Brown Samurai. Marni AW15

March 1, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Consuelo Castiglioni went samurai this seaon, just like for SS15 – belted vests and sharp, Japanese silhouettes. But this time, Marni sees the world in brown and other warm, earthy colours. A lot of fur was used as application for pockets and stole; the skirts had this “not so perfect” attitude with threads projecting from the surface of wool-blended textile. Textiles. Consuelo mastered layering to perfection – the clothes look so real and casual, that you just start to dream of snowy December mornings. But, you know, the ones like in Milan. The last outfit worn by Julia Nobis, the Victorian blouse with turtleneck and embroidery is everything.

Italian Simple. Bottega Veneta AW15

February 28, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

When I first saw Tomas Maier’s AW15 for Bottega Veneta, I fell something positive. Although we’ve got polka dots there and there, the collection is kept in simple way – the silhouette is very graphical, but at the same time feminine. The 60’s and 70’s are revisited, but in modern, contemporary way. And what else is exciting about the entire collection, is this beautiful, Italian mood – Bottega Veneta’s woman for fall loves a cappuccino in the morning and enjoys a glass of red wine in the evening. She does everything in slow way, but with grace and elegance. She’s mysterious, but friendly. And she has days which are black & white, and days which are full of stripes and colour block!

I thought this might catch the constantly changing mood of Bottega Veneta woman…

Macaron Pastels. Prada AW15

February 27, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Oh, Miuccia. What have you done. This collection is unfortunately, one of the weakest for a long time. This was Miuccia Prada’s “Synthetic Fantasia”. Inside a series of macaron-shaded pistachio green and powder pink rooms connected with industrial grills, Miuccia explored themes that are different to her. What are our ideals of beauty? Are they real? What are the fine lines between fantasy and reality? What lies beneath a saccharine surface? These 50s-60s debutantes in all shades of pastel certainly had something cute about them. But… is it really what we need? Maybe it’s the fault of the styling. These ultra-long gloves and the horrible Geox-like stompers destroy everything. The ostrich leather, which I usually like, feels awkward with all that tweed. Definitely, that’s another vision of Prada. But not visions are always good. This one’s certainly too eye-catchy and twisted.

Blush Beauty. No21 AW15

February 27, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Alessandro Dell’Acqua is called the modern-day Italian fashion genius. And I totally approve that statement. This guy knows, how to mix contemporary with opulent – a tweed pencil skirt worn with gold-patent jacket; olive green hoodie styled with hand-embroidered dress – those are just few examples of how Alessandro rolls in fashion. For AW15, the designer of No21 brought a lot of blush pink into the collection, which felt super lovely. The two snow-white looks were excellent, too – the embroidered flower appliqued coat is dreamy… and the tune of “Let’s Dance” by David Bowie perfectly fit the entire scene. Romantic, but with a sharp masculine contrast.

Amelie from Milan. Gucci AW15

February 26, 2015January 20, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

New day, new dawn. Alessandro Michele starts a new era at Gucci. Forget the hedonistic business woman from Tom Ford and Frida Gianini times. Rather than fancy yachts buyer and looking like a sex-bomb on a cocktail party at rich friend’s house, the woman of totally not-famous Alessandro Michele is a warm, poetry-loving girl who enjoys a walk in the forest. The ex-accessories designer of Gucci, Michele is in the business of ready-to-wear, and I’ve got really mixed thoughts about him.
First of all, the whole situation makes me think of Saint Laurent and Hedi Slimane – before, YSL had Stefano Pilati, who prefered sexy women of success. After a sudden change, Hedi Slimane, the ex-Dior Homme designer, came, and showed everybody his love to punk. I remember it like yesterday – everybody was disgusted with his scandalous AW13 which featured mohair cardigans, spiked boots and grungy, Zara-looking like babydoll dresses. And totally same thing happens at Gucci now. Frida Gianini, which made Gucci women feel very luxurious, is exchanged by Alessandro Michele. And this guy, which came nearly from nowhere, brings Amelie-like naive sheer dresses, fluffy fur babooschakas and Berets. Yes, it’s not punk, but it still feels defiant comparing to Gianini’s vision.
What can I say about the collection? The embroidery is magnificent. The shoes are good in their ugliness. The woman for AW15 makes me think of a vintage-loving person, which loves flea markets and her old granny fur coat. Although she likes showing her feminine side, she is not against androgynous looks. Rather than boasting with her GG logo, Michele’s girl sees eponymous luxury in her Tudor-esque rings.
It’s always hard to judge the debuting designer. In my opinion, we need to see more of Alessandro and what he can do for Gucci – but the first impression is not good or either bad – it’s truly confusing. This what we saw before at this heritage Italian house is a HUGE contrast to what the new days are going to be like. So, lets see what the future will bring.