Designer Kris Van Assche’s inspiration for Fall/Winter 07’ is classic American sportswear meet the dandy. The opening section is drenched in a lot of black and a little dressed up. The focus is in incorporating contrast piping on the seaming and a small splash of yellow on a few looks. The second section is more street chic with prints incorporated into the looks. The look is a loose leg pant, vest and a lot of plaids. One of the strongest looks from the second section is a orange/gray/black plaid print jacket worn with a white dress shirt and black cotton twill full-leg pant. Another great look in this section is a black pin-stripe suit. The suit jacket is detailed with white piping on the arms and shoulder. The closing section was a series of puff jackets with male models escorting female models wearing a stronger look. The puff jackets are a bad repeat from last season. The strongest pieces and statement from the collection are all the pants. Van Assche presented a large number of different style pants all with a full leg.

The must have pieces from the collection are two of Van Assche’s outerwear pieces. First is the black wool overcoat with a wide lapel and collar. The seaming on one side of the coat is detailed with blue piping. The other must have piece is the black and white plaid bomber jacket with a black faux fur collar. The only thing you should steer clear from is a velvet pant in the collection. One of the low-trends of the collection, besides the obvious puff jackets were the pants stuffed into the boot trend. While this is one of Van Assche’s signature traits, a whole collection of pants stuffed into boots was a little overboard. Overall Van Assche had several strong pieces and looks through out the collection.

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Miles Socha at WWD reported today that Dior Homme is ending their contract with designer Hedi Slimane. Dior executives have chosen Belgian designer Kris Van Assche as his replacement. Van Assche has worked with Hedi Slimane previously at Dior Homme and Yves Saint Laurent. His namesake collection premiered at Paris Fall/Winter 2005 collections. While his first collection was widely praised his last two collections have struggled to please the critics, including myself.

Although I am happy to see Slimane go, the innovation of the Womens line was never shared with Slimane, He tended to keep to his signature look and not shape the line by Dior’s standard. That skinny leg pant is slowing disappearing but Slimane won’t give up a good thing. Hopefully his own label will give him the freedom he needs. Fingers crossed for Van Assche!

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This season Jean Paul Gaultier adorned the models with many version of the “halo”. The religious imagery translated easily into the collection, although Gaultier has always used religion in his collection. The opening section is a focus on a cleaner and more tailored look, he played with the whole bordering androgyny. One of the standout looks in this section is a play on the suit dress. The jacket is crafted with structure in mind, back in 91’ Gaultier showed introduced his self-closing jacket. This jacket is modern twist of that jacket but he gives it a 40’s post war look. This look lead into the second section which he pays respect to the 40’s post war woman with classic two piece looks and dresses. Gaultier shortens the length and gives it a sexy edge. For the evening section Jean Paul unleashed several romantic looks that span many eras and encompasses several iconic images. They range from the sun gods to the goddess of mother earth. One of the key looks in the evening section is a white floor length gown. The gown is covered in texture, from beading to frayed fabric, embroiderey and crocheted trim.

The two inspirational pieces from the collection are two dresses from the second section. First is the Spanish theme cocktail dress. The dress is constructed with the bodice encrusted with a beaded Mexican theme design. The bodice of the dress is beaded with a fruit and floral theme and the skirt is done in two-tone silk chiffon with floral embroidery on bottom of the skirt and the hem trimmed with black lace. The other inspirational piece is the black a-line dress that is completely covered in black beading and crystals. The bottom of the dress is showered with palettes, the religious reference is a cross opening on breast of the dress. In short this collection is classic reference for Gaultier but his execution the key. Sometimes Gaultier goes over the top with his couture collection. This season the gowns and dresses could possibly mistaken for a Prêt-a-Porte collection. Unfortunately you can’t do embroidery and beading at the Prêt-a-Porte prices. Bravo Monsieur Gaultier!

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John Galliano has mastered the art of delivery for House of Christian Dior. This season Galliano abandons his thirst for new and modern and give the Dior client unique and classic Dior couture looks. The inspiration for his Spring couture collection, he looks to Madame Butterfly and the romantic themes in Japanese design. The opening section is a series of colorful looks that embody the classic Dior “New Look” silhouettes. The embroidery and beading is reference to the Japanese them of the collection. One of the best visions or statements from the opening section is the layer detailing, on the skirts or jackets. To key details are the layering of a pocket flap or the sleeve cuff. One of the dramatic and unique looks in the opening section was the swan feather dress. The dressed covered with pale pink and pale blue dyed feathers and the torso is done in a pale pink silk satin embroidered and beaded with a wisteria design. Another strong look from the opening section is one of the “new look” designs. A strapless floor length column dress in a vibrant yellow and embroidered with a lotus flower design. The dress is worn with a oversized evening coat, embroidered with the lotus flower and the hem is layered.

For the second section Galliano mixes Dior’s New Look with the Japanese kimono. One of the most detailed and unique piece in this section is a deep pink china doll dress. The dress is done in a deep pink silk crepe layered and the fabric is draped from one shoulder and layered across the hip. The big treat of this look is the amount of detail on the dress. The embroidered and beaded lotus flowers on the hem of the dress to the silk ribbon appliqué and embroidery on the bodice of the dress. Color is a key to the collection, a lot of pinks, a lot of blues and a lot of soft shades of red.

