So Fetch, Fake & Fine. Gucci Pre-Fall’17

December 15, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Observing Alessandro Michele‘s creative narration at Gucci is absorbing, even if you know you would never ever dress like that. Or maybe… you would? Looking like a charming, yet edgy granny entire week is hard – but for one day, a bunny-embroidered cardigan, layers of floral brooches and a patchworked midi-skirt sound quite mind-blowing on the background of your daily-routine wardrobe, even if they are far from the term ‘new’.

Alessandro’s pre-fall 2017, forgetting the beautiful chaos, tells one clear thing: brands like Gucci, to stay on ground in 2016 (and 2017, which is ahead of us), should recycle. And I’m not speaking about ecology right now. Keeping the consistency of collections; forgetting others and going your own aesthetically path; enriching every single detail, from branding to logi size on a shoe’s buckle. Similar eveningdress silhouettes, but in new colours, are on demand, and all the time in stock. Last season’s floral prints and this season’s Donald Duck become unexpected friends on an adorable blazer. Instead of creating a new ‘it-bag’, why not revive an oldie from the archives? Just like the shoes (extra-dramatic this season, but that’s not a surprise anytime with Michele). Working with such scheme is quite likely a guaranteed success, and Gucci’s monthly turnovers are the best prove for that. But will this take on nostalgia and chic kitsch get boring at some point? Becoming bored is a human’s nature, sorry.

Ignoring reason – this so fetch look-book was shot in Rome’s two historical locations. First is the Antica Libreria Cascianelli, an old bookstore specializing in art history. The second is the Antica Spezieria di Santa Maria della Scala, a 16th-century apothecary. Mind-blowing. And whatever I’ve written in the paragraph above – Alessandro Michele keeps on surprising and the look so fake tights with GG logo are really the thing.

That Look. Prada ’08 Goodness.

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

You know, there are those certain looks that stuck in your head for longer than one season. Miuccia Prada‘s genius autumn-winter 2008 collection, which was a subversive take on a Sunday-at-church look (I was drooling over it here), is filled with lace pieces and ruffled heels that will never, ever, become outdated. Look 22 is particularly impressive, from the top to the bottom. Every detail counts. Vlada Roslyakova wore a beige turtleneck with a kind of mini-collar, layered under a soft, same-colour knit. The knee-lenght skirt, kept in a pale shade, looked fantastic, styled with gold pumps and a matching, cute ruffle bag. If you ask me, what’s a Prada look, then I will show you this picture. 101% sure.

–

Beauty corner! Charlotte Tilbury ‘Kate Moss’ Lipstick, Charlotte Tilbury ‘Eyes to Mesmerise Kit’ & Byredo ‘Mojave Ghost’ eau de parfum .

Art Deco, Ca & Lou.

November 3, 2016November 3, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Carolina Neri and Bérengère Lux are long-time friends and business partners simultaneously, standing behind Ca & Lou – a brand focused on timeless, yet “stealing the spotlight wherever you are” jewellery. This Milan-based label co-operates with one of the best Milanese jewellery workshops, seeking for a balance between clean forms and love for opulent ornaments. The designers behind Ca & Lou draw inspirations from Art Deco era, constantly refining their intricately embellished necklaces, bracelets and rings with minute attention to geometric forms and details. Moreover, Neri and Lux have always been obsessed with excessive costume jewelry – that’s why their autumn-winter 2016 moodboard is filled with archival photographs of Elizabeth Taylor playing Cleopatra, or the one-and-only Greta Garbo. Blurring the lines between retro and contemporary, owning a piece by Ca & Lou is like owning a treasure (surprisingly, in a pretty affordable price, if you compare to other luxury brands).

Available at Concept 21 Store.

Everyday Armor. Marni SS17

September 26, 2016September 26, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Marni is like nothing else. Why? Consuelo Castiglioni, same as Miuccia Prada, doesn’t care about others. That’s why collections of these two inspiring, assertive women always feel different from the rest. They are invisibly signed with their own signatures. But exceptionally this season, it’s Consuelo who wins the Italian game: her spring-summer 2017 collection is remarkably beautiful, and I might name it as the most brilliant outing of all Milan-based brands we’ve had an occasion to see. Its drifty, baggy silhouttes in cream white; the “hips don’t lie” pockets on dresses and pantalons; unobvious sexuality concealed in those voluminous, draped pastel-green dresses. I have a soft spot for Marni and its modern concept, but for the last few seasons I had a sense that the ready-to-wear collections were monotonous, and Castiglioni rested on her (well deserved) laurels. Now, it’s different: I’m really into the layered-up looks which reassemble women’s armor for everyday routine. Standing ovations for this one!

Corporate Cool. Jil Sander SS17

September 26, 2016September 26, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Rodolfo Paglialunga is the creative director of Jil Sander for the second year, and throughout this quite long period of time (considering the industry’s pace), I haven’t seen even one, good collection that would stuck in my head. Jil Sander is called the ‘queen of minimalism’, and when she was departing the brand, she left a rich legacy for her successors. Rodolfo’s aesthetic is, honestly, obliged to be all about “less is more” while designing at Sander, but it sadly doesn’t feel authentic at all – it’s not him, and it’s not Jil anymore.

His spring-summer 2017 is an unexpected step forward, as it went under a ‘how-to-be-relevant’ treatment. Paglialunga isn’t revealing nothing but the fact he is obsessed with Demna Gvasalia’s style at Vetements. At least, there’s something to write about – the clothes, and the overall outing, is filled with covetable pieces, like an over-sized men shirt or a buttoned dress/coat. Removable shoulder pads drift between 40s masculinity and 80s Montana, elevating each look. Pinstripe blazers with matching skirts exaggerate the corporate dress-code, looking fairly appealing. However, that’s again an unsung nod to Gvasalia’s work, and specifically his debut collection at Balenciaga, where he did bureaucrat dressing. In the newest collection, Rodolfo plays with pleats, creating voluminous, distorted in proportions dresses and fancy sweatshirts. They are surely fun to wear. Also, the colour palette is well-considered: from pastel blue to carrot-orange, Paglialunga will surely score high points next summer.