July 2006 Archives


July 28, 2006

PARIS Men’s S/S 07 – GRIEVES

The Gieves & Hawkins design team summoned the fashion rogues to the Hotel de Monaco in Paris for an outside showing of the their Gieves line. The designer showed his Spring/Summer collection on the grounds of the hotel, models walked the gravel pathways while editors in shorts and tennis shoes watched on. The collections theme was “I am a Camera”. My take on this was the models were camera ready! Right from the opening look the silhouette were very simple and very light. Each look appeared to be so lightweight; the fabrics just seem to float as the model walked adding a refreshing look to a hot and sticky day!

One of the best looking in the opening section was the yellow collarless overcoat cropped at the waist. The opening of the jacket overlaps adding to the modern tailoring that Grieves used in the tailoring of the shoulders and torso of the coat. Another strong outwear look was the off-white collarless trench coat that Grieves constructed to be cascading down the body. The trench fabric just floated upward with each step the model took.

The must have pieces from the collection are two knitwear pieces. First was the tan mohair and cashmere knit sweater with a crewneck. The sweater weave design is a combination of a ribbed weave and a cable knit weave. Grieves also showed alternate version of the same sweater, this version was cardigan with v-neckline. The weak part of the look was the tapered leg pant paired with both sweaters. This collection is certainly one of Grieve’s colorful and subtle collections. The overall look is very clean and his use of color really brings some life to the collection. Bravo Monsieur Grieves!

View the complete collection at PrettyPretty.be

[images via PrettyPretty.be]

PARIS Men’s S/S 07 – OZWALD BOATENG

Spring/Summer 2007, Boateng is Color! Boateng is Energy! Boateng is Love! Although Ozwald Boateng collection may appear serious, thanks to the models striking stares down the runway. It’s the energy that Boateng and his team give the clothes that really set the runway on fire. To open the collection Boateng opted for some of his classic suits and threw hints of color here and there and then he moved into more daywear looks. On of the prominent pieces in the opening section was the striking yellow-green dress shirt with a mandarin collar. The shirt is worn with a dark red (almost blood red) silk sheen dress pant with a salmon satin belt tied around the waist.

The collection is filled with a lot of Boateng’s classic shapes and tailoring but its his knitwear that really jumped out at you. One of the softer looks was a white knit sweater that is trimmed with in a aqua colored knit. The sweater was paired with a pale aqua silk shirt and a thin white tie. All this is pulled together with a tailored straight leg gray twill pant and thigh length jacket. The overall look is almost 80’s but Boateng’s combination of color and tailoring is very forward. The only real weak points of the collection were the metallic leather piece and the silk satin pullover. At the close of the collection Boateng added more black to the collection. One of the standout looks was a black cashmere sweater with aqua trimming the neckline and cuffs. The sweater is worn with a black velvet pant tailored straight.

The only must have piece in the collection is the pearled aqua pant worn with a soft cream color blazer that is tailored loose around the torso. The decadence of the pant is eye catching on the runway. Many of you might have seen Ozwald Boateng’s recent venture into television with his new reality series that is following him on his journey of concurring the retail market of America. This collection is proof that Boateng still has it after 20 years and he plans to keep going on no matter what. The collection embraced one of the new hot colors seen over and over in Milan – Aqua and a lot of it. Boateng took the color and made a collection of endless options. The result is an honest collection that really gives his clients the ability to mix and match as he pleases. Bravo Monsieur Boateng!

View the complete collection at UK Vogue.com

[images via UK Vogue.com]

Milan Menswear - Top 12 Looks

July 27, 2006

Milan Menswear - Top 8 Pieces

Milan Menswear - Top Trends: Rain Slickers

July 26, 2006

Milan Menswear - Top Trends: Short Shorts

July 24, 2006

Milan Menswear - Top Trends: Metallic Outerwear

"Aquaman" Need Your Help! ! !

itunes has put up the pilot episode of the new WB show "Aquaman" in hopes of drumming interest for the new show. The WB pulled the pilot episode of "Aquaman" from their Fall line up. The show, a spin-off from "Smallville" has been highly anticipated since Aquaman's appearence last season. Poor Tom Whelling cannot play Clark forever! Give the Blond a Chance!

I think they would have been picked up if they had casted Alan Ritchson who played Aquaman on Smallville!!!!!

July 23, 2006

Milan Menswear - Top Trends: Loose Pants & Shorts

July 22, 2006

Rochas Closes Clothing Division

Earlier this week Women’s Wear Daily reported that the House of Rochas will be shutting down and closing their doors to their ready-to-wear line. In 2003, Proctor & Gamble acquired the Rochas fashion & fragrance license from Wella. The conglomerate plans to only shutdown the fashion end of the business while keeping the fragrances (cash cow) on the market. This puts Olivier Theyskens out on the street. Its amazing how greed can cloud a companies idea of the big picture. In order for a fragrance line to be successful and maintain a growth in profit, you need some sort of press. Without a fashion house to back up the fragrance you loose that good press. Can you imagine Estee Lauder without a makeup line or Calvin Klein without a ready-to-wear line? The fashion industry is stunned by this abrupt news, from magazine editors to bloggers. So I must join the masses and put my foot down.

I will admit, when Olivier was introduced to the fashion community 6 years ago by Karl Lagerfeld. I was not impressed at first by his work. At the time Industry gossip was pinning Theyskens to become Karl’s replacement at Chanel. I gasped in horror as I found his student work and his personal line to “Lost”. While Olivier exhibited talent in his craft he was lacking in vision and aesthetic. Then Olivier was appointed to Rochas, and his first couple of collections fell victim to his inability to focus on a vision for his collection while grasping the aesthetic of Rochas.

It’s only in the last 3 years that Olivier began to really understand what was missing from his collections. Slowly Theyskens started to come out of his shell and his energy to design started came across from his work. While critics hammered him for the gothic and minimalism detailing of his looks , they were missing Theyskens’s faith of historical references and details in his looks. Slowly the press and the customers began to understand that Theyskens was producing looks that were not only fashion forward but creating fashion a new aesthetic.

So the news of Theyskens and Rochas relationship ending is certainly “Sad”, but this is a new chapter for Theyskens. Rumors are already hitting the net and magazine world. Big Question on everyone’s mind is: Where will Olivier land in the world of fashion? Vogue editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour commented this week “If he’d (Theyskens) been with LVMH or Gucci, it would have been a different story.” – this comment was promptly followed by rumors that LVMH and Theyskens are talks of starting his own brand. This was promptly fallowed by many other outlandish rumors.

Here are some of the rumors that have popped up so far:







1. Olivier and LVMH partner to create his own line.
2. Oscar De la Renta to announce retirement and name Theyskens as creative director to his namesake.
3. Richemont is creating a new brand for Phoebe Philo and name Theyskens to head Chloe (fallowing in the footsteps of Lagerfeld)
4. Ricardo Tisci to be replaced by Theyskens at Givenchy
5. Hilfiger to bring Theyskens to New York to create his own brand.

While its fun to play with all the rumors to build up our hopes for Theyskens, in the end its evident that luck is on Olivier’s side. Sales at Rochas were up 30% and he walked away with the International designer of the Year Award from CFDA. Not to mention having the most powerful industry players in your back pocket, Karl Lagerfeld, Anna Wintour, Corrine Roitfeld, Glenda Bailey, Franca Sozzani and Grace Coddington. Anna Wintour said it best, “He (Theyskens) is in the enviable position of having many suitors.”

July 21, 2006

Milan Menswear - Notable Trend: Trench Coats

Milan Mens - Notable Trend: Cardigans

July 20, 2006

Turlie.com - Top Suits from Milan

July 18, 2006

Great Opportunity in SF and LA. . . . . .

Diane Pernet (A Shaded View of Fashion) and Dino Dinco are hosting "You Wear It Well" a showing of short films and videos. The subject Fashion(of coarse), style and beauty. If you are in LA or SF in early August you must attend. Below are all the details.

Goodbye Celebrities – Hello Models!!!!!!

For the August issue of Vogue – a pregnant Linda Evangelist will appear on the cover – Linda is the first model to appear on the cover of Vogue in over a year. Finally the staff at Vogue is getting it! Celebrities don’t make fashion, that’s their job as well as models. Hopefully we get lucky and the September Issue (The Bible) will also feature a model - Christy?

The Associated Press reported this good news today, they also noted the new Versace Campaign (not due out till the September Issue) will be included in the August Issue. The campaign features former Versace muses and icons Christy Turlington and Kate Moss joining Angela Lindvall, Daria Werbowy and Carolyn Murphy – iI was able to find a scan of the new campaign – here are two shots – unfortunately I was not able to find a scan of the Evangelista cover, YET!

MILAN Men’s S/S 07 – GIORGIO ARMANI

At the opening of his Spring/Summer collection, Armani projected shots from the interiors and views of his many modern and resort atmosphere homes. From Antigua to Saint Tropez, while in the liner notes Armani state that his inspiration for this collection is to focus on a more relaxed silhouette. For the opening section Armani showed a lot of linen dress suits and silk shirts. An endless parade of the classic Armani suits in some of the lightest fabrics you can imagine.

In the second section Armani started to add more color to the collection, from soft greens and soft blues. One of the standout pieces in this section is green leather jacket. The leather was dyed by rubbing the green dye onto the leather. This process created a soft shade of green giving the leather some softness. To top off the look off Armani showed the jacket with one of his loosely tailored pants. In the third section Armani started to incorporate more leather looks. One of the strongest looks in this section was a cropped bikers jacket. The leather was distressed giving the jacket a rougher look; Armani paired the jacket with a navy/blue silk/wool blend dress slack with a pleated front and loosely tailored to the leg.

From the third section Armani focused on more active looks, adding a lot of shorts looks and showing more baggy pants with bold geometric print shirts and outerwear pieces. One the standout active wear pieces was a blue net weave jacket with a draped collar and lapel. The zip up jacket is worn with a linen vest over a geometric print shirt. For the close of the collection Armani moved back to the tapered leg pant for his three-piece suits and tuxedos.

While the collection was massive the must have looks are slim in the collection. The first look that really jumped out at me was the pin-stripe tuxedo worn with a gray and white stripe silk shirt. To finish off the look Armani added a vest in the same stripe silk fabric. The other must have look was the white wide ribbed knit cardigan with a small collar and lapel. The cardigan is worn with a linen vest over a geometric print. Armani is certainly a master of tailoring and has earned that reputation, but he is also a master of creating leisurewear that is not only opulent on its own but really make the customer feel like their opulent. This large collection of more than 120+ looks is proof that Armani can deliver. With this collection he really provided his customer with endless options, I know, I say that every season, so what! The success of the collection is on Armani’s ability to build textures and to find the right shade of black, blue or green to layer on top of each other. Another strong point to this collection is Armani’s ability to give us designs with prints; his use of geometric design is almost flawless. From the lines on his soft linen shirts to the bold chevron shapes used on delicate knit pieces. Bravo Monsieur Armani!

View the complete collection at style.com

[images via Style.com]

July 17, 2006

We Wear Short Shorts!!!!!!

I guess one of the big trends for Spring/Summer 2007 could have been used for Summer 2006. And G.BUSH said "Their's No Such Thang As Globil' Warmin'!"

A scorcher of a day in the US!!!!!! (7/17/06) Are we living in HELL?

Calvin Klein's S/S 07 - courtesty of style.com

MILAN Men’s S/S 07 – EMPARIO ARMANI

Giorgio Armani seems to be on a Guido and mobster fixation in this collection. While the collection was homage to the baggy pant of last season, a trend that only a handful of designer picked up on this season. Armani seems to be one step behind compared to most of his fellow designers. The opening section was a parade of oversized suit looks in silk and satin fabrics in a restricted pallet of grays, silvers and blues. The models walked the runway with thick black liner on the eyes and fake thin mustaches applied just for the show. You have to just love the slick Guido look Armani was looking to achieve; it added a little sex to the collection.

In the opening section Armani played with textures, although I found the texture of the blue and gray silk wool blend with the oversized silhouettes of the suits an odd combination. When Armani started to play with the tailoring in the later half of the opening section you could see a shift of cleaner but fuller look to the suits. Some of the standout pieces in this section were the black wool jackets that were paired with a black silk/wool blend pant. The contrast of the two fabrics really gives the eye a break in a sea of eel skin suits.

In the second section Armani moved from the heavy suits and shortened the length. Showing a pleve of simple dress shorts with matching blazers. The mass amount of the dress short looks was a little too much, what was missing was color. Armani also jumped on another trend look we have seen this week. Showing several looks with shirts that have only one button at the bottom showing off the models belly buttons. Is this a statement that men’s bare midriffs are in and women’s are out? I hope not! Some of the strongest looks in the second section were the sports pullover shirts and pant looks. Like the black and red pullovers with a band of black and white stripes cutting the two colors on a diagonal. While Armani did have the soccer bug this Spring/Summer (with good reason having Italy in the Final), his closing section was a parade of models in several patterned or textured soccer shorts. With a closing section filled with all athletic looks, the use of color was limited with only black, red and blue.


The must have look from the Armani collection is one evening look and the only unique piece in the collection. The must have Armani suit from the collection is the black wool crepe tuxedo suit with a matching low cut vest. The tuxedo is worn with a pale blue dress shirt and a contrasting blue tie. The other must have piece from the collection is the one of the footballer jersey jackets. A silk satin jacket in red and white with nylon red and white stripped trim along the collar and cuffs. This collection was as far from the Spring/Summer collection that Armani could get. The vast majority of the collection was in a dark pallet of black, dark blues and grays. The only splashes of color in the collection were from the bright blues and reds that were paired with black pants or shirts and blazers. What is interesting is that Armani presented more dress options in this collection rather than day wear looks. This is usually seen more in his signature Armani collection, not at Empario.

View the complete collection at style.com

[images viaStyle.com]

July 15, 2006

MILAN Men’s S/S 07 – CALVIN KLEIN

Designer Italo Zucchelli’s inspiration for his Spring/Summer collection for Calvin Klein is focused on the clean lines of the new wave movement of the 80’s. The opening section is one big pallet of grays and neutrals. One of the strongest looks in the opening section was a gray crew neck sweater that has a light gray weave giving the sweater a v-neck look. The sweater is worn with a straight leg cut pant, Zucchelli has embraced the full leg pant movement. Banish the Tapered Leg! Another standout trend in the collection was Italo’s experimentation of working with new tech fabrics. One the look to note was the black blazer made of made of a linen fabric that has been coated to create a high sheen on the fabric. From a distance the fabric almost appears to be leather.

In the second section Zucchelli’s direction was to make his day looks sportier or more active friendly while playing with his silhouettes. He commented his stretch Lycra legging and unitards were a play on his silhouettes. I giggled when I saw the leggings at first and started to understand why he showed the pieces, to add more to the imagination of the editors in the audience, while complementing the varying shapes his silhouettes are creating. Though, for one brief moment Italo did show a few tapered leg pants. No! While the palette through out the collection was leaning towards gray and neutrals tones Zucchelli did add some color, one of the big colors of the season “Aqua”. One of the best combinations of color and his neutral palette was the geometric design shirt. The shirt is a combination of fabrics sewn together and worn with a gray suit with a straight leg pant. The mix of the fabric has a crafts look, building on the whole idea of home made.

While most of the collection is a lot of suit looks and simple dress shirt looks, Italo showed a few knitwear looks that really stood out on there own. One these looks were the white knit sweater worn with a pair of bright aqua leggings. The sweater weave is similar to the porcelain baskets from the 19th century. The sweater is fitted to the torso, which is actually complemented by the tight silhouette created by the leggings.

The must have pieces from the collection are two of the most arresting pieces in the collection. First is the powder blue cashmere cardigan with a contrasting dark blue lining the button opening of the cardigan? It’s worn with a pair of denim jeans that was treated like the linen fabric creating velvet sheen to the fabric. The other must have piece is the black bikers jacket with the mandarin collar. The jacket is made of a mesh fabric that has been glazed to a sheen. The striking feature of the jacket is how translucent the fabric is and them exposed seaming adds line to the already modern piece. The only downside to the whole look was the short shorts.

With designers moving away from the thin silhouette that was pioneered by Hedi Slimane, Italo Zucchelli is slowly shaping his new silhouette in this collection. A lot of Zucchelli’s pants were tailored straight to the leg and it’s evident that his jackets and outerwear is starting to loosen up. While Calvin Klein is not known for its bold use of color, I was surprised to find that Italo really grasped the color new “it” color, Aqua and played with it. In one of his most daring ventures of this collection, Zucchelli really shined with his use of new high tech treated fabrics. The end result is not only a very classic Calvin Klein collection but also a very young collection.

View the complete collection at style.com

[images via Style.com]

July 14, 2006

MILAN Men’s S/S 07 – VALENTINO

Last season Valentino issued a manifesto that the world treats travel as if it were a drive to the supermarket. He questioned why couldn’t travel be more glamorous? Well, I think Valentino finally understood that people today are squished like sardines onto Ryan Air and Southwest Airlines only to get recycled air and a bag of peanuts. Gone is the free cocktail and the three course meal that you could write home about as the highlight of your trip. Valentino’s Spring/Summer collection has to be one of the most relaxed collections I have seen from Valentino, EVER!

The opening of the collection was a parade of wife-beaters worn with linen slack and strappy sandals. The Valentino opulence at first seemed to only appear in the accessories, but slowly he begins to add sexy fabrics and unique textures. The key looks in the opening section are his outwear pieces. Although he showed a few tapered leg pants, NO MORE PLEASE! As the collection progressed he loosened up the pant, making it more comfortable. One of the strongest looks in the opening section was light brown linen pant, loosely tailored and worn with a matching light brown knit button down cardigan. Valentino showed this baggy leg pant through the remainder of the collection.

The must have looks for the collection both include Valentino’s full leg pant. The first was the blue silk merino mock-neck sweater worn with a light gray baggy leg linen pant. The other must have look was gray Windsor check linen pant worn with a classic Valentino black trench coat. The weak point of the collection was the absence of color. Valentino focused on a palette of black, gray and natural colors of browns and dark greens. The strongest pieces in the collection are certainly all of Valentino’s linen pants with their full legs. Bravo Monsieur Valentino!

View the complete collection at style.com

[images via Style.com]

MILAN Men’s S/S 07 – GUCCI

For her first menswear collection Frida Giannini look to the Gucci archive for inspirational prints. She states her focus for the menswear collection was to bring women’s line and the men’s line a little closer together. Since Ford’s exit the two have been very distant in style and statement. In the first section Giannini showed sever dress suits for day and evening. She saturated the suits with decadent fabrics or bold prints on the fabric. The only disappointing thing about the suits is Frida opted to keep with the tapered leg look of seasons past. One of the strongest looks was the black and white pinstripe suit with contrasting pieces. The jacket is white with black stripes and the pant is black with white stripes.

For the second section Giannini used a more earthy color palette. I was happy to see Frida showed several leather pieces but I did not like how high she cropped the bottom of the jacket and tailored the sleeves close to the arm. As the collection progressed the Gucci look moved back to the 70’s looks we saw last season in Giannini’s Fall/Winter womenswear collection. She started to show some really weak looks like the short shorts, the studded and embossed leather vests and jackets. One of the big misses in the third section was the cerulean color leather jacket and short. While I was not keen of the cerulean blue used in the third section, I did love bright turquoise she used. One of the stand looks was the bright turquoise straight leg pant worn with a navy blue and turquoise print shirt.

Frida did show 2 real standout looks both incorporating some of her new prints she created for Gucci. First was the brown paisley print silk shirt worn with a straight leg cut pant, only a handful of the straight leg pants were shown. The other must have look and one of my favorites is the orange and blue paisley print silk shirt worn with a matching blue straight leg pant. For the evening section Giannini moved back to her tapered leg pant and using a lot of printed silk suits. While I found Frida’s attempt to bring the menswear closer in style to the women line, she might have take a few steps too far. The end result is a collection that seems to have a strong feminine appeal and look to it. While her bold use of color and prints really brought a Gucci feel to the collection, her silhouettes were too dated. Overall I was excited to see that Frida started bring back the Gucci prints while adding some new one’s.

View the complete collection at style.com

[images via Style.com]

July 13, 2006

MILAN Men’s S/S 07 – ETRO

Kean Etro seems to have an interest in the upcoming release of the “Pirates of the Caribbean”. At the top of the runway stood a 25-foot tall pirates ship, painted “PINK”. Etro opted to mix the collection up this season; there was no clean indication of sections in his collection. Instead he opted to move from suits to shorts and varying prints with no plan fro continuity (a similar format seen at DSquared2). This crazy format seemed to really keep you caught up in the looks.

In the opening of the show Etro showed several dress and dress-down looks. Right from the start Kean played with several prints, color combinations and textures. One of the most eye-catching looks was the white silk satin cargo short with baggy utility pockets on the sides of the shorts. The short is worn with a black and dark olive green tropical print jacket with tails. The print is very faint to the eye, the green is so dark its almost black. Another strong piece was the orange and brown tropical print pant with a baggy cut to the pant. The pant is very Palm Beach, but the earthy tones really can be worn in the Southwest or any resort destination. I was not to keen about the paisley printed silk poncho worn with the pant. Etro’s combination looks of stripes with paisley prints in one look could be a little distracting.

As the show progressed Etro use of colors became more and more intense. A happy change for myself and other editors (judging on the smiles in the front row during the show)! One of the most fun looks was the candy stripe seersucker suit. The pant has a baggy leg and the suit is worn with a pale blue dress shirt with a read and white gingham print used on the collar of the shirt. The puckering of candy stripe fabric gives it a softer look. Close the close of the collection Etro added some playful pieces to the collection. Like the black and white paisley print drawstring pant, minus the sweat jacket with a dragon print on the front. On the pieces to avoid are the extra long pants with the drawstring ties at the hem of the pant.

The must have look of the collection is one of the dress suits in the opening of the collection. A matching jacket and pant of a black and light gray stripe. The pant leg is tailored straight and the suit is worn with a brown and blue stripe shirts and brown and green coffee beans print tie. The must have piece of the collection is the black a white Windsor check dress slack. The pant is tailored with a flat front and the leg is flared from the knee creating a baggy fit to the pant. Etro continues to show us his ability to play with both bold colors and bold prints in work. This season he really took off with his version of Johnny Depp in “Pirates”. The end result is a collection of strong pieces and look for Spring/Summer. While there is a lot of black, gray and blue in the collection, Etro’s use of bold tropical prints and hidden paisleys draws you away from any dark colors. Bravo Monsieur Etro!

View the complete collection at style.com

[images via Style.com]

MILAN Men’s S/S 07 – A. DELL’ACQUA

Notes say the inspiration for Alessandro Dell’Acqua Spring/Summer collection revolves around the military and punks. My first impression after the first 6 looks, I felt like Alessandro’s focus was African safari meets rogue militants. Unfortunately I really did not see the punk! The opening section was full of animal prints paired with a lot of earthy shades of green and brown. Dell’Acqua use of animal prints was all over. I was really turned off by the use when he showed a zebra print sweat jacket. Outside of the random earthy tone of brown and the occasional camouflage print on shoes. The only military feel to the collection are all the patches Alessandro added to shirts and sweaters.

As the collection progressed Dell’Acqua used the same looks over and over only changing the fabrics or coloring. Then came the light at the end of drab tunnel, the closing section of the collection would be the defining moment for Alessandro’s S/S collection. It was a real shocker and eye opener, editors faces started to light up! After a series of drab looks, Dell’Acqua showed some of the sexiest and well tailored suits we’ve seen this season. His focus was certainly on the tailoring and keeping the design very clean with an emphasis of loosening up his tapered pant.

From his evening section at the close of the collection, Alessandro Dell’Acqua showed two really must have looks. First was the bright white silk suit. The shoulders are broad with the torso tailored close and the pant tailored with a straight leg. Worn with a pale khaki dress-shirts and olive green tie. The must have look is the black version of the same silk suit. The silhouette that Dell’Acqua created with tailoring is very sexy and the look was topped off with black dress-shirt. Although the evening section was the crowning moment of the collection, sadly what is absent from this collection is Alessandro’s clean lines and fluid sexiness that he shows each season.

View the complete collection at style.com

[images via Style.com]

San Francisco Fashion Week

I just received confirmation that my press pass and tickets will be waiting for me at the San Francisco Fashion Week. Thank you Donna for all you hard work.

This is the 3rd Annual Fashion Week for San Francisco and thanks to Mystery Girl Productions, we will be treated to a 4 day event with almost 20 designers on the schedule.

The event is open to the general public, tickets range in price $25-45 Student, $45.99-$75 for genral admission, and if you are really feeling “randy” or just have deep pockets $96-$150 for VIP and Diva VIP tickets. Tickets are on sale TODAY, click here to order them today.

July 12, 2006

Project Runway TONIGHT....

Don't forget to tune in tonight to see "PROJECT RUNWAY 3"

MILAN Men’s S/S 07 – DSQUARED2

Designers Dean & Dan Caten just could not get out of the locker-room for their Spring/Summer menswear collection. The brothers setup a locker room scene including shower stalls and dressing benches. Models walked onto the runway, undressed down to their Speedos to take a shower and then get dressed back up again. Sometime I could not keep my eyes of the showers every so often. This season the duo opted to mix up this collection no clear break between sections of looks coming down the runways. They moved from Speedos to dress suits and then to undee's or shorts. Caten’s commented the inspiration this was sports and outdoors, hitting on looks for sailing and running. While there were a lot of Speedos and sports jackets and pants, the only obvious details for such outings were the printed adage and logos.

In the opening of the collection three a handful of dress suits in the mix. One of the strongest looks in the opening was a black and light gray pinstripe suit. The suit has a classic fit but with a twist, the waistline is low rising with a flat front to the pant. The overall look is very clean and very sexy. While there was an abundant number of shorts looks in the opening of the show one the standout piece was actually halfway through the collection. The Caten brothers showed a emerald metallic green nylon cargo short, they also showed a matching metallic emerald green aviator jacket. Both are bold pieces but certainly are key find in the collection.

However, the “IT” color for the collection is not the greens or reds. Think “PINK”!!!!! Dean and Dan showed several standout looks with pink. One of the standout short look was simple flat front stone color short worn with a stunning pale pink and white dress shirt and matching Sinatra hat. The pale pink dress shirt is similar to tuxedo shirt. The opening of the shirt is trimmed with a white fabric as well as the sleeve cuffs. Another great pink look was the blue and white stripe blazer worn with a simple white dress shirt. To finish off the look Dean and Dan added a pink pleated front dress short with the hem of the short cuffed. The fit of the short is loose but tailored with clean lines. While pink was the strong point of the collection Caten’s did explore other colors with no success, like the salmon colored leather shorts or white sateen sports jackets.

There were two really bold must have looks from the DSquared2 Spring/Summer collection. First was the yellow waist-length double-breasted overcoat worn with a pair of denim Capri pants with the cuff rolled above the knee. I am not sure what really caught my eye with this look, either the shocking yellow coat or the men’s denim pant. The other must have look from the collection was the metallic pink blazer worn with a white dress shirt and baggy fit denim pant, similar to carpenter fir jean. This collection was certainly a safe collection for the Caten brothers. While I was loving extreme use of color through out the collection, what was really missing was a sense of life outside of all the sports looks and bare chests and chiseled bodies. When you’re not on the opening day of Milan Fashion Week while World Cup is being played, it best to avoid the whole sports frenzy. You end up looking like your copying everyone else. Overall the Caten’s really showed they can add some classic DSquared2 pieces and play off something that appears to be easy. Bravo Monsieur Dan Caten and Monsieur Dean Caten!

View the complete collection at style.com

[images via Style.com]

July 11, 2006

MILAN Men’s S/S 07 – PRINGLE

Last season designer Clare Waight Keller had a grasp of being able to mix the classic looks of Pringle and the ever changing world of menswear fashion. This season it seems that Waight Keller is leaning back toward the routes of Pringle. The noted inspiration of the collection was interior decorator David Hicks. Who is known for his bold use of color and strong prints and color combinations! At the preview for the Pringle collection the only word that popped in my head was STUFFY! The collection, 11 looks total, was all pants looks. While Waight Keller was giving a nod to the classic Pringle shape of last season, the colors were absent as well as the use of prints or earthiness seen often in the Pringle collection.

To open the preview the designer opted for a tuxedo look with a scooped neckline for the white vest worn with tapered silhouette pant. One of the strongest looks in the collection was the cream cashmere knit sweater. The weave of the sweater was in a geometric pattern and the neckline is ribbed with a rolled v-neckline. The downside to the look was tapered denim pant. Waight Keller’s use of the tapered leg pant runs through out the collection. The only must have look from the collection was the pale beige knit pullover with a crew-neckline and buttoned front. The key to this look is the straight silhouette pant with a pleated front and baggy leg, the only baggy leg pant in the collection. While the collection is a classic looking Pringle collection and Waight Keller played it safe with standard Pringle colors. The absent of color is what really drained the life from this collection and certainly knocked Waight Keller back to two steps this seasons. Hopefully next season she can really jump forward to experimenting and coming up with a new chapter for Pringle.

View the complete collection at style.com

[images via Style.com]

MILAN Men’s S/S 07 – VERSACE

Right from the opening of the collection it appears that Donatella and her design team seem to have their shoes off and their legs kicked up for the Spring/Summer 07’. The look is relaxed and for the Versace customer that means a lot! A reoccurring theme in the collection was “Where can we hide the Versace “V”, from belt loops to necklines or shoulder strap. My happy reaction to the opening of the collection, COLOR!!!! Finally a designer who gets it! The opening section was a lot of muted color and the look is almost American, from the tailoring of the clothes to the models that were cast for the collection.

The strongest looks in the opening collection were the day suits that opened the show. One of the standout looks was the soft gray pinstripe suit worn with a silk bright orange tie. The pant was the key to complete look of the suit. The pant was loosely tailored with a flat front; the loose tailoring created a fuller leg pant. For the second section Donatella moved into whiter palette that mixed shades of yellow. One of the standout looks in this section was the plunging v-neck short-sleeve shirt in canary yellow. Worn with a crisp white linen flat front pant. The only low point in this section was the 80’s yellow leather jacket with the sleeves rolled up.

In the third section Versace started playing with more color and mixing in prints. She also added some textures in this section. One of the standout looks was a dark brown silk parachute drawstring pants worn with a coffee brown silk trench coat. The pants are wrinkled and have a utility tailoring adding to the overall active look. The highlight in this section was all the neon light graphic prints done on everything from shirts, shorts and pants. One of the standout pieces in this section was the white short-sleeve silk shirt with a plunging v-neckline. The shirt is colored with a indigo blue and a pale purple neon light design. The shirt is worn with a pair of baggy utility pants.

Versace played with the Neon light print adding different color combinations. One of the standout looks was the white sleeve-less shirt with an orange and yellow neon light print; the shirt is worn with a pair of baggy khaki color pants and strappy sandals. Another complimentary piece to this look was the matching swim trunk covered with orange and yellow print. For the closing section Versace paraded several loose evening looks in a white and steel gray palette.

The must have looks for the collection are two dress looks but one for day and the other for evening. First was one of the opening day suit looks. Finally the other must have look was the dark charcoal gray silk jacquard and sheer silk crepe shirt. The combination of the two fabrics is sewn together in a vertical stripe in various thicknesses. With silk jacquard used for the sleeves and worn with silk/wool blend dress slack with a baggy leg cut. This collection is certainly one of the most out of the box collections that Donatella Versace has shown in years. A sigh of relief seemed to be floating over the editors post-show. Not to mention the buyers! This is a sign of some change for menswear and Versace is really embracing this change. Bravo Madame Versace!

View the complete collection at style.com

[images via Style.com]

MILAN Men’s S/S 07 – NEIL BARRETT

The inspiration is quoted to be a businessman meets skinheads. What is giving into safe? That would be Neil Barrett this season; the designer opted to keep with tradition. Opting to keep with the absent of color and true to trends of seasons past (skinny rocker chic and tapered pants). Barrett’s faithfulness to the skinny leg pan, western motif is an obvious step to steering clear of taking any risk. From the beginning to end the pallet as usual is black and white. The suits are thinly tailored to the body and the pants are hemmed well above the ankle. Barrett opened the collection with a black leather and satin members only jacket, yes that what is said!

The only stand look in the collection was one simple piece that Barrett played with color. This piece is also the only must have piece in the collection. An indigo blue denim pant that was only dyed on the outside of the pant, leaving the inside fabric its natural color. The dye was cast in a feather motion around waist and the seaming running on the inside and outside of the leg. Creating a bold print design that is eye catching. I found the collection was made up of the same pieces used over and over and only the color of the fabric changed or the fabric it self was replaced by leather or a textured fabric. Overall Barrett’s tight silhouette used throughout the collection was the big disappointment of the collection.

View the complete collection at style.com

[images via Style.com]

July 10, 2006

MILAN Men’s S/S 07 – GIANFRANCO FERRE’

In the program notes; Ferré notes that his pallet for Spring/Summer is neutrals and natural colors from sand to plate metallic. My gut reaction, what about blues, greens and red? The opening section was all dark blues and dark grays. The opening section was by the book, models appeared one by one in several suit and knitwear looks. Completely covered! Very little skin! The downside to so much formal looks was Ferré's tried to add a little fun with the looks. One of the big miss looks was the opening look of a techno blue color slicker, why can’t this color just disappear. Another playful idea that Ferre’ used in excess is the denim jean which he tailored very similar to a carpenter fit jean.

Ferré; showed several suit looks, but the models were paraded down the runway with the blazer folded up in their hands. Of coarse showing off the embroidered “F” on the inside lining. This really didn’t give us a complete look at Ferré's suits. The second section was in an introduction of more outerwear and leather pieces. Some the standout pieces in this section were the white suede and python cropped driving jackets. One of the key leather looks was the light brick color alligator leather driving jacket. Sadly Ferré paired the jacket with a pair of his baggy cotton twill carpenter pants.

In the third section Ferré shifted to a black and white pallet. Several strong looks really stood out in this section. But Ferré had a little fun with his liking in this section. As much as I though the black white print of Ferré profile was cute and very lifelike (meaning no thinning of Ferré's image was done). The shirts and shorts were too simple and didn’t have any edge that fit into the Ferré look. I was pleased to see that the dress slacks worn with the printed shirts were getting more relaxed.

In the closing section Ferré started adding splashes of color finally. And Bold Color! Although I was not really into the patent leather jackets he showed in red, blue, orange and black. The standout pieces in this colorful section were the silk/wool blend dress slacks at the close of the collection. The waistline is slightly lower but pant leg has a straight leg cut with a flat front. Ferré showed this pant in a bottle green and light green color plus his gray and steel blues. I did not like the mandarin collar shirts worn with the pants.

natural colors from sand to plate metallic. My gut reaction, what about blues, greens and red? The opening section was all dark blues and dark grays. The opening section was by the book, models appeared one by one in several suit and knitwear looks. Completely covered! Very little skin! The downside to so much formal looks was Ferre’s tried to add a little fun with the looks. One of the big miss looks was the opening look of a techno blue color slicker, why can’t this color just disappear. Another playful idea that Ferre’ used in excess is the denim jean which he tailored very similar to a carpenter fit jean.

Ferre; showed several suit looks, but the models were paraded down the runway with the blazer folded up in their hands. Of coarse showing off the embroidered “F” on the inside lining. This really didn’t give us a complete look at Ferre’s suits. The second section was in an introduction of more outerwear and leather pieces. Some the standout pieces in this section were the white suede and python cropped driving jackets. One of the key leather looks was the light brick color alligator leather driving jacket. Sadly Ferre’ paired the jacket with a pair of his baggy cotton twill carpenter pants.

In the third section Ferre’ shifted to a black and white pallet. Several strong looks really stood out in this section. But Ferre’ had a little fun with his liking in this section. As much as I though the black white print of Ferre’s profile was cute and very lifelike (meaning no thinning of Ferre’s image was done). The shirts and shorts were too simple and didn’t have any edge that fit into the Ferre’ look. I was pleased to see that the dress slacks worn with the printed shirts were getting more relaxed.

In the closing section Ferre’ started adding splashes of color finally. And Bold Color! Although I was not really into the patent leather jackets he showed in red, blue, orange and black. The standout pieces in this colorful section were the silk/wool blend dress slacks at the close of the collection. The waistline is slightly lower but pant leg has a straight leg cut with a flat front. Ferre’ showed this pant in a bottle green and light green color plus his gray and steel blues. I did not like the mandarin collar shirts worn with the pants.

The must have looks from the collection are two knitwear looks. First was the white knit collar-less cardigan with a matching belt. The cardigan is buttoned in a wide double-breasted look. The cardigan is worn with a flared leg denim pant. The other must have look is the white knit jacket that is double breasted and lapel are large and drape over the breast plate and shoulders of the jacket. Worn with a straight leg denim pant. I found Ferré excessive use of denim to be nauseating and while his ability to fall in the lines of his classic Ferré style with modern lines and luxury. This collection went a little to far out there in terms of grabbing new clientèle from younger generations.

View the complete collection at gianfrancoferre.com

[images via gianfrancoferre.com ]

July 09, 2006

MILAN Men’s S/S 07 – ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

It seems to be hot all over the world – even down in Australia where its supposed to be winter right now! For his Spring/Summer collection Alexander McQueen showed in courtyard palazzo with sheer fabric shadowing guests from the sun. The theme for the collection is noted as “Harlem”, some editors commented that the inspiration goes beyond the typical vision of “Harlem” that developed back in the early part of the 20th century. McQueen is known for ability to take his collections from one extreme to another and not miss a beat. This season his flare for the dramatic took was on the back burner while celebrated and revisited his classic training of tailoring. This collection is all about his ability and talent to tailor the perfect or unique suit. Showing one of the most complete collections of Milan fashion week so far!

The key here is that McQueen focused on the gentleman’s closet and making sure he covered all the bases. From daywear to eveningwear, from shorts to pants or slacks, from something clean and classic to something bold and unique. The opening section was the Harlem dandy at its finest, something for the beach, work and that social BBQ over at the Robinson’s this summer. One of the strongest statements in the opening section was the use of last season Windsor Check on several suit and pant looks. One of the strongest looks was the light brown short sleeve cardigan worn with a short sleeve blue dress shirt and a pair of flat front wool Windsor check pant with a light blue and gray design on the pant. The suits in the opening section were tailored to the client specification, tapered legs pants to full or baggy leg pants to zoot suit blazers with shoulder pads to a more clean jacket tailored around the torso.

The only downside to the opening section was McQueen’s use of the tapered leg pant, which he abandoned completely last season. In the second section McQueen played with color and silhouettes. In nod to the 30’s he showed a handful of day jackets and looks. One of the strongest looks in this section was the pale blue and white stripe linen jacket worn with a smaller stripe shirt in matching color. The look is completed with a pleated front white linen pant. In the third section McQueen played with more colors adding pinks and pale coral to his color pallet. One of the boldest and some said nauseating looks (but something really made me smile when I saw it) was the pink pin-stripe suit. The jacket was tucked into the waist of the pant creating a clean silhouette on the model. The jacket is tailored with padded shoulders and the pants are cut baggy and tapered at the cuff of the pant. This look was a unique and added to McQueen’s playful style.

In the closing section McQueen showed a lot of black and shimmer. One of the strongest looks in this section was the metallic knit cardigan. The cardigan is knit with a horizontal design across the body which McQueen used the metallic to contrast a black backdrop. The cardigan was worn with a striped shirt and a silk/wool blend flat-front pant that is tapered at the knee. Another strong look in the closing section was the last look of the collection. A silk satin dress pant in a pale gold with a pin print design covering the pant. The pant is cut with a straight leg and worn with a wide lapel black overcoat and one of McQueen’s Geisha shirts, a draped front shirt with a plunging neckline that wraps around the stomach.

The must have pieces from the collection are two of McQueen “WOW” looks. First was the Wedgwood blue suit with a straight leg pant and tailored jacket. The jacket is detailed with a silver embroidery and crystal beading on the front of the jacket and trimming the lapels. The other must have look is the silver and pale gold beaded jacket. I labeled it the butterfly jacket! The contrast design made up by the beading maps out a butterfly wing design. The jacket was devastating! The key to this collection is that McQueen is finally using his classic tailoring training from his Savile Row days. Creating a collection that worthy of the best-dressed list of the world. McQueen is certainly taking his craft to the next level, cementing himself into the likes of Armani, Cerruti and Givenchy for menswear. While keeping true with his flare of the unique! Bravo Monsieur McQueen!

View the complete collection at style.com

[images viaStyle.com]

July 08, 2006

MILAN Men’s S/S 07 – BOTTEGA VENETA

In the past couple of season Tomas Maier has really proved that he’s a great pair for the Bottega Veneta Company and client. This season seems to be a change for the designer. The opening of the collection was a blank pallet of all white and then he closed with another all white section. The focus right from the opening of the collection is Maier looking to relax the BV look and client. In the opening section Maier focused on a loosely tailored shape with emphasis on the more relaxed gentleman who can exude persona with the aid of his clothes. Maier is known for hiss clean lines and strong ability to use color and graphic design to build his collection. This season Maier opted for a more clean and simple collection.

The opening section of all white was a parade of soft textures. The jackets and blazer are loosely tailored but the torso is pinched in to create a slight hourglass shape. Maier also followed the trend of straight leg pant, which he tailors loose for more comfort. One of the strongest looks in the opening section was the double-breasted white blazer worn with a soft cream-colored pant. A very sophisticated look and yet Maier really gives the tailoring a youthful shape. Another standout look in the opening section was the soft white knit pullover with a wide color and a crew-neckline. The pullover is worn with a lightweight white twill flat front pant.

As the collection progressed Maier seemed to shift the color palettes from white to all tan/beige pallet and shortened the lengths of the looks. One of the downside of this section is hint of the western trend, which he added to several looks, like the long sleeve shirts that have western details in the tailoring and detailing. One of the strongest looks in this section is the safari jacket in a deep tan. The jacket is adorned with oversized pockets and is reminiscent of classic St. Laurent safari jacket.

In the third section Maier shifted the color again into more greens. In this section he showed a lot of day wear looks, incorporating a lot of denim and thick cotton looks. This section did have a lot of key looks but Maier opted to go Abercrombie and Polo by adding number patches and silkscreen of BV shapes on cardigans, shirts and jackets. For the closing section he moved from the green pallet back into all white.

The must have looks are two looks from the closing section of the collection. First was the white wool blend suit, the pant was tapered to the thigh and then flared from the knee to the ankle. The jacket adds volume to the upper body while the pant accents the models toned legs. The other must have look is the white cashmere knit cardigan worn with a matching white wool blend straight-leg pant. All though Maier opted to control use of color in this collection, the lack of varying colors is one of the down points to the collection. At the close of the show he got a little daring showing a series of silk/wool blend suits, the fabric was so sheer that you could see the underwear and pocket outlines. While this look may be daring it could be a no sell for the Bottega Veneta client. Overall Maier showed a complete collection minus the entire obvious fad adds! Bravo Monsieur Maier!

View the complete collection at style.com

[images via Style.com]

July 07, 2006

MILAN Men’s S/S 07 – MARNI

At the Marni preview, we were treated to some very classic looks for Marni. Sadly the down point to this collection is the lack of color. Although there are splashes of red and blue here and there .The absence of the bold Marni color is a little sad, not to mention the lack of any Marni prints. This season designer Consuelo Castiglioni focused on giving the Marni client a simple collection – opting to show the small collection of 8 looks in his showroom.

One of the strongest looks in the opening section is the very first look to hit the runway. A gray and navy blue strip knit cardigan with light gray along the lapels and hem. The cardigan is worn with a pale blue and white strip short and white dress shirt. One of the misses in the collection is Castiglioni use of the tapered leg pant, a trend that seems to be disappearing, thank you! Another lacking feature is the simplicity of the Marni accessories. For example the bags showed with several looks, the bags were bulky and seemed to be unfinished in its design.

The must have pieces of the collection are two outerwear pieces. First is the only splash of color in the collection, a red collar-less overcoat with large pockets on the front of the jacket. The must have piece is the white trench coat that is collar-less with large pockets, similar to the red overcoat. The overall look for the collection is for the intellectual collegiate going on holiday at a retreat in the countryside. It’s very clean and simple, but overall it’s just too simple. Hopefully next season we can see more life in Marni.

View the complete collection at style.com

[images via Style.com]