Italian Hands at Gucci

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Alessandro Michele redefines what’s Italian chic at Gucci. His Resort 2016, which is available in the chosen flagship stores, is a balance of eclecticism and traditional craftsmanship – the topic, that was neglected for several years in the fashion industry. And even though you might not appreciate the slightly kitsch impression that the collection leaves in its overall, you should admit – in detail, these clothes are treasures. Wherever you look, there is a tiny hand-embroidered swallow or a romantic floral embellishment. Or, it’s hard not to notice that each ring is made out of different, gold-pleated elements and precious stones. The head-pieces made out of Astrakhan fur are decorated with silk flowers, that from a metre-long distance look like real peonies. The effect of Gucci’s major revamp is concentrated on the details, that give the clothes an eccentric twist, a poetical mood – and I am still trying to figure out, how such major power-house as Gucci tackled the problem of making the brand feel like a niche label, of which main aim is not only the commercial strength, but also bringing back the beauty of fashion – importance of Italian craftsmanship.

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The new vision of Gucci captured by Roe Ethridge for Another Magazine.

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The details of AW15 & SS16 collections photographed by Federico Ferrari for Another Magazine.

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A wardrobe of a glamorous, Italian lady – Via Montenapoleone.

Moments from No21 Showroom

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Beautiful moments from the No21 showroom, which presented their latest, spring-summer 2016 collection. I instantly fell  in love with easy tank-top dresses that had white t-shirts under. Also, note the seductive and very chic cigarette prints on knitted tops and sweat-shirts. The cappuccino coloured denim flares gave a fresh air of French cool, looking off-duty with big, cabas totes. The tasseled, raffia sandals that have referenced to tribal Africa are killing it, just as the rest of the collection. As usual, Alessandro Dell’AcQua nailed it!

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All photos by me.

Fondazione Prada

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“Haunted Tower”

Fondazione Prada is Milan’s most exciting place, where curated art meets architecture and its past. The creator of Fondazione Prada is, as the name might suggest, Miuccia Prada, whose love to art is as strong as to fashion. This is not an average, contemporary art museum – Fondazione fuses visual appreciation with intellectual pleasure – everything that happens here, from silent dance performances to temporary exhibitions, feels bonded together. The “Haunted House” covered with gold and the whole Fondazione Prada site is part of a former distillery complex dating back to the 1910s.

Without transforming the original volumes, the architecture project has preserved and enhanced the building by reinforcing the structure and gilding its external surface. As stated by Rem Koolhaas, the architect behind the museum, “Fondazione is not a preservation project and not a new architecture. Two conditions that are usually kept separate here confront each other in a state of permanent interaction–offering an ensemble of fragments that will not congeal into a single image, or allow any part to dominate the others. New, old, horizontal, vertical, wide, narrow, white, black, open, enclosed–all these contrasts establish the range of oppositions that define the new Fondazione. By introducing so many spatial variables, the complexity of the architecture will promote an unstable, open programming, where art and architecture will benefit from each other’s challenges”. Permanently, Fondazione Prada exhibits Louis Bourgeois‘s metaphysical installations, Robert Gober‘s eerie and surreal artworks. As part of the temporary exhibition, it’s essential to see Damien Hirst‘s “Trittico“, which literally presents a gynecologist chair immersed in a huge, fish-filled aquarium.

After few hours of discovering and learning about Fondazione Prada’s treasures, it’s a great idea to have cup of coffee at Bar Luce, which was designed by Wes Anderson, the famous director of “The Grand Budapest Hotel” – the pastel green wallpapers and delicious, marmalade cupcakes certainly give the caffè a status of the best museum cafeteria in the world. If you are planning a visit to Milan, then don’t even try to miss Fondazione Prada on your go-to list!

 

Via Largo Isarco 2 / Milan

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First Dibs – Paula Cademartori SS16 Accessories

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Who doesn’t know Paula Cademartori, needs to quickly look her up and keep on the fashion radar! The success of Paula Cademartori‘s accessory line is based on an aesthetic vision focused on intense care for details, combined with the determination to carry out production in Italy. Each bag is conceived as a design object to own and love. The precious seal of each model is a metal buckle, personally designed by Paula supported by her background in jewellery and industrial design. Her new SS16 collection that was presented in Milan a few weeks ago tells one, major thing – fringes and colours will storm the streets next summer… in both, handbags and shoes!

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Simple, Simple. Jil Sander SS16

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Rodolfo Paglialunga and Jil Sander is still an unclear match for me. Jil Sander’s strict minimalism is missed since the debutant collection, while the designer’s signature is not entirely visible. Spring-summer 2016 was light and soft – the statement hats stole Instagram’s spotlight for few minutes after the show. But the collection was absolutely not amusing. It did not last in my mind for long. Beige coats, white pajama looks, black blazers and midi-skirts – really, no excitement at all.

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