In the third section twists the Japanese theme with dominatrix and little anime. For the evening section Galliano moved back to the New Look for the gowns. With an emphasis on a lot of layering and a lot of dramatic draping. I was a little stunned by one of the evening gowns. The pink and grey stripe gown is done in the same fabric Alexander McQueen used for his parachute gown for the Vogue “Marie Antoinette” shoot with Kristin Dunst. The inspiration of this season is the heavy overcoat and volume draped skirts. One of the great inspirational pieces from the collection is the classic day dress In a kimono style. The dress skirt is a full shape with a embroidered and beaded floral design. Another inspirational look is one of the black silk taffeta jacket embroidered with a floral design and detailed with tube beading. The bead work is continued onto the skirt in vertical bands around the skirt.

Of coarse Galliano has at least one museum piece in the collection. Fortunately for the French model Morgan Doubled was the model wearing it. A tiered floor length evening gown made up of tiers of layered silk crepe. The color of the dress shifts from blood read around the bodice to jet-black on the bottom of the dress. What really made this gown interesting is how Galliano dropped the layers into three sections, giving the gown the appearance of three lengths. I was saddened by the cookie cutter vision and style that Galliano presented this season. In the end Galliano like his fellow couturiers have forgotten that couture is supposed to impure ready to wear. This season John simply focused on the Dior client who loves the classic Dior look and want to add new or growing collection in their closet.

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Ricardo Tisci’s inspiration for Spring is a visit to Tisci’s seaside hometown and exploring the local folk-lore. The overall look is the deconstruction we saw repeatedly during the 1980’s. The opening section was a little out in left field with his slinky silhouettes covering the models entire body paired with his fountain hats. The opening section was a series of simple pieces, designed with clean lines and the emphasis on draping. There were a few print looks but they really did not compliment the overall look. The prints had a bit of an 80’s Versace reference and look to them. In the second section Tisci give us color, from dark navy to vibrant yellow. All of a sudden the draping and silhouette becomes more feminine and less drastic. One of the standout looks in this section is the gray silk chiffon and organza strapless gown. The top of the gown is done with fans of pleated chiffon while the shorter underskirt is silk organza structured in a diamond waffle design. Then a single layer of silk chiffon draped over and trimmed with three layers of the waffle design in the same chiffon fabric.

The must have piece and possibly a museum piece is the fisherman theme jacket. The chiffon jacket is covered with a pale nude fishnet and then encrusted with composite palettes, beading and fish scale shaped pieces of leather. An interesting piece but very imaginative and heavily detailed! The contrast from the opening looks to the closing section is confusing. The two really do not compliment each other. While I found a lot of the closing pieces very dramatic and inspirational, absent is the felling that this is a Givenchy collection. What is evident is Tisci is really torn on the whole Givenchy style and his personal design is soaked all over the collection.

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The inspiration for his Spring couture collection Murad mixed sexy lingerie crafted with delicate floral printed and embroidered couture fabrics. The opening section is a shift from shades of rose and turquoise to nude and then back to turquoise. One of the standout pieces in the opening section is a mauve silk satin floor length gown. The fabric is printed with a floral design done in gold leaf. The fabric is weaved in and out of band of gold fabric that is tied around the waist. Another great gown in the opening section is another silk satin gown. The fabric is embroidered and detailed with crystal beading. The embroidery coves the entire body of the strapless gown and trimming the cape drape, which drops from the waist.

Murad’s focus this season is on a defined silhouette, its long and fluid. He also gives us another great collection of heavily embroidered and detailed looks. At the close of the collection Murad really focused on some showstoppers. Some of the gowns were very reminiscent of showgirl gowns from Vegas. One of the most dramatic gowns was a sheer nude tulle strapless gown that is heavily encrusted with beading and embroidery. Yes it’s a little over the top and you might as who in their right mind would wear something so decadent. You won’t see it on red carpet but gowns like this are must haves in the Middle East. Overall the whole collection is a nonstop parade of must have gowns for his Middle East clients.

The key pieces from the collection are not the long evening gowns. Rather the short cocktail dresses! Murad only showed 3 cocktail dressing in the whole collection. One of the must have looks is one of the cocktail dresses. The dress is a double layer of pale turquoise tulle. The fabric is draped in two tiers with the tiers intersection with fern leaf embroidery. The skirt and bodice of the dress is detailed with channels of embroidered leafs design with crystal highlights. The waist of the dress is finished with a pale turquoise satin ribbon and bow. The other must have look from the collection is a floor length strapless gown. The bodice of the gown is cinched pale seafoam green silk chiffon and the skirt is column drape of sheer green silk organza. The organza skirt is covered with a velvet embroidery and crystal detailing. The look is finished with a draped cape from waist of pale seafoam green silk chiffon. The opening of the drape is detailed with the velvet floral embroidery. What would have really made this a strong collection if Murad had shown more dresses.

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A classic romantic, Elie Saab is probably one of the most hopeless romantics in couture. The vision for his Spring couture collection is a focus on clean lines created by delicate fabrics, a difficult fete. This inspiration is reminiscent in his last Spring/Summer collection. Unfortunately we saw several of last seasons trends molded into this collection, like ruffles, organ pleated gowns and a lot of lace. One of the strongest statements from the collection are the color blocked and striped chiffon gowns. One of my favorites gowns in the opening section was a pale taupe silk crepe halter-top gown. The gown is layered with wide ruffles of silk crepe from the waist to the floor. The silk crepe is embroidered with a silver thread in channel design on the ruffles and silver floral embroidery and beading on the halter-top.

Saab is well known for his ability to incorporated color into his collection, while keeping to the basic primary colors of collection. Namely giving us white, red and metallic shades through out the collection. Another staple is the black dress and gown. This season Saab showed two show stopping black gowns. First was a black silk chiffon strapless gown. The bodice and the bottom of the gown covered with flowers made from the black silk chiffon and detailed with beading. The waist is finished with a black silk satin sachet. The other gown is a beaded black chiffon gown with the beaded fabric draped over one shoulder, across the bust and dropping under the arm. The gown appears to be hanging from the one shoulder. Gravity is certainly a theme for this gown!

The strongest statement for Saab in this collection is the color blacked and striped gowns. He printed the skirt of the gowns with stripes of black, gray and several pale colors. The first gown is a strapless gown; the bodice of the gown is wrapped horizontally with black chiffon. The bodice has a band of black crystals in single wide stripe. The skirt is double draped pale gray silk chiffon. The chiffon is printed with black and dark gray arch design, like a crescent moon. The look is finished with black taffeta shrug jacket. The second gown is another color-blocked evening gown. The bodice of the gown is done in black silk taffeta, gathered and draped over one shoulder. The skirt is two layers silk chiffon with a pinwheel print of black, pale blue and green. What is really lacking in this collection is vision for the future or future collections. Couture collections are supposed to be built off the idea of inspiring future seasons. In the late 90’s many envisioned or predicted the death of couture. As a result, several designers shifted their couture collections to appeal to a mass market. Saab is certainly a victim to this frame of design and couture is still thriving and become to obtainable. Some complain the spectacle of fashion shows today, others state its due to designers are designing for clients rather than providing inspiration.

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From the Nordic North design Gaetano Navarra paraded his models right out of the snow blizzard! Not literally but the designer sprayed the models with white dust to make them look like they just got in from a blizzard. Right from the opening of the collection Navarra jumped into this seasons big trends. Chunky knits, leather jackets and fur on everything from gloves to outerwear. In the opening section two looks really jumped out at me, both are my must have pieces for the collection. Moving into the second section Navarra shifted to a darker color palette while play with his knits and outerwear pieces. One of the standout pieces is a gray corduroy fur collar jacket. Another strong look form the second section is a dark brown knit cardigan worn with a pair of dark chocolate leather pant. I was mad about the combination of the knit cardigan paired with the lather pant. A look I did not see last season when knits took a huge jump.

In the closing section Navarra mixed the collection up by showing several looks for day rather than evening. Large portions of the pants that he showed through out the collection were velvet, one of last season’s leftover trends. While he showed a few of last seasons trends, Navarra did play with some of this seasons top trends. One trend is gloves; he incorporates driving gloves with evening looks and then fur trimmed gloves and mittens with almost every look. He even trimmed several outerwear pieces with fur. One great example is the skunk scarf worn with a long tweed overcoat. Another trend that Navarra played with are detailed dress shirts. One of these great pieces was a gray stripe dress shirt detailed with satin ribbon on the front and back to look like suspenders and trimming the sleeve cuff.

While I fell in love with Navarra’s knit and leather pant look. The two must have pieces form the collection are two of the unique pieces from the collection. First is the v-neck cashmere argyle sweater. The argyle design is incomplete giving us a modern take on a classic design. The other must have piece is the dark olive green wool cropped p-coat. The front of the jacket is embellished with a Nordic design done in black beading palettes. On a side note I was little confused with why Navarra insisted on having disco balls scattered on the ground of the runway. The balls didn’t compliment the collection or the Baroque style space. While I found many great pieces in the collection one of the biggest disappointments is all of the tapered leg pants used throughout the collection and all of the velvet. It would have been nice to see the pants be more relaxed, I would like to have also seen more embellishment in the designs.

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Designer Italo Zucchelli gives us another too safe Calvin Klein menswear collection. Zucchelli did incorporate techno fabrics with some of the classic Klein tailored and styled looks. Unfortunately these modern fabrics were too little and deem to drown with the whole Klein aesthetic. The opening section was done in a blue gray palette. Slowly Italo added color by jumping from the grays into shocking yellow. In the second section the move was made back to grays and mixing in a lot of black. One of the standout pieces in this section was the straight leg pleated pant. While Zucchelli opted to not to loosen his pant leg more, the straight leg pant is hope. Another strong look from the second section was a black silk/wool blend suit. The suit is loosely tailored around the middle of the arm and torso and then slight tapered at the wrist and hip and flared. Giving the suit a modern line, a look not normally seen at Calvin Klein.

For the third section Zucchelli moved away from the blue and grays of the second section and focus on leather, sheer and plastic fabrics. One of the strongest looks from the section is an all black look. It’s a black wool collarless overcoat worn with a sheer black shirt and a black tapered leg pant. The jacket neckline is detailed with a strip of white in the absence of the classic lapel. Another strong look from this section is a white satin jacket. The satin fabric is overlaid with a clear plastic fabric; the look is finished with a dark gray wool pant and plunging neckline top.

The two must have pieces from the collection are two bold statements from Calvin Klein. First is one of the big trends this season, leather. The must have leather piece is a black ostrich leather-driving jacket. The other must have piece is the vibrant canary yellow merino knit cardigan worn with a pale canary yellow v-neck shirt. The strongest pieces from the collection are the heavy tops and outerwear pieces, a key trend for the season. I would like to have seen Zucchelli really explore more with the collection, adding more color or even more prints. If Zucchelli could simply take something from Costa or just be on the same page. There is certainly a big difference between the design elements of the mens and womens collections.

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Mad Max is back from Thunderdome! Brothers Dean and Dan Caten look to the future but a future derived back in the 80’s. The opening section is a series of classic sportswear that are embellished with all the straps/pockets and zippers you could possible need. The look was all over the place, from truckers and dandy’s to western. The common theme in the collection was all the embellishments on each piece. In the opening section the Caten brothers kept the pant leg tapered to the ankles. The standout pieces were the leather pants; the zipper and pocket details give the pants a punk look. Didn’t hurt that they showed the pant on models wearing no tops!

