Men’s – Power of Recurrence. Gucci AW16

January 19, 2016January 20, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

You might believe it or not – but I am kind of dissapointed with the recent Gucci collection, designed by Alessandro Michele. I know that lately I was getting over excited about the designer’s latest womenswear outings, which have appealled to me so much – but this autumn-winter 2016 collection is just too predictable. Firstly, the vision of Michele at Gucci is so eccentric, signature-filled and bold that his collections will always look… well, nearly the same. It just feels that the house won’t turn into a new direction and it will always keep that slightly eerie, vintage mood. From one side, it might become an opulent Armani-kind of house, where nothing changes. But from the other side, it means that the brand won’t get influenced by one-season trends. And that’s good, though.

Speaking of recurrence – the best-selling “Gucci bloom” print is still here. The L’Aveugle Par Amour embroideries are back on the denim jackets. The furry, horse-bit Gucci loafers are again on the runway – and I still feel a burning desire for them. The Italian craftsmanship is the right privilege for the house. Even the designer’s muses and favourite films play a role – Kate Bush, David Bowie (there was a beautiful homage paid to him during the show with an embroidered BOWIE varsity jacket) and Twin Peaks keep the eclectic mood. The pieces that highlighted the collection? Male chokers, for which I will never forgive Alessandro; pilgrim dresses for the women’s part; velvet tracksuits with floral embroideries; LA-neighborhood-boys-and-cowboys combo which surprisingly made think of Hedi Slimane’s Saint Laurent guy. Whether or not this collection feels messy and deja vu, Alessandro Michele can be praised for his stubborn belief in the neo-nostalgic vision. Nevertheless, a fresh breath of air would be just perfect for him.

Men’s – Sailors and The Sea. Prada AW16

January 18, 2016January 18, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Via Jeanne Damas Instagram

Even though the fashion world seems to be a happy place, Miuccia Prada makes a statement – it’s an industry, where everything is influenced by the world’s problems. The autumn-winter 2015 show is not only about new ideas and new bags – it delves much deeper. Curiosity about other people and about the world the designer lives in made this collection one of the most thoughtful Prada outings ever. “That is what is really interesting,” says she. “What people relate to, what fascinates them, how the fusion of fashion and culture makes people react.” Moreover, Miuccia has openly stated that she was thinking about the immigration, famine and a world-wide pessimism during the design process – and this explains the defining, sailor theme of this collection, which was frequently misinterpreted with Moby Dick’s tale. However, this time Prada takes it in a realistic way.

But a fashion show is about fashion, of course. The menswear part was mesmerizing, considering the clothes and the styling tricks. Most of the looks were topped off with a sailor cap and many of the opening men’s looks were focused on short-sleeved button-up shirts printed with retro-inspired imagery. Deconstructed shirting, printed with Christophe Chemin‘s surreal illustrations, appeared in various forms, like extra packets on tops and additional collars worn over coats. In overall, the men’s wardrobe had a survivor-like manner, noting the bare torsos and unbottoned shirts the models wore, If talking of the womenswear part, Prada delivered beautiful silhouettes for her pre-fall 2016 – the designer’s models like (Natalie Westling, Lineisy Montero and Mica Arganaraz) moved down the runway in woolen tights, ginger leather coats and sleek, midi-lenght dresses. The classy, velvet pumps worn with socks looked, as usual, unfailing. Summing up, the collection was like a storm among the pretty and calm menswear collections in Milan.

Men’s – Gentler, Masculine Side. No21 AW16

January 18, 2016August 5, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Sunday 17th was a really good day for Alessandro Dell‘AcQua – in the morning, he presented his autumn-winter 2016 collection for men; in the evening, he was at the opening inauguration of N21‘s first, Milanese flagship store, where the industry’s most influential people appeared. The store, located on Via Santo Spirito, perfectly captures Alessandro’s vision at N21 – definitely, the new menswear collection will look good on the hangers next season, too. If talking of the clothes, the designer played with layers and textiles, introducing unexpected, gentle combination of chiffon, macramé lace, crepe de chine and animalier prints. The collection had a signature, laid-back (even grunge!) coolness about it, with those over-sized pockets on khaki hoodies and leopard-print coats. But what truly stole my heart in N21’s winter outing was the shearling story – styled with satin varsity jackets and burgundy polo shirts underneath, they felt slightly decadent and masculine simultaneously. Without much effort, Dell’AcQua knows how to make a guy covet his clothes.

Men’s – Back to Black. Bottega Veneta AW16

January 18, 2016January 18, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Tomas Maier, the creative director of Bottega Veneta, takes his man (and woman) to the darker side this season. But the colour of black had its function – Maier made it the leading colour of the show in order to present a contrast. “It’s about the silhouette. I felt it needed change. All the sportswear-inspired elements that we have been putting in: It’s time to move on. It’s becoming a trend, lots of people are doing that, I don’t need to do it forever.” Rather than reintepreting de luxe sweatpants, the collection was focused on the way the athletic, yet elegant clothes look on the body of both men and women. For guys, Bottega Veneta channeled a loose-fit chic, while girls looked soigné in their calfskin coats and relaxed skirts. Even though this collection is not a ground-breaking one, it feels like one of the best menswear outings by the designer up to date.

Nature Force and Fiorucci. Valentino Pre-Fall’16

January 16, 2016January 22, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Valentino‘s pre-fall 2016 collection delivered by Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli feels too good to be just a pre-collection. It has about 85 looks, and each of them tells a different story. The first series of looks were all about a pictorial, vivid scenario of a volcanic eruption – meticulously embroidered mini-dresses were styled with refreshing floral maxi-skirts and electric, blue high-knee boots. The force of nature, which was embraced by the designers this season was continued in the most romantic way – using the traditional, Italian way of fur-painting, the mink coats were blooming with delicate, white flowers. The Astrakhan skirt with fluffy cotton-flowers was genius, too, when styled with a classy, soft knit. However, the collection had its other side – the aim was, to make it span the worlds. The inspiration, as Maria Grazia and Pierpaolo explained in the showroom set up in Andy Warhol’s Factory in New York, was Elio Fiorucci. The Italian designer, who died last year, was focusing his fashion on influences which came from everywhere. “He was local and global,” said Chiuri, “and we think that fits with the way we work.” Moreover, the designers were drawn to Fiorucci for the 70’s lifestyle he represented in fashion, and his joy of discovery. I must admit, it was really hard to choose only a few, representative looks from this beautiful collection – so here are my definite favourites.