunbathers, of doorways and chandeliers (there were lots of chandelier references in this collection). Miuccia said that the collection was a mix between rich and poor, between class and trash. The dark moods of prior Prada collections seem to have vanished in a haze of mai tais sipped at some luxury beach resort.
The collection had a kitsch element to it: silk duchesses prints were covered in florals or tacky beach scenes from an early 60s postcard. The frayed ends trend was in full force here, with threads left hanging off suit jackets and scuba-style bermuda shorts. But back to the chandeliers. There was a fabulous cocktail minidress covered with chandelier ornaments. and shoes to match (pictured above). The chandelier shoes are just amazing. We say: bring on the crystals. These are shoes for dancing the night away after a hard day lounging around in some faraway beach paradise. Take a look:
The palette for Frida Giannini's collection for Gucci shown in Milan was black, white and pale grey, with splashes of tangerine and cobalt. There were lots of skinny pants, high waisted shorts and skirts, jersey gowns and leather jackets. This is a body conscious collection, which featured complicated beading and sequin embellishments as well as geometric cut outs which showed plenty of skin. Frida is a very smart designer: the more conservative clients will snap up the gorgeous leather jacket, cute minidresses and white pants, while the more exhibitionist of her clients (think the red carpet for the Grammys) will love the dresses which feature cut outs on the waist, the better to show off all those hours at the gym.
As with most of the Milan collections, brown leather accessories were key: a giant brown leather satchel is the must-have bag for spring. Take a look:
We're not really used to seeing a kinder, gentler Karl Lagerfeld. But that is the Karl that Milan saw when he sent his feminine, light, romantic collection for Fendi down the runway. The models all wore six inch heels that featured lucite platforms and ribbon ties. The girls could barely walk, so that gave the audience more time to look at each piece. The palette was mostly pastels, with gauzy, billowing skirts, shirts and dresses and an occasional pop of color. Karl called it the "soutien gorgeous" look, making up a new term which is a play on the French term for brassiere, soutien gorge. There were quite a few peek-a-boo bras in the collection, which means that the lingerie look is back. The black and white pieces were especially pretty.
The frayed end trend -- which also showed up at Prada -- was in full evidence. Karl explained the unfinished, raw edges thusly: "It's about new clothes, but taken apart again." It's sheer nonsense, of course, but that's Karl. Sometimes we wonder if he pushes things far enough just to see what he can by with. He does have a wicked sense of humor and can sell anything to anyone, as he has admitted in past interviews. Ripped, shredded and frayed will be a definite, yet mercifully short-lived, trend next spring. Take a look:
Giorgio Armani showed a new direction in his Spring/Summer 2010 collection. The maestro of timeless elegance decided to add a bit of edge to this collection. The color palette was one of our favorites from Milan: cobalt blue and black as the base, with splashes of either crimson or forest green. There were geometric, architectural bodices with short, poufy bubble skirts. Some of the necklines plunged and the shortest skirt actually came with shorts underneath. Even when he is pushing the bounds of decorum, Armani always keeps his clients' dignity intact: there won't be any embarrassing upskirt photos for the star that wears that dress.
The silk slouch pants were gorgeous as was the stunning evening wear. The cocktail dress in blue, green and silver had the most gorgeous beading. In another twist, the models all wore flats. It was a fresh, bold and beautiful collection. Take a look:
At the Milan Blumarine show the theme was Jamaica for Spring/Summer 2010. Anna Molinari used a bright color palette with lots of pink, orange, yellow, lime green and violet that tie dyed into romantic, feminine shapes. Even the hip hugging camoflage pants had splashes of bright color to make it less serious.
There were short draped body-hugging dresses, beautiful caftans, shorts, blouses and some really gorgeous jeweled belts. The jewelry was pop art bright with huge rings and piled on bracelets. In addition to the bright colors, there was also a neutrals section of the show, with lots of wearable and mixable beige and cream ensembles. It was a fun, pretty and wearable collection. Here's a video from the show -- the commentary is in Italian. Take a look:
Tomas Maier's collection for Bottega Veneta, which was shown in Milan, focused on white, beige, cream and yellow. There were dresses, both flowing and boxy, cropped pants, jackets and even a corset. The materials were linen, cotton and jersey. The looks were accessorized with the reliably fabulous Bottega handbags: these were absolutely huge and mostly in a rich brown leather. The paired down sportswear look was thrown out the window at the end of the show when Tomas sent stunning chiffon gowns in jewel tones down the runway. The bodices had beautiful asymmetrical pleating and the skirts swished and flowed with layers of filmy fabric. The amethyst, ruby and black gowns were gorgeous and just waiting to be snapped up for the Oscars. Take a look:
Donatella Versace went back to the 80s for her inspiration for her fabulous Spring/Summer 2010 collection shown in Milan last night. Donatella reinterpreted some of Gianni's classic designs, with lots of body hugging miniskirts and minidresses. Geometric angles, acid greens, midrange pinks and bright whites were accented with silver and triangle insets. She finished the show with some fabulous gowns that we've already seen a taste of on the red carpet at the Emmys (January Jones wore a white and silver Versace gown). Take a look:
John Varvatos -- who was a guest judge on Project Runway last week -- showed his menswear collection for Spring/Summer 2010 in Milan. Pants are tight with no pleats or cuffs. They are shorter than they have been in the past, stopping just below or at the ankle to show off the socks and shoes. The models had either an early Zac Efron side swoop or were rocking a modified Caeser cut, which appears to be making a comeback. The palette was based on shades of pale grey, with splashes of color. Take a look:
The D&G Spring/Summer 2010 collection was all about distressed and acid washed denim. There were denim shorts, bustier dresses, shorts --- you name it, they made it in denim. The accessory of choice was brown leather: purses, boots and belts. There were also some white pieces with lots of ruffles and eyelet to contrast with all that denim. It was a Wild West extravaganza. Here's the entire show from Milan:
