Milan

Artisan. Moncler x Pierpaolo Piccioli AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

Moncler continues its successful ‘Genius’ concept and keeps on inviting designers to reinterpret the famous duvet. Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli presented his second line-up for the brand and it’s as good as the first one. The statuesque, floor-sweeping puffer dresses are here again, but this time they’re covered in prints made in collaboration with model Liya Kebede, and her sustainable and socially responsible label Lemlem. Graphic vibrancy of Lemlem’s contribution did wonders to the exaggerated volumes of Piccioli’s creations. Now, they look even more bold, especially when kept in colour (just see all these yellows, oranges and pistachios…). But coming back to Kebede’s Lemlem, it’s produced by artisan seamstresses in her native Ethiopia, who apply traditional patterns to everyday, approachable clothes. Re-creating the Lemlem fabrics in nylon not only gave additional work opportunities, but as well raised awareness of the brand’s actions. With grace and, very much in Piccioli’s manner, beauty.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Stable. Jil Sander AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

The pursuit after ‘new Céline’ is getting intense, and people say Jil Sander might be the right candidate to fill the gap. But the brand’s designers – Lucie and Luke Meier – aren’t copying Phoebe Philo, and have no intentions to. They do their thing, with Jil Sander’s soft minimalist spirit in mind. The Meiers’ vision of the brand is consistent since their debut few seasons ago. Tailoring with relaxed fit, comfortable, big bags, earthy colour palette with eventual splashes of pastel. This season, the couple nailed the topic of dresses. Whether we’re speaking of a loosely fitted chemise or an ankle-length black gown, it’s the sensual v-neck cut that feels refreshing about them. Jil Sander’s fashion was minimal, true, but simultaneously feminine – that’s a statement the Meiers highlight every season to end the stereotype of cold, stern image the brand got drowned in. Still, a scarf would be more than welcome for all those revealing cuts, since it’s an autumn-winter collection. Wait, we’ve got a duvet jacket – every brand has one this season – that will keep you warm. Jil Sander is stable – it doesn’t ‘wow’ you, true, but the collections please with their well-balanced content. I think it’s in good hands. 

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Good To See You Back. Zanini AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

Marco Zanini, how good to see you back! This truly talented designer of Italian-Swedish origins had his stints at Rochas (those were truly brilliant seasons comparing to today’s state of things at the brand) and Schiaparelli, then did a few capsules for Santoni, and disappeared from the radar for a while. Now he’s back, better than ever, completely free, with his own namesake brand – Zanini. What it’s like to be on your own? “Finally, independence!” he told Vogue. “Of course, it’s a gamble, but this way feels more conscious, more authentic.” Zanini is thinking small, and proudly so – two collections per year, well-edited line-ups, quiet showroom presentations. But sometimes, less is really more. His debut collection can be described in one term: exquisite. Beautiful, beautiful tailoring and coats that you will make you drool. Cozy knitwear and beanies made in collaboration with his sister, Miki Zanini, who’s an avid knitter. The designer was in Japan last summer, and he came back with kimono silks that he’s cut into seamless bias dresses, airy and laid-back, but surprising with their construction. He can produce them in limited editions of two, a small number, but true to Marco’s intimate approach. “A lot of us are looking for something special, not overexposed.” That’s a fact. At a first glance, you might say that Zanini is the Milan alternative of The Row – one-off, logo-free, top-notch quality garments. But comparing to the Olsens and their uncompromising minimalism, Marco’s brand radiates with warmth and tactility. Summing up, Zanini is one of the best things I’ve seen in Milan this season.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Men’s – The Heart Still Beats. Prada AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

If there’s a designer you can count on, it’s Miuccia Prada. For two reasons. She will always deliver intelligent, multi-faceted fashion. And will take a grip of the contemporary matters like no other. Her men’s autumn-winter 2019 and women’s pre-fall 2019 was a dark outing. Well, why would it be optimistic? Today’s world is a bad place. Europe suffers from the rise of rightist governments. There are absolutely no reasons to be happy with Trump, just as with Macron, Brexit and Putin’s actions over Ukraine. Paweł Adamowicz, the liberal mayor of Gdansk, Poland, was brutally stabbed yesterday at a charity concert, and his death is all over the news today. Of course, mentioning such politically-charged tragedies next to fashion might sound completely out of one’s mind. But not in case of Miuccia, who acknowledges the world as it is and wants her viewers to be, at least, aware.

While military elements often come as fashion fads, the ones that appeared at Prada looked serious. They are the brand’s codes since the 90s – if you’re an observant Prada fan, you will have this raw, defiant ‘image’ in your head. Some of the models looked vulnerable with their pale torsos exposed. Others seemed to be even invisible in their grey, loosely fitted suits. The big crotchet heart, attached with a safety-pin to the blazers, was a simple, but beautiful metaphor of a heart that’s still beating, yet insecure and… terrified. “Basically it had to be a romantic show. And mainly I was interested in the understanding of humanity: weakness and the more delicate and naked aspects of humanity also. The rejected… It was set against a very tough world—that is why war and military was in the air,” the designer explained. Of course, there were – at a first glance – brighter details that made the collection digestible from a solely visual perspective. Which is completely understandable, as it’s a Prada fashion collection, after all, not a poetic Ann Demeulemeester line-up from the early 2000s or some soft of art performance. Although, I guess, Miuccia might wish for having that freedom. “To make it not boring and for the fashion – because fashion has to be light somehow – we borrowed the symbols of trashy horror movies. From ‘Frankenstein’ to ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ and all those movies. Frankenstein is the example of the monster with a big, big heart who searches for love.” The heart’s still beating.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Men’s – Zaddy. Brioni AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

With the sudden rise of Jeff Goldblum and Daniel Day Lewis as the new style mavericks, it’s inevitable that zaddy (read: ‘stylish daddy’) style will hit top menswear brands this season. Brioni‘s autumn-winter 2019 look-book is the best evidence for this phenomenon, starring two mature models (who as well might not be models at all) and impressively good clothes. Well, it’s Brioni – quality and tailoring are the brand’s top priorities, so it would be quite disturbing if the Italian house didn’t do garments that make your jaw actually drop. Still, the label seemed to have an identity crisis for a moment: it had three different designers in the last three years (Justin O’Shea, Brendan Mullane, Nina-Maria Nitsche) and none of them got it entirely right. Norbert Stumpfl, who used to work at Haider Ackermann’s Berluti, Kim Jones’ Louis Vuitton and Lucas Ossendrijver’s Lanvin, can’t be a wrong choice with such major stints. Problem with a house like Brioni is that it’s small in the fashion world, but big in the world of money. The designer wants to do something intriguing, noteworthy, but then, he has to deliver fifty or more classical suits and dozens of crisp white shirts per season. In his debut, Stumpfl clearly highlights that he will be loyal to Brioni’s customer base, but won’t be scared of giving the brand a twist. His elegance isn’t stiff, but comfortable and warm. Just look at all the velvets, cashmeres, suedes, and Astrakhan furs appearing in the collection. The guys look incredible wearing Norbert’s dark-brown woollen coats and leather pants. It’s not like, you’re 50 looks in and you see the same damn thing. In 33 outfits, the designer serves looks from morning till evening, straight from a zaddy‘s wardrobe. Very rich zaddy, I guess.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.