Glamour Loves Humour. DsQuared2 SS17

September 27, 2016September 27, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Dean and Dan Caten‘s spring-summer 2017 collection at DsQuared2 is a collage of everything opulent and glamorous, with a good sense of humour. Leopard-print bustiers; leg-of-mutton sleeves (they seem to be everywhere this season) over a glossy taffeta mini-skirt; extremely slim, intricately embroidered cavalry jackets. The Canadian brothers play with volumes, blurring the lines between high-fetched femininity and slouchy masculinity. Sequined, over-sized denim pants worn with big shoulder pads at the top gave an impression of a hilarious exaggeration. The long-legged models looked even taller in those quite cartoonish combinations. DsQuared2 ends Milan Fashion Week in a very Italian way I must say – it’s an endless dolce vita for those two guys!

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!

50 Years. Bottega Veneta SS17

September 25, 2016September 25, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Bottega Veneta celebrates its 50th anniversary this season, but don’t expect an over the top venue or anything like that. Tomas Maier, the creative director of Veneta, is known for his classical approach to ready-to-wear, and of course, respect for the brand’s heritage of leather accessories. That’s why the idea behind spring-summer 2017 span around an iconic intrecciato woven clutch bag, which was carried around by Lauren Hutton back in a 1980 film, American Gigolo. History repeats itself: yesterday in the morning, the same person appeared in the fashion show, with the same bag. Hutton wore an elegant, beige trench coat (like in the film!). Absolutely make-up free. She looked stunning, as always. And the red, little bag was a cherry on the (birthday) cake. The memorable clutch, and 14 other archive bags will be reproduced.

Now, the clothes part. Maier is one of the leading designers who creates ageless garments with a seasonless neutrality. Anyone can wear them, from the young to the elder. The latest collection is divided into different colour palettes: the first looks were kept in olive-green, earthy tones. We had some great knits, luxury leathers and delightful rain coats. Then, there was a colour moment, where Karen Elson and Grace Bol wore beetroot-red robe dresses and fuchsia pencil skirts. In the end, the designer explored various shades of beige , mixing it with pastel elements. There was suede, there was cashmere – a combination of Bottega Veneta’s favourites. The Italian brand focuses on an menswear line, too, so no wonder why some of the looks were prepared for guys in this milestone celebration. Over-sized camel pants, loose sweaters and tailored biker jackets are just some of the men’s essentials.

Fashion Crocs and Boudoir. Christopher Kane SS17

September 21, 2016September 21, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

We live in 2016, the time, when trends aren’t as important as they used to be. Of course, there are people who still seek for the 60s motifs or “major” animal prints moments. Some glossy magazines still keep on looking for those similarities, as if that was the most important part of every season. But isn’t it much more fun to absolutely forget about categorising fashion?

A way of keeping diametrically different ideas in a disorganised, collage form appears repetitively at J.W. Anderson, Proenza Schouler and Raf Simons. Christopher Kane is another designer, who isn’t following themes in his collections, but prefers to scatter them around like toys. He experiments with everything, from texture composition to styling, in order to achieve something “new”. In his spring-summer 2017, Kane does cheerful florals in various ways, from easy prints to haute 3-D embellishments. There’s something wild and undomesticated in his collection, too, with midi-skirts made of fur, and leopard prints covering the tops. Cool PVC raincoats. Seductive lace. There’s a conversation going on between Catholic innocence (see the Christian iconography on the sweatshirts) and ‘good girl gone bad’ attitude, just like at Simone Rocha‘s latest outing. The trompe l’oeil evening gowns shared a frivolous peek at the boudoir part of wardrobe – I guess those sensual pieces will sell within a second when they hit the designer’s flagship boutique in London. Ultimately, the “most out of the blue” prize goes to Christopher’s choice of footwear. For spring, the brand collaborated with Crocs to produce a range of hilarious, man-repelling rubber flats, covered with colourful stones and studs. Nobody would have expected that.

Experimental. JW Anderson SS17

September 20, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Nothing is what it seems at J.W. Anderson. Henry VIII’s Tudor-esque, slashed sleeves and bucket-bags printed with a dragon head. Parachute sweatshirts and tie-dye dresses. If you try to match anything here – good luck then. Jonathan Anderson continues the idea of experimental clothing and styling at his namesake label, mixing the least expected pieces of his and yours wardrobe. It’s like having fun with collage-making – you never know what will be the final result. I wouldn’t say that this makes his collections look uncomplete, or unwearable. Quite opposite, it’s the sophistication that attracts everybody to Anderson’s ready-to-wear.