The 70’s visit the Borbonese runway while designer Allesandro Dell’Acqua opts to show more metallic fabrics than one would expect on one runway. To open the collection the designer showed a series of giraffe print looks, from pants, bathing suits to blouses. One of the standout looks in this section is a giraffe print crepe blouse worn with a matching cream wool pencil skirt and overcoat. The lapels and opening of the coat are trimmed with brown leather. The look is topped off with a matching giraffe print platform heel. The heel giraffe heel was worn with several looks. One of those looks is a short sleeve cream knit polo top with the breast pockets finished with a olive green suede trim. The knit top is worn with a cream cotton gazar button front pencil skirt.

The second section is a series of silver goddess dresses which were a little over the top. Then Dell’Acqua moved into a more tailored look that is a mix of 70’s color palette with a 60’s modern tailoring. While there were a few skinny leg pants in the collection, is that Dell’Acqua loosened up his pants. One of the standout pant looks in this section is a full-leg red pant worn with tan button front long sleeve cardigan over a scooped neck tan sweater. Knitwear is another strong trend that Dell’Acqua showed this season. Giving his customers lighter knit pieces in light shades. Another strong look that he showed was a tan linen button front safari jacket worn with a white dress shirt. Moving into evening the designer showed a series of red silk dresses. The overall design of the gowns was very simple.

The highlights from the Borbonese collection are the outerwear pieces, from the trench coat to the reversible jackets. Alessandro's knitwear was also another showstopper, the must have piece from the collection is one his knit cardigans. A long button-front red merino cardigan with brown suede detailing the pocket flaps and matching belt. For Spring/Summer Borbonese is looking to give a cleaner twist to the 70’s and 60’s trend of the season. The result is a wearable everyday piece and looks. The short falls in the collection are some of metallic looks and the evening section. I would like to have seen the more sophisticate and everyday look morphed into the evening section.

View complete collection at Wireimage

[images viaWireimage.com]

Posted by turlie at 04:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

While many new young and innovative designers explode onto the runways each season. So few of them actually survive the trenches of fashion, mostly due to there lose of passion for the craft. Many say commercialism is the cause but in truth designers like Gianfranco Ferrè have created a commercial style for their brand and still find passion to create each season. This season Ferrè’s inspiration was all over the place. There is the signature Ferrè masculine woman mixed with several nautical theme looks as well as Spanish gypsies. The opening section was a series of shorts and short skirt looks in the classic Ferrè color palette of black and white. One of the standout pieces in the opening section is a collarless shirt with a black and white dot geometric design on the fabric. The sleeves are balloon shape with opening of the shirt wrapped in a kimono style. Another standout piece in the opening section is another black and white piece, a standing Cardin collar jacket that is worn with a white belt to close the jacket.

Moving into the second section Ferrè moved away from his classic modern shapes in favor of a loose and romantic silhouette. The key to these romantic looks is abundant use of lace. One of the standout looks in this section is multi-lace piece look, a black lace bustier with a matching black lace dress shirt. To finish off the look Ferrè added a tiered lace skirt with tassels detailing each tier. Another standout look in this section is a unique look for the collection. A pale cream silk lace on silk organdy skirt worn with a matching black top and cape detailed with the same cream silk.

While Ferrè experimented with lace in this collection, he also added some of last season’s trends. From the bubble shape being incorporated in small little detailing to an overall bubble look. One of the great trends that Ferrè embraced is the full leg pant. For the evening section Ferrè added some serious color to his romantic lace gowns. The shock of color at the end of the collection is crowning moment for Ferrè. One of the standout looks in the opening section is the lace and crochet gown. Ferrè combined several colors in this look, from lime green to yellow and taupe. The bodice of the gown is layered with yellow crocheted lace and taupe crocheted lace. The flared skirt of the gown is layered with sheer taupe chiffon over a black and white polka dot printed silk. To trim the gown Ferrè combined layers of lime green silk with cream silk lace.

The must have piece from the collection is a combination look. A classic Ferrè white dress shirt worn with one the it accessories Spring/Summer the layered necklace. This look is a classic look for Ferrè, but its timelessness is the key for any wardrobe. It’s sexy, sophisticated and ageless. Ferrè is one of those designers who is not only dedicated to his clientèl but also dedicated to his craft and vision. Season after season he continues to build on his classic look and playing with trends here and there without going overboard. The miss that Ferrè had this season is repeating last season bubble trend for Spring/Summer, although the highlight of the collections is Ferrè’s use of lace. Bravo Monsieur Ferrè!

View complete collection at Wireimage
[images viaWireimage.com]

Posted by turlie at 04:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Designer Ermanno Scervino searched for the young and playful spirit of the sophisticated woman of today. From the opening section to the close Scervino presented a collection of perfectly detailed and crafted looks. First you can easily note the obvious misses like the skinny leg pants and the overused balloon shapes. Then you have to just gush over all the perfect pieces! In the opening section Scervino just served up a plate of you must have this or this or that. Starting off with a palette of natural browns and blushing hews of white. One of the standout looks in the opening section is a khaki brown silk satin skirt. The fabric is laser cut with a lace design and the skirt is worn with a white chiffon petticoat and the look is finished of with a white silk organza v-neck blouse with white floral embroidery detailing the neckline and torso of the blouse. From the brown palette Ermanno moved into a dark palette of black. In this section the standout look is a black balloon shape Capri pant worn with one of Scervino’s must have leather pieces. A cropped waist black leather jacket, the jacket seams and edges are finished with military green suede. The jacket is a mix of the 80’s with military.

From the second section Scervino started to use more lace and played with varying lengths. He also started to add volume to the shapes of each look and mixing in prints to some of the pieces. One of the standout pieces in this section is a white organdy flared skirt with a black floral print screened onto the fabric. Another great skirt look out of this section is the matching brown plaid tweed skirt and overcoat. The skirt is flared with a frayed edge and worn with a white petticoat. The coat adds to the long list of great outwear pieces in this collection. From the trench coats to the biker jackets in leather and suede.

From the black section Scervino moved back into color adding reds and mixing in some whites. Another detail used in this section is more lace while keeping the looks clean. One of the standout pieces form this section is the red tank top dress with a flared skirt. The skirt of the dress is a layering of lace and small ruffles and belted around the waist with a red leather belt. To tone down the vibrant red looks Scervino added in some simple print looks. One of the standout pieces is the small floral print white organdy summer dress, the dress is detailed with beaded and embroidered around the torso of the dress and a white petticoat.

The must have pieces from the collection incorporate two big trends for Spring/Summer. The first must have look is one of the white organdy flared skirt dresses with a black floral print screened onto the skirt of the dress. To top the look off Scervino added a black leather biker jacket; the jacket is laser cut with a diamond design. The other must have piece from the collection is another flared skirt look. This time Scervino incorporated the Spring/Summer trend of the trench coat and morphed it into a dress. The skirt is detailed with laser cut floral design and worn with a white petticoat. The petticoat is certainly another growing trend for Spring/Summer; I expect this new trend will carry us into Fall/Winter. The opening section of the collection is certainly the powerhouse of the collection. Scervino showed a series of strong pieces in some of the prominent looks in the collection. While he used this seasons it color of Gold, for some reason the gold accent pieces were not to brash. A problem that several designers had this season! Overall the collection is a non-stop parade of editorial and retail must haves. Bravo Monsieur Scervino!

View complete collection at Wireimage

[images viaWireimage.com]

Posted by turlie at 04:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

At Iceberg designer Paolo Gerani molded the 70’s glitz and glam with the sexy 80’s lengths and colors. Gerani opened the collection with this seasons gold trend with gold tones moving into shocking prints of orange and yellow. While gold may be an “it” shade for the season, the hit looks for Iceberg are all of the bold and vibrant prints, another top trend for Spring/Summer. One of the standout pieces in the opening section is a strapless orange and print swirl print on silk chiffon. The dress is draped and pinned on a bias with a satin and gold chain wrapped around the torso. Another great print from the second section is a yellow and fuscia tropical fern print on silk crepe. The dress is a plunging v-neck cocktail dress worn with a matching belt. Another trend that Gerani kept to this season is the short length dresses and skirts.

In the second section Gerani showed several neutral color looks and then moving back into more gold tones. The standout pieces in the second section were the brown and white tropical print used on chiffon, crepe and satin. One of the key uses of the print is on one of the few outerwear pieces from the collection, a silk satin parka style jacket with balloon shape sleeve. In the third section Gerani again shifts the color palette of all white and then back to yellows and oranges. One of the standout pieces of the white section is another great outwear piece. Another parka style jacket in white silk satin with the sleeves and front panel of the jacket detailed with balloon shapes. While this jacket may be just a little over the top, the key to the Iceberg collection is the unique and salient pieces and looks.

The must have piece of the collection is one of Gerani’s notable print looks, a brown and white tropical print on silk chiffon strapless cocktail dress. The chiffon is draped on a bias with a white satin ribbon and gold chain wrapped around the torso. While Paolo played with the 70’s and 80’s theme in this collection, the result is a modern take on these trends. Gerani’s sexy silhouette is evident in this collection giving the Iceberg customer a reason to dress up but not too audacious. The key looks for Iceberg are the abundant use of color and sexy silhouettes. The only really misses in this collection are the monotone dresses and the some of excessive use of the bubble shape on some of the dresses. Overall for Spring/Summer Iceberg delivers us a vibrant and energetic collection, absent of the drab black many designers are choosing for warm season. Bravo Monsieur Gerani!

View complete collection at Wireimage

[images viaWireimage.com]

Posted by turlie at 03:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Gentucca Bini’s drew inspiration for Spring/Summer from the lines and shapes of deco design along with a loose form and earthy texture fabrics. An odd combination but the result is a collection of unique and bold Americana style pieces and looks. The color palette is a mixture of greens, browns to oranges and rust. While Bini did use several of last seasons big trends like the bubble shape and hem and even leggings and skinny leg pants. She made sure to move the trend away from the standard design shapes that other designers played with. Bini achieved this fete by draping the shapes on the bias and played with textured fabrics and even shinny fabrics. One of the standout looks in the opening section really exemplifies this idea, a strapless silver/green silk taffeta dress. The dress is loosely tailored around the waist and the hem of the dress is draped with a ruffle on the bias. The look is finished off with a cropped waist brown cashmere cable knit cardigan with a ¾ length sleeve. Another strong piece in the opening section is a brown silk taffeta collarless top with a balloon hem. The piece is worn with a purple silk merino cable knit cardigan that is cropped above the waist.

In the second section Bini showed more knitwear pieces, the emphasis is on the rich knits and rich colors. One of the standout knit pieces from the section is a orange wool and angora blend collarless cardigan. The waist is cropped and cardigan look is finished with a scooped neck brown wool crepe dress. While bundling up last Spring/Summer was a must in many places, Bini seems to have take heart the need for strong color pieces to warm up to. The result is a number of warm pieces that could easily move into the Fall/Winter season. One of the standout outerwear pieces in the collection is a black/gray wool tweed jacket that is trimmed in black wool on the collar and seaming. Giving the jacket a real strong structured look, unfortunately a lot of the design was very unstructured and loose.

One of the must have pieces from the collection is one of Bini’s outerwear pieces, a brown and olive green jacket. The detailing on the waist and lapels of the jacket are the key. Another must have piece or pieces from the collection are the few knit pieces in the collection. Bini choose to show several cropped waist cardigans with ¾ length sleeves. The cardigans were shown in several colors, from chartreuse, orange, pink and two shapes of green. While Bini was really focused on a cleaner palette this season, the direction of the collection was still conscious of her design style. I would like to have seen more shape in the looks while being dedicated to the loose form she strives to create. One of the highlights out of the collection is her outwear and knitwear pieces. While I was on the fence with this collection Bini really gave us a series of non-stop strong pieces. Bravo Madame Bini!

View complete collection at Wireimage

[images viaWireimage.com]

Posted by turlie at 03:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Yes trends come and go but some designers seem to play it safe by focusing on the crowning moment or subtle trends that emerge the prior season. If Etienne Aigner was alive today he might be a just a little bit proud that his namesake is charging full steam onto the international market. This season the design team took to heart the 70’s inspiration that Frida Giannini at Gucci paraded for last Fall/Winter. While Gucci was bold and a strong vision, Aigner took the 70’s and showed its softer side. The models did sport Afro’s and the ironed flat hair with the ends teased into volume. The key to the collection is the softness of the fabrics, colors and shapes.

In the opening section, Aigner showed several print looks, a key trend for Spring/Summer. One of the standout prints was a paisley design encased in a heart shape print. The stand out look was the print used on sheer white chiffon blouse with cape sleeve and plunging v-neck line. While Aigner showed several strong trends in this collection there were a few repeat trends that were too many step backwards. Like the skinny leg pants, baby doll dresses and even the hints of arts & crafts. Although there was one piece in the second section that really jumped outside of the arts & crafts trend. A cream crochet mini skirt, the short skirt is certainly a play on the mini trend we are seeing all over the runways.

In the closing section there is one standout piece for day. A cropped safari style jacket in creamy yellow tweed with bone white ribbing and hemming. The jacket is cropped above the waist and the color is done with a wide mandarin shape collar. The only must have piece from the collection is one of the few silk printed chiffon dresses in the collection, a white silk chiffon mini dress with long sleeves and plunging v-neckline. The chiffon is printed with the paisley design in heart shapes. It’s hard for designers to really make sure the overall look and theme of their collection is toned down and the clothes become the focus. This season Aigner really took the whole 70’s look too far with the hair and makeup. The makeup and hair become to much of a distracting rather than a compliment. While there were a few standout pieces in the collection the overall look and statement is lost.

View complete collection at Wireimage

[images viaWireimage.com]

Posted by turlie at 03:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Monochromatic sophisticate with twist of denim! Designer Hidehiko Yamane’s inspiration this season is all over the place. From this season’s big trend, the print to a lot of denim and even last season’s trench coat. Right from the opening section Yamane jumped into a series of denim looks. While some of the denim looks and pieces were borderline ordinary, there were a few standout denim looks. One of the standout looks is the armless black denim jumpsuit. The bodice of the suit is similar to a tube top. From the denim looks Yamane mixed in several wool suit fabric’s looks; which he plays with draping and structure. One of the key wool looks is a gray wool dress with a plunging neckline. The shoulder straps are finished differently, one with the fabric synched the other lays flat on the shoulder.

In the second section Yamane showed a series of printed silks and satin pieces. Unfortunately, only a few tops rather than dresses. One of the strongest looks in this section was a dragon print on a silk kimono shape wrap jacket. I would like to have seen more printed looks, especially a few cocktail dresses. One of the weak points of the collection is the lack of design continuity. Hidehiko moves from piece to piece with different design theme in each piece. From the kimono style jackets to the 20’s style slip dresses to off the shoulder bias cut dresses from the 70’s. Moving into evening Yamane moved to a black and white palette and focused on a few very loosely tailored silhouettes with emphasis on textile use. One of the standout cocktail dresses form the collection is a reworked 20’s off white silk slip dress with a satin nouveau design on the front of the dress.

The highlight of the collection is not the eveningwear dresses or gowns. Rather the Yamane‘s snowy white outerwear pieces for evening. One of the standout looks was a snow-white wool overcoat with a Peter Pan collar and low riding belt around the hip. The other must have look is one of this season’s must have pieces, the trench for Spring/Summer, a white wool crepe safari style trench coat. The look created both of these outwear looks is a twist on masculine but the overall feel from the collection is very simple and clean. The emphasis is on creating a feminine shell over the masculine pieces. The result is a collection that you can easily over look key pieces. I would like to have seen the collection a little more mixed up, the parade of well manicured looks lacked some personality.

View complete collection at Wireimage

[images viaWireimage.com]

Posted by turlie at 03:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In New York the dance world was a strong inspiration in several collection. Designer Mariella Burani carried the theme into her Spring/Summer collection. The emphasis this season was on the ballet ‘Swan Lake’. The result is a collection that produced a series of unique and couture quality looks. The color palette for the collection is very muted and very simple, a key theme for the ballet inspiration. The heart of the collection is then focused on the quality of the design and the overly structure of the looks. Burani only showed a handful of print looks in the collection. One of the strongest prints is a ‘pond of swans’ two-tone print. One of the standout looks in the first section was the print on a white silk taffeta mandarin collar jacket. The jacket is worn with a mauve chiffon button-front top with embroidery detail on the bottom of the shirt. To finish the look is mauve silk taffeta mini skirt, synched on the sides to create a layered look. Another great print look is the strapless printed silk dress with a bubble hem. The cascading wisteria print on the bodice of the dress is embroidered and detailed with beading. A crowning achievement for the collection!

Post show everyone is still muttering the couture quality of the collection. With a lot of couture fabrics throughout the collection, layered in several dresses and embroidered and detail beading on tops. In the second section and evening section Burani showed a series of standout soft tops embroidered and beaded with floral and architecture design. One of the standout pieces was a sheer cream organza sleeveless top with embroidered floral design on front and back. The top is worn with a short mauve chiffon skirt. The chiffon is layered in a vertical ruffle with clusters of crystal beading as flower sepal. Another strong look is the pleated black chiffon cape dress. The bodice of the dress is beaded in a architecture design.

This being Mariella Burani second Amuleti J collection, it is evident that she has the ability to create and construct outside of the box. Some editors post show commented and argued that he certainly is falling outside of the design element you will find in Milan. While his roots are in Milan, the quality and vision that Mariella Burani inhabits and produces really belongs in Paris. The outerwear pieces through out the collection were also another strong statement in the collection. One of the must have pieces form the collection is the kimono style cream silk jacket. The length of the jacket is cropped and the sleeves are embroidered with a floral design. Another must have piece from the collection is one of the numerous standout tops from the collection. A long-sleeve cream silk chiffon collared blouse. The shoulders of the blouse are open with a large drape in the shape of flower over on shoulder. The look is finished with a pair of cream tuxedo pant; one pant leg is silk crepe while the other is silk brocade. Overall the collection is a parade of pieces and looks that are of museum quality and yet can be worn everyday or every night. Bravo Madame Burani!

View complete collection at Wireimage

[images viaWireimage.com]

Posted by turlie at 03:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sometime the theme of the collection is not so evident, designer Valentin Yudashkin obvious inspiration for Spring/Summer is a youthful woman with emphasis on a little sophistication in the design. Her focus on a younger more sophisticated woman is evident in his key piece for the collection, the little black dress. A trend that is slowly picking up in Milan fresh from the shores of Australia Fashion Week. One of the standout looks in the opening section is a printed black silk chiffon dress with the seams of the dress detailed with a black chiffon ruffle. Yudashkin opened the collection with a dark palette of black but added some of this seasons big trends of beading, embroidery and ruffles. Another standout look in the opening section was a black silk chiffon skirt printed with a floral and butterfly print and detailed with beading. The hem of the skirt plated and finished with a bubble hem.

While Yudashkin played with some of this season new trends he also repeated some from last season. He continues to show a skinny leg pant but she made sure to give her clients varied length from piece to piece, from the mini cocktail dress to the floor length evening gown. Another highlight to the collection was the large number of prints in the collection. For evening she showed a handful of printed silk gowns. The standout gown is a printed black silk halter-top floor length gown. The silk is printed with a floral and butterfly print and Yudashkin subtly beaded the print to give it a slight sparkle for evening. Valentin seemed to be keeping the flash and pomp down in the collection but he did have a few pieces that were very showy and eye catching. In the third section one cocktail dress really went beyond the restraint. The result a beautiful sequin cocktail dress, a two-tone silk crepe shell of pale nude and dusty rose covered in clear sequins. The neckline and straps of the dress is finished with a strip of crystal-beaded flowers. A great couture style piece and dress you can easily wear more than once. All of his cocktail dresses are really young and playful with an accent of sophistication, a powerful look for women of any age.

Combinations, the strongest statement taken from the collection. Mixing and matching pieces like long flowey tops and dresses worn over denim pants. Yudashkin really understands that women today need validation for the 20-30 pairs of jeans they have in their closet. One of the must have looks from the collection is one of these looks. A pale blue silk and ecru chiffon wrap dress worn over a pair of denim pats. On the other side of the spectrum of the collection is another must have look. A pale cream trench coat worn with a pