Reviews

Neat. Salvatore Ferragamo AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

Paul Andrew and Guillaume Meilland are a good duo for Salvatore Ferragamo. The first does womenswear, the latter menswear, but their visions are well coordinated and balanced for a brand that’s all about Italian luxury goods. In their second season, consistence and neatness is the key. Andrew’s approach is “dressing toe to head”. It all began from a dig in the brand’s rich archives. A shoe from 1942 (a multicolored patchwork suede wedge) informed the collection’s kaleidoscopic palette and the patchwork motif that ran through it. It’s a nice fun fact, but it doesn’t really reflect in the clothes that are brilliant, just as they are. A pin-striped deconstructed dress; a butter-y nappa leather jacket in cobalt blue; a rustical, plaid blanket skirt; sleeveless knit worn over a masculine shirt… I see lots of delightful daywear here. The appearance of all the gorgeous, mature model veterans – Liya Kebede, Maggie Rizer, Kirsty Hume, Georgina Grenville – and their appearance in these clothes made another statement: Ferragamo’s wardrobe is a real wardrobe.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

So Donatella. Versace AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

Mi-Mi-Bella
(I’m a rich bitch, I’m the upper class)
All of the day
(I’m the pearl to your oyster, I’m a babe)
I’m gonna smoke Marlboro Lights and drink Champagne
(I smoke Marlboro Reds and drink Champagne)
DONATELLA!

Who doesn’t want to be Donatella Versace, for even a day? This attitude, this aura! Like in Lady Gaga’s quite iconic song, this woman is pure charisma. So was Versace‘s autumn-winter 2019 collection, splashed in neon colours, filled with S&M details and lots, lots of lace, leopard fur (faux!) and bling. Shalom Harlow opened the show, Stephanie Seymour closed it, like in the days of Gianni. Donatella smartly mixes Versace’s archival codes with her own love for power dressing. And the t-shirt made in collaboration with Richard Avedon Foundation – feauturing Donatella herself photographed by the late master of image-making – is the show’s key message: this blond is the boss!

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Untamed Eclecticism. Gucci AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

Alessandro Michele‘s Gucci is like an endless rollercoaster – sometimes, you just love the craziness of the entire thing; sometimes, you’re near puking. This time, however, I felt the first. In a venue covered with more than 120,000 LED lightbulbs and a 100-meter long mirrored runway, a tribe of beautifully eccentric individuals made an appearance. Rich in tailoring, pattern and opulent decoration, many of the looks were worn with masks of all sorts. Spiked, coloured, one in the form a of an eagle, the masks represented showing and hiding who we are, and to protect the kindness and beauty inside. Fantastical shapes, faux fur accessories in the boldest shades and gold metal ear coverings inspired by the 24-karat gold work ‘Fashion Fiction #1’ from 1968 by artist Eduardo Costa were all here, matched and mismatched in true manner of Michele. Those elongated jackets, wide trousers, ornate robes, dresses with puffed sleeve (and whatever else you see here) are no longer for women or men specifically. Alessandro wants to create clothes for individuals, who no longer limit themselves through gender boundaries. He does so, with his eternal love for untamed eclecticism.

All collages by Edward Kanarecki.

Angry. Marni AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

Marni‘s Franceso Risso had a lot on his mind this season, which resulted in a rather chaotic collection. Chain belts, heavy boots, chokers, tattered finishings – this was the grungiest Marni you’ve ever seen. But was it convincing? Risso wanted to investigate the “limits of freedom”, as well as update the term ‘sensualism’. In this patchwork of gingham, pixelated prints, polished leather and fierce red, I rather saw some kind of teen aggression, but made fashion. It’s not a bad collection – but I feel like Francesco should have done something lighter, hope-sparking, or go all the way and do an Marni-esque version of 70s Westwood and McLaren. Well, we all have ups and downs, and knowing Risso’s talent, I can forgive this one.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Tenderness & Leather. Bottega Veneta AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

First thing’s first: stop calling Daniel Lee’s Bottega Veneta the ‘new Céline’. Should we really replace Phoebe Philo? Phoebe has her irreplaceable style, which is the ideal balance between femininity, minimalism and artistic quirk. Those who have her clothes, lucky you, cherish and wear them. Let’s all hope she will come back to fashion soon – that’s it. On Lee’s note, yes, he ‘grew up’ creatively in her design studio, but I’m sure he must be already tired with all that loud comparing and the Philophiles-generated pressure of being a Céline replacement. Now it’s his Bottega Veneta, and as his debut runway collection proved, this guy has a mind of his own. I’m saying this right away: his collection didn’t completely ‘wow’ me, at some points it was over-complicated. But that’s fine, because every debut has its ups and downs. The designer focused on leather, because Bottega Veneta has always been a leather brand. While the motocross look felt, simply speaking, like too much leather, accessories were the most compelling part of the collection (the shoes in signature Intrecciato weave are so, so good, just like all the heavy boots, geometrical handbags and fringed clutches, of course in leather). A future Bottega Veneta customer should definitely invest in one of those new classics. A sharp injection of modernity was as well brought to clothes. A square neck dress that opened the collection was sensual, but strong, just like the asymmetric knits (they looked extra on guys) and quilted skirts. But then, some of the coats’ shoulders were a bit too bold and kind of conflicted with all this tender, close-to-body feeling. Good things are coming to Bottega Veneta, let’s just all hope the designer will get the time he needs to fully establish his new language for the brand. And don’t mistake him with Philo.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.