In the second section Dean and Dan added more color and the pants and denim started to loosen up in the leg. Although the look is still all over the place in this section, the Caten brothers seemed to be stuck to some of last season’s trends. From the puff jacket to the dandy trucker! One of the unique trends the duo played with this season was the fur coat. The piece is a dyed fur coat! One of the standout pieces in the second section is a military style jacket that is usually done in heavy wool fabric. The jacket is done in muted military green leather with the sleeve tailored close to the arm. In the third section the look begins to shift into evening, with the classic DSquared2 trucker still an inspiration. The highlight of the evening section is the large number of black leather outerwear pieces and pants. Another unique look was the black silk satin tuxedo with a matching bulletproof vest. Now tell me you won’t need something like this when the world goes to hell!

The two must have piece from the collection are two black leather outerwear pieces. First is a black leather hip-length coat with a mow collar and lapel. The other must have piece is a black leather driving jacket, worn with a riding pant style denim pant. While the inspiration palette for most Dean and Dan Caten’s collection tends to be all over the place. This season the collection seemed to lack a fluid look or statement. The strongest looks in the collection incorporated their whole world destruction vision and the key pieces to look are the leather pieces. Sexy is the Caten brother’s way of life but this season they seem to get lost in their theme!

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For Fall/Winter Valentino opted to keep his classic style the defining vision for the look of the collection. Overall Valentino presented a very simple collection with very little experimentation. The only trend that I really took from the collection is the heavy outerwear for day and evening. In the opening section he opened with a series of all white (and I mean all white) looks, everything from the pants, shirts, outerwear and accessories. Two of the standout pieces in this section are two outerwear pieces. First a crisp white double breasted overcoat worn with a bright white linen suit. The other must have piece is a white leather driving jacket with a wide collar.

In the second section Valentino presented a large series of day suits done in black and grays. There were a few brown looks in this section. One of the standout pieces was a classic camel wool double-breasted overcoat with a wide lapel and collar. One of the standout suits in this section was a dark charcoal gray pinstriped suit. The tailoring is looser in the jacket, which the pant is tailored with a straight leg. For the evening section Valentino moved away from grays and browns and focused on all black. Showing everything from his classically tailored tuxedos. Lacking from this section is a play with the shapes he gave his outerwear pieces early in the collection.

This season Valentino gave us two must have looks. First is the gray tweed overcoat worn with a gray pinstripe pant and black knit cardigan. The other must have look is a brown suede overcoat worn with a gray wool/silk blend pant with a straight leg. To finish off the look Valentino added a pale gray cashmere turtleneck sweater. Both looks are certainly do not fit into the classic Valentino vision, its shows that Valentino can step out of the tailored look and give us a everyday look that still looks tailored. Overall I would like to have seen Valentino experiment on these looks and vision. While the overall statement from the collection is to keep a steady look, change has to happen.

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This season designer Alessandro Dell’Acqua showed a relatively small collection, only 32 looks total. The color palette is very limited this season, Dell’Acqua accents with black while splashing a few red and green pieces throughout the collection. In the opening section the designer showed several of last season trends, from the puff jackets to monochromatic knitwear. One of the standout looks in the opening section was a red patent leather bomber jacket. The look is finished with a tapered leg pant. Throughout the collection Alessandro showed a variation of looks giving us both the classic tapered leg pant and a straight leg for comfort. In the second section, through sea of black, another strong piece was a black nylon jacket lined with faux black shearling.

The must have pieces from the collection are both from the closing section. First is a black silk/wool blend overcoat with black satin lined lapels. The overcoat is worn with metallic knit turtleneck sweater and tapered leg pant. Another must have piece from the collection is the black leather tuxedo jacket with satin lined lapels, One of the most unique pieces from the collection. In the end of the collection I loved the experimentation of the evening look but lacking was a strong pant for men. Something else that is lacking from the collection is this season’s need for leather pieces. While Dell’Acqua did give us several standout outerwear pieces, it would have been nice to see him add more leather pieces to the collection.

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Designer Johan Lindberg’s “new luxury” for Fall/Winter is a collection of layered looks. From the opening section to the closing section, Lindberg presented a sea of black and gray looks with a few tones of green mixed into some gray looks. One of the strongest statements that Lindberg presented this season was abandoning the skinny leg pant completely for a full/baggy leg pant. One of the standout looks in the opening section was a black wool full leg pant worn with a cropped gray wool-driving jacket. Lindberg gave the jacket a military style collar and molded the shoulder with a shoulder pad.

The new luxury look was not popping out at me, instead what I was seeing was a varied look of well dressed seamen with a disheveled artist. Lindberg did show several knitwear pieces throughout the collection, but one of the strongest trends he used was the glove. Another great trend is the knit cap, which was shown on most of the black looks. Black is modern but Lindberg really gives black decadence with his eye for layering. One of the standout black looks in the second section is a cropped black wool p-coat with double pockets. The look is finished an extra long knit shirt and baggy leg black wool pant. Another strong look from this section is a charcoal gray wool overcoat worn with a matching gray wool pant.

In the third section Lindberg started to add more color to the collection along with leather pieces. One of the great color leather pieces is tan oil treated leather trench coat worn with a brown wool pant and knit top. A great example of Lindberg’s layering that he used through out the collection is one of the tan looks. A cropped off white driving jacket worn over a waist-length knit vest over extra long light brown dress shirt. To finish off the look, a baggy pair of brown tweed pants.

