Female Nomad. No21 SS17

September 23, 2016September 23, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Alessandro Dell’AcQua isn’t resigning from his signature touches this season, like the ethernally chic macramé lace skirts or feather-trimmed tops. Simultaneously, he’s ready for introducing new attitude to his label: No21 has never been so athleisure-wise as it’s now for spring-summer 2017. Breaking down the first looks, it’s easy to spot the designer’s obsession with modernistic mesh, as it appeared everywhere, from the hems on loose dresses to sporty t-shirts. Hoodies are wherever you turn this season, but Dell’AcQua didn’t feel discouraged with that fact. His version, in lace and with a pastel-green zip, is über-cool. But it’s not only about the current street-wise mood at No21. Multi-printed, patchwork skirts and dresses suggested the look of a modern-day nomad who’s prepared for every day’s adventures. Care-free and optimistic, she wears her awakening tassels, opulent embellishments and gypsy-esque florals with grace. Also, I loved the way how Alessandro played with footwear: his kitten-heels were taped with fluorescent bows and, as usual in case of Dell’AcQua, were styled with beige socks. Pastel-pink loving No21 girl for spring dramatically differs from the sharp, grunge roxette we’ve seen for autumn. Oh, and the sunglasses line was a pretty new addition, too! Made in collaboration with the one and only, Linda Farrow.

Different Love. Gucci SS17

September 22, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Glittering with over 250,000 mirrored sequins, the all-pink venue of Gucci spring-summer 2017 collection reminded a high-profile striptease club. The released mist reassembled cigarette smoke, while the velvet stools and sofas suggested one thing – Alessandro Michele is not a step closer to such thing as “minimalism” this season. Indeed, the collection had something to do with trashy chic – just have a look at the extremely platformed footwear. “Prostitute in Venice used to wear these“, the designer said backstage, while discussing his references and inspirations. Red latex tights, worn casually with knitted skirts, screamed “sex”, too. Alessandro’s mind is not that innocent, after all.

There are different types of “love”, and there is a variety of romantic accents in Michele’s kitsch-appealing clothing. As always, the outing featured a line of polished and refined ready-to-wear, which has a lot to do with alta moda, as the Italians tend to say. Knitted cardigan featuring a monkey embroidery illustrated by artist Jayde Fish; satin gown with pineapple style sleeves, detailed with sequins and intricate embellishments; tulle dress with tapestry-like florals and a leather corset. Each piece might become a go-to for a fancy date, a boudoir night or an intoxicating night-clubbing. Michele never keeps himself distant from emotions in his fashion. This collection is connected to the intense topic of love, even if we mean a wounded, broken heart. One of the evening dresses had an embroidered, red heart in the front, stabbed with a dagger – is the ethereal woman wearing it ready for a night out, but without her parter? She’s sad, but she looks spectacular and very dramatic. A bamboo fan is even more ambiguous. The slogan on it stated “Blind for love” in gothic font, and Alessandro definitely relates to that as a designer searching for beauty, and a person in real life.

P.S. In the show’s soundtrack, Florence Welch read William Blake’s poems. Dreamy.

Men’s – Voyager. Gucci SS17

June 22, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Shocking green carpet with a huge red snake – that was the first thing Gucci’s guests saw, minutes before the spring-summer 2017 show started. But they didn’t have a long break from Gucci extravaganza, though. Just a few weeks after the spectacular anglomania splendour in London, Alessandro Michele, brand’s creative director, presented a show for men which was into this season’s motif, so travelling. Like Prada, Michele challenged himself to make his collection not a literal rip-off of oriental kimonos, but something more eclectic and meaningful. In fact, his “travel” is something totally different. “I hate to travel,” he said backstage, confusing everyone. Still, he loves travelling from aesthetics to aesthetic, mentally, not physically. “You can travel in different ways,” mused Michele. “With a book, you can travel. If I change the tapestry of my chair, I sit and I travel.” To an extend, it’s true – with a whole lot of tapestry, embroidery and embellishment, his menswear collection was a diversified version of a voyager’s wardrobe. Leather bombers with colourful dragon heads, rich, velvet coats, satin kimono jacket, Asian patterns featuring Donald Duck – like a treasure chest of cheesy souvenirs from around the world. Essentials, like biker jackets or turtlenecks, were pimped up with florals and marine stripes, while the classical horse-bit loafers were styled with fish-net tights (nothing surprises me anymore during men’s fashion month, honestly). As eclectic as it could be – that’s Alessandro’s world.

Men’s – Velcro is Cool. Marni SS17

June 20, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

A Marni woman has her signature – she’s extremely edgy, all in her fancy, bold prints. But a Marni man is quite unclassified, and Consuelo Castiglioni understood that well. The lesson was learnt, good for her, and a much-above-the-average effect is here: spring-summer 2017 season at Marni is unexpectedly the best menswear collection to date, with a soft point for both, normality and eccentricity. You want to be this guy, really – he’s this skinny, good-hearted soul, with his hair brushed back nonchalantly; there are high chances you will spot him at Fondazione Prada, being in awe of Louise Bourgeois’ haunting sculptures, or see him in a park, reading a book. However, don’t think he’s like a Gucci man – oh no. This boy is into functionality, blurring his style somewhere between utility and playfulness.

Although at a first glance, most of his wardrobe seem to be pretty formal, there are a lot of surprising twists. Under an over-sized, beige cocoon coat, there’s a cheerfully printed blouson with an orange collar. The pants from this show are on everybody’s lips in Milan, even though we’re already after Prada’s nomad backpacks. Tailoring was sliced open in back and re-fastened with Velcro panels. Banal, isn’t it? But to an extend, Velcro fasteners seem to be unexplored in the world of high fashion, and only Marni could nail them. Consuelo re-sees boring clothes, and makes them as fun as children’s gadgets. A poplin shirt becomes cool a casual offer, rather than an office choice, thanks to additional volume in the shoulders. Meanwhile, footwear is too good to be true – and as you all well know, I’m a sucker for sandals, and Marni has some new, exciting silhouettes I would love to have… Bravo, Consuelo, for making your Marni boy relevant and, well, a life-goal!

Unbiased Italian. Stella Jean AW16

February 29, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

It’s easier to mention what didn’t inspire Stella Jean this season. From Christmas nutcracker and plastic-cover sandals to Italian patriotism in form of carabiniere pants and ethnical nods to African masks, this season was filled with randmomness. Unlike spring-summer 2016 collection, filled with Tehuanian dresses and Andean references, the winter collection feels influent and busy, as if the designer wanted everything at a time. Surely, a stricter edit is needed here, even though there are some remarkable pieces. Note the stunning knitwear with Ndebele patterns and the dresses with raffia-applied mask motifs.

Moreover, Jean went off the rails with “Made in Italy” undermining statements backstage of her show – “we used the fluffy technique, entirely recycled from industrial mass-market rejects, whose identity we’ll keep secret in order not to influence judgment but also to prevent that attitude that inevitably discriminates against any garment that is not produced in Italy.” Surely, there is a seed of truth in the fact that the Italian fashion industry is not as “fairy-tale” as everybody thinks – and surely, this one wasn’t positively seen by the Italian fashion VIPs. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi opened Milan Fashion Week with a lunch attended by, to mention a few, Donatella Versace and Diego Della Valle, all with the initiative of praising Italian craftsmanship and the importance of the industry. Maybe the new collection didn’t make a fashion cut this season, but it definitely left few questions connected to the whole, inflated “Made in Itlay” matter.