The must have looks from the collection are to leather looks from the close of the collection. First a cropped black leather driving jacket with a straight tailored sleeve. To complete the look a pair of high waisted black wool pants with a double pleated. The other must have leather look is a black leather blazer treated with a sheen. To finished the look a pair of baggy black wool/silk pant, the silk gives a sheen to the pant. The layering is a highlight of the collection the leather pieces and pants are its strong points. The show closed with a female model, I am okay with designer previewing the womenswear collection by showing a few looks in the mens show. But I have a problem when mens collection is overpowered by the womens look or in this case closes the show with a womens look rather a mens look. Although Lindberg did not mold his collection on the new movement of future trend, I was excited to see his vision of give menswear a layered and covered up look. While introducing a new trend for the season, double pleated pants! Bravo Monsieur Lindberg!

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This season designer Neil Barrett swings back and forth between a black and white palette. The play between the good and bad or the yin and yang is the visual statement for the collection. While some designers chose the glove as it accessory for the season, Barrett opts for the classic bowler hat. The opening section is a series of black and gray looks with a mix of metallic silver pieces. The experimentation of the black and white is mixed with varying lengths, like short or ¾ length sleeve shirts worn over long sleeve shirts. A great example of this style is one of the standout pieces in the opening section. A white cotton dress shirt worn with the sleeves rolled up over a gray long sleeve knit shirt. The key to this look is the gray wool slack with a contrast stripe vertical on the leg.

In the second section Barrett shows more outwear looks mixed with a few knitwear pieces. The selection of knits is sparse with only one knit design repeated throughout the jacket. One of the misses in this section are the series of puff jackets we saw last Fall/Winter. Another standout look in the opening section that exhibited this look is a black wool overcoat. The coat is sleeveless while the length of the coat is long, below the waist. For the closing section Barrett showed a stream of black looks done in shiny fabrics.

The must have piece of the collection is an oversized overcoat in black wool with a wide lapel. The design might look simple but the seaming detail is defined and the shape of the jacket is a silhouette I would like to have seen more throughout the collection. Barrett also seemed to be all over the place with his pants, a problem many designers are struggling with this season. Overall the look and inspiration that I saw throughout the collection were 80’s themes and details. From the pants covered with zippers or pockets, parachute pants, even the 80’s style teardrop weave sweaters.

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Brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein are getting into the fashion business. WWD reported this afternoon that the Weinstein Company is joining forces with Hilco Consumer Capital to purchase the Halston Brand. Is Mr. Weinstein purchasing the brand for his girlfriend Georgina Chapman to take over and become its new creative director? Well, maybe it does take a woman to revive the brand. Just look at the designers who’ve attempted a revival of this iconic brand. Randolph Duke, Kevan Hall, Craig Natiello and Piyawat only lasted two seasons or less. That’s barely a year! Designer Bradley Bayou took over in late 2002. He was able to last 4 seasons with the brand before he was handed his own label. The clothing arm of the brand has not seen the success it once inhabited since the 70’s. Could Georgina be the answer, she does have impeccable sense for draping.

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Milan designers are certainly going forward and backward on the tailoring of men pants this season. The last two seasons we saw a flux of designers moving away from the skintight and tapered leg pant trend that designer Hedi Slimane started back in 2002. This season designer Thomas Maier kept the Bottega Veneta pant open to your imagination. He showed a combination of both full and tapered leg pants through out the collection. The opening section is a very safe idea of the English gentlemen and then it switched over to 50’s style Sinatra. While these two looks were safe it was not jumping out of the usual shell. One of the standout pieces in this section is the 2 piece double-breasted suit. The suit is done in gray wool with a wide-set pinstripe. The shoulders of the blazer are tailored with a high sleeve insert, creating a wing a affect on the shoulder. In the second section Maier shifted away from the tailored opening and into a bolder and loose shape. One the standout looks in this section is a polished tan wool overcoat. The coat has an a-line shape to the body with lapel and collar draped wide. A modern piece, but very clean and a step away from the corporate sophisticate.

Also in the second section Maier started to incorporate the classic Bottega Veneta leather pieces. This season he experiments with texture and treatment, the result, bold and leisurely. One of the standout pieces is a cropped driving jacket done in pale olive green leather covered with a quilt box stitch. Another great piece in this section is a classic trench coat done in leather. The leather is oil-treated and shaved becoming a looser fabric.

Moving into the evening section Tomas Maier plays with the classic black but he also included more of his olive green pieces. One of the standout looks is a play on the classic p-coat. The coat has an a-line tailored shape and double-breasted. In stead of a classic lapels Maier gives the jacket a turtle-neck style lapel, Another great p-coat from this section is a classic black wool p-coat with the lapels draped wide and low on the coat. The only drowning moments in this section were the velvet pants. This season Maier showed several full leg pants, but the tailoring is odd. At first I thought the models had large thighs, a closer look revealed that the pant was tailored close to the thigh and loose to the calf. I am not sure this style will be appealing to men.

The must have pieces from the collection are compliments from the two looks that Maier presented. First is one of the a-line p-coat, which he cropped above the waist and done in a pale brown shaved velvet. The shaved velvet fabric is a great because it shows the movement of the jacket. The other must have is one of the suit looks in the opening of the collection. A three-piece suit done in a silk/wool blend with the pant tailored straight. The jacket shows of the tailored inset creating a wing affect. There were too many stretches in the collection as a whole. From the shapeless denim pants or all denim looks to the washed out faux fur. While Bottega Veneta is known for its classic leisurewear, I would like to have seen Tomas build off of the new look he showed in the later half of the collection.

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For his Fall/Winter collection McQueen draws inspiration from the future trend of the season. In this collection Alexander McQueen plays with two prominent images, 80’s Max Hedron and the styling of the “V” character from “V for Vendetta”. The glossy makeup on the male models along with the sculpted hairstyles, he plays with the image of manicured male that matches his manicured collection for the future. In the opening section he opened with a series of metallic sheen suits that are perfectly tailored. One of the strongest looks in this section is a take on the classic seal skin suit that McQueen re-tailored to give it clean lines with defined silhouette, certainly a far cry from the Mafia style seal skin suits. As the opening section of day suits progressed, slowly unique details appeared, like plastic detailing shirt cuffs and openings. One of the standout pieces was a white silk/cotton dress shirt with plastic detailing on the cuffs. The look is finished with a clear pale blue plastic sleeveless coat.

In the opening section the color palette was done in several earth tones. McQueen added splashes of color in the later half of the section. Going into the second section he shifted into a darker palette for his active wear. One interesting note is the keyhole hood or mask that McQueen showed. He has shown this hood before, but several designers this season have included this look into their collection. One of the standout looks in this section used this hood. Worn under a black long sleeve turtleneck top detailed with a blue stripe. The look is finished with a treated leather pant tailored with full leg. In the third section McQueen started to experiment with different fabric and treatments. One of the most unique fabrics in this section was a neoprene that were bonded with felt and detailed with taffeta. The neoprene fabric is stiff but the stiffness gives the pieces a modern tailored look. One example was a cropped waist p-coat done in black neoprene.

For the evening section Alexander McQueen continues to delight us with his stunning detailing and beading. Continuing to breakdown the masculine barriers by allowing men to doll up while still being sophisticated. There were two pieces in the evening section that really defined this new image. First is McQueen’s classic evening overcoat with embroidery of fern leafs on the bottom of the jacket, detailed with beading. The tailored shoulder is rounded and cut at a point. The other standout piece in the evening section is another evening overcoat with one of the big trends hitting the runways this season, Fur! Now I am not a huge fan of Fur but this coat is one the most unique pieces in the collection. The overcoat is done in black polished velvet with the fern embroidery at the bottom of the jacket. The shoulders and the hood is finished with black fur.

As the collection progressed I started to see another theme or inspiration that McQueen drew from. Several looks in the early part of the collection as well as the closing section took on the whole future theme. The masks and metallic fabrics seemed to be drawn right from Battle Star Galactica. One of these looks was an oversized black wool evening overcoat. The lapels of the coat are a large panel draped over the chest and shoulder and becomes apart of the collar. The lapel is done in a metallic moiré. To finish the look McQueen covered the models face with a metal plate and a black silk knit hood. Can you say Cylon! Extreme, but this look really brought the whole vision of the collection together.

The must have pieces of the collection are two outerwear pieces that are almost in contrast with each other. First is one of the black neoprene coats with the blue taffeta detailing on the seaming. The construction of the jacket is very clean and with the stiffness of the neoprene the silhouette is bold. The other must have piece is a brown tweed wool overcoat with a loose silhouette and the lapel and opening trimmed with white piping. In the later half of the collection the full shape created by loose tailoring tied off at the waist gave the models an hourglass shape. Certainly not a common figure most menswear designers will experiment with. While I love this shape for men, breaking those stereotypes and boundaries, men like me can only dream of having that shape. Where was McQueen menswear in the early 90’s when I had that figure! Bravo Monsieur McQueen!

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This season designer Luca Missoni took inspiration from his recent holiday in Tanzania, Africa. Right from the opening of the collection he takes the classic geometric design of native African jewelry and textiles. Missoni plays with the classic Missoni prints and gives them a new shape. In the second section Luca took the classic cable knit design and morphed into some classic looks and even some new looks. One of the standout looks in this section is a black and orange two-tone cable knit sweater. The cable knit weave intersects wit the two colors weaved together. Another standout look was from the second section, which was a series of classic horizontal line sweaters. The sweater is a green and white design wit the length of the sleeves extra long. This long sleeve trend is showing up here and there during Milan fashion Week.

One of the continued looks Missoni shows each season is the matching knit pant and jackets. I would like to see this look to disappear. Another trend from last season that needs to disappear is the velvet pant, which several designers are still showing. While Missoni is known for its classic knitwear, this season they did experiment with outerwear. Two of the standout outerwear pieces of the collection are two parka style jackets. Both are hooded and the first one is done in vibrant metallic green fabric and cropped at the waist. The other is yellow metallic parka lined and ¾ length. To finish the look off Missoni showed a navy blue wool/silk blend suit with a tailored straight pant. This season Missoni opted to show different shapes in the pants, from the tapered leg to straight and even a full leg pant.

The must have pieces of coarse are two knit pieces. First is one of the Tanzania inspired Missoni sweaters that opened the collection. The intersection of the geometric design does catch your eye. The other must have pieces is a matching white cashmere cable knit sweater and cardigan. Worn with a blue and gray Missoni stripe scarf. One of the highlights of this collection is the tailoring of the suits that Missoni showed with some of his outerwear pieces. While its important to carry on the classic Missoni knit season after season. I would love to see the Missoni’s start to experiment and reinvent the classic tailored suits.

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Miucca Prada’s silhouette this season is not for the typical womens collection. Rather her menswear line, the shape, “Top Heavy”. Backstage several photographers immediately commented on primitive image that the designer was hoping to achieve. In translation the look is abandoning the masculine barriers that have been strictly followed for over 500 years. Primitive could also describe the opening section of the caveman sweater, a look we attribute to the Flintstones. The opening sections of knits were too bushy. Miucca hit the nail on the head with one knit sweater at the close of the collection. A light gray cashmere sweater with a floral design incorporated in to the knit. The sweater sleeve is short with a princess style shape. The sweater drapes below the waist, almost at skirt length. In the second section Prada played with texture and made it visual. Showing a series of black looks with a color contrast frosted onto the fabric. One of the best looks was a heavy black jacket with the bottom of the jacket frosted up towards the neck.

The frosted color continued into the third section of knits. Prada kept the knits pieces chunky and fuzzy. The standout trend in this section is the abundant use of color. One of the standout pieces in this section is a orange wool/angora knit sweater worn with a gray tapered leg pant with the waistline frosted with the same orange. Sadly Miucca opted to keep her pants this season tapered to the leg. From the pants and even her obvious favorite statement, stirrup pants. In the closing section Prada played with linear lines in the tailoring and detailing. She maintains a modern heavy shape in this section but the key pieces were the series of overcoats. One of the standout pieces was a black overcoat with the shoulders and hood blocked with gray and white.

The two must have pieces from the collection are two of Prada’s overcoats. First from the evening section, Prada takes the classic collared overcoat and does it in silk/nylon fabric. When the jacket moved the light shift from top to bottom on the jacket. The other must have piece is one of the frosted color overcoats earlier in the collection. A stiff shape overcoat with a pale celery green frosted from the hem of the jacket and sleeve cuff. Miucca Prada excessive use of jersey and Lycra leggings was a little to fashion backwards. In the third section she did give us her futuristic eye by showering a series of pieces that redefine fabrication. There were certainly some standout trend pieces from the collection. The overall look and theme had a lot of wholes with quirky little ideas that make you frown.

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For his junior collection at Jil Sander, Raf Simons pays homage to the classic Sander tailoring and again taking a leap away in the future. The opening section was a sea of black and moving into multi-shades of gray. The first impression from the opening section is the abundant choices of outerwear this season. A move away from the classical Jil Sander suits we see almost every season. One of the strongest statements in the opening was the new black wool overcoat with the classic Sander straight line tailoring. The black wool is detailed with a wide-set gray stripe. What caught my eye is how Simons tailored the collar and lapel flat to neckline. The absence of stiff collar is a great and comforting look. Another strong look in this section a two-piece black wool suit wit the same wide-set gray stripe. The pants this season are mix of the tapered leg with the straight leg. It’s really hard to watch such great top pieces in this collection paired with the repetitive look of the skinny leg pant.

In the second section Simons moved back to a all black color palette with a shock of metallic blue on one piece and then back to black. This season Simons focused on the outwear trend but he mixed in several unique casual piece looks. One of the standout casual looks is one of the few knitwear pieces in the collection. A gray cashmere turtleneck sweater with a line design across the shoulders, sleeves and waist. To finish the look off he choose a pair of gray wool pleated front slack with a straight leg. Another strong knit piece in the second section is a black wool cardigan. The cardigan is a button front piece with the opening finished with a contrast gray heather yarn.

The third section was a mix of the black tailored looks with several and a few leather pieces. One of the strongest leather pieces from the collection is black leather jacket that is tailored like a scuba suit. The collar is lined with faux black fur and the leather is stitched on the leather to create a structured look to the jacket. Moving into the evening section Simons played with texture of the fabrics he used. One of the most unique pieces in this section was a black wool blazer. The wool is polished giving the blazer a metallic/velvet luster.

The must have pieces from the collection are two overcoats done in the two hit fabrics from the collection. First is the polished wool fabric from the closing section, done into a ¾ length overcoat. The collar is tailored collar bone and the shoulder has a slight bubble shape at the crest of the shoulder. The other must have overcoat is done in the gray wool fabric with the wide-set gray stripe. Simons played with the stripe design in the fabric and at the hem of the coat the stripes are crisscrossed. From this one look I could finally see one of the inspirations for the collection, the movie “Tron”. What is fascinating about these two pieces is how they define this collection as one of Simons best collection to date for Jil Sander. The options are endless in this collection but the detail of the tailoring and design is what will make this collection the best collection at Milan fashion week. Bravo Monsieur Simons!

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Designer Ennio Capasa’s Fall/Winter collection for his Costume National label is all about gloves and covering up with turtlenecks and scarves. Capasa opened the collection with a series of white and gray combination looks. The combination of white jackets with gray wool pants is a refreshing vision of a sea of black but the tailoring and overall look did not mesh with the rest of the collection. In the second section the color palette gets darker with more black incorporated into each look. There was one splash of color, a red leather bike jacket. One of the standout looks in this section is one of Capasa’s boxy silhouette overcoats. The coat is done in a metallic silver fabric with the opening of the jacket offset to one side. I especially love how the collar of the coat was closed under collar rather down the front of the coat.

In the evening section Capasa gives his classic tailoring a futuristic look and detail. He morphs this modern design with the masculine shapes and especially in the leather pieces. For evening he showed more metallic fabrics and combined them in looks with muted fabrics. One of the standout evening looks from the closing section was a gray metallic two-piece suit worn with a stark white cotton dress-shirt. Another bold and unique look in the closing section was a black-cropped jacket. The jacket is done in muted black taffeta fabric. The sleeves are tailored with a straight line and the waistline of the jacket is chopped off to the breast line of the model.

The must have pieces from the collection were two of Capasa’s most experimental pieces. First is one of the black taffeta overcoats. The coat collar high on the neck and sheen of the coat gives us the metallic look. The other must have outerwear pieces is a gray wool/angora overcoat. The combination of the wool and angora give the overcoat texture a softer look. Compared to the modern shapes of the taffeta and cotton outerwear pieces, this jacket was a modern look but less sharp. With some of the Milan designer moving back towards a tapered leg pant this season it would have been nice to see the tapered pant take a new shape. Ennio Capasa opted to keep with the classic shape this season while his great leather outerwear for F/W is where you’ll really find new clients. I would not be surprised if Costume National will end up having some of the top leather pieces from Milan fashion week, maybe even for the Fall/Winter season.

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This season the designer duo took last season’s futuristic inspiration to the next level. Morphing their masculine and sexy design with outer space and astronauts. They opened the collection with a series of silver and gold metallic astronaut pants and suits. Then the first section moved away from metallic and into all white with hints of gray and black. Then moving back to metallic, one standout piece is a gray silk satin wide lapel and collar trench coat. Moving into the second section Dominico and Stefano shifted into their classic tailored looks mixed with some the new metallic shades. One of the standout suits in this section was a dark charcoal suit with straight cut slack and a smaller collar and lapel.

Then slowly Dolce & Gabbana incorporated a key trend for this season, leather outerwear. The designers kept to the classic black and even playing with metallic treatments on leather in golf and copper. One of the standout leather pieces in this section is quilted black leather jacket. The torso is stitched with a ribbed designer while the shoulders are finished with a pillow quilt. For the third section Dolce & Gabbana increased their use of color with a soft tan popping out in leather pieces and suits. One of these stronger uses of color on a series of leather jackets. The leather was coated with shades of copper and gold. The gold is a nod to last seasons gold trench, but their use of copper is breath of change. One of the standout jackets in this section is a bomber jacket with a high collar.

For the closing section the designers moved back to their classic tailoring accented with their skintight pants and pinned torso jackets and coats. This section is a drastic change from the silhouette seen earlier in the show. I would like to have seen the modern tailoring shown in the earlier section. Like the dark charcoal gray overcoat with the lapels trimmed in black silk satin. To finish the look D&G showed a straight leg pant and black driving gloves. Gloves are another trend that the designers showed with almost every look. In the evening section they opened with a series of silver tuxedos and then moved into their astronaut theme. One of the standout evening looks was a 2-piece all silver suit, with the lapel narrowed. While the astronaut looks were fun and playful, the theme continued into the parka jackets and oversized knit piece with leather straps was a little out there.

Leather outerwear, the two must have pieces are the key to this big trend for Fall/Winter 07’. First is a black driving jacket with the leather seamed vertically and the leather treated with a black dye. The other must have piece is another driving jacket from the collection. The jacket is done with a bike jacket tailoring but with a strap collar like a driving jacket. The leather is treated with a copper dye to give it a metallic luster. Another crowning moment of the collection is the classic Dolce & Gabbana suit. Season after season the tailoring of the Dolce & Gabbana suit gets a little more modern. The result is a series of well-tailored jackets with an emphasis on the future theme they took on for the season. The whole future look is great but the astronaut suits and metallic pants were a little over kill. In truth those metallic parka jackets are going to sell thanks to the hip-hop and rap culture. Don’t be surprised if they make it onto the red carpets and music videos.

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With climates changing the norm of Winter and Fall in the past couple of years. Designer Christopher Bailey gets a little more bundled up this season. The item accessory from the collection are Burberry leather gloves and fur mittens. While Burberry is known for its manicured and gentlemanly clothing, this season Bailey focuses on the stylized design of military uniforms from the first and second war. In the opening section he showed several knit pieces and big trend from last season that Bailey embellished by emphasizing on the knit weave and design. The two standout knit pieces in this section were a twist on the classic cable knit. The first sweater is navy blue wool cable-knit with a nautical knot weave design incorporated. The look is finished with a lightweight ribbed knit turtleneck sweater with and extra long torso. The other standout knit piece is the chunky olive green cable knit sweater. The sweater is extra-long on the body and long sleeve.

Another theme that Bailey used throughout the collection is to lengthen the sleeves on everything from jackets, shirts and sweaters. This longer silhouette was kept defined to the upper body while Bailey moved back to his classic tapered leg pant. The Burberry pants seem to be a second thought this season. The front of the pant was not tailored right, making the pant ride up in the groin area. The tapered leg pant did emphasize the new length of Burberry’s outerwear and knitwear. Another trend that Bailey emphasized on was his use of metallic. He steered clear of bright and shiny shades of gold and silver for metallic shades of blue, yellow and copper. The two-standout metallic pieces were two outerwear pieces. First is a metallic blue hooded overcoat with a black faux fur liner. The other is a take on the classic Burberry trench coat. Done in a pale metallic yellow fabric and the shape and shoulders are squared off. To finish the look Bailey showed a printed taffeta tapered pant. He only used a few prints in the collection, but this Herringbone print is the standout print of the collection. Bailey took the classic herringbone print and morphed it with a tiger print.

For the close of the collection Bailey added more color while most of the collection is very neutral. The two must have pieces incorporate one of the strongest statements in the collection. Throughout the collection Bailey looked to the military tailoring from the first and second world wars. His leather outerwear are the must have pieces for the season. First must have piece is the brown peacock leather trench overcoat. The lapels and collar are oversized and the length almost full-length. The other must have leather coat is the shorter version of the peacock leather overcoat. The leather is dyed with a yellow-green shade and the lapels are smaller with the collar covered with faux shearling. Outerwear is the strongest statement at the Burberry collection. Bailey took a chance on some key looks this season. Emphasizing his outerwear pieces with leather and softer colors while focusing on a strict tailoring style. It’s important to ensure that the classic Burberry trench is always evolving, Bailey shows us he can take the Burberry style and merry it into something unexpected. The only weak point of the collection is the pants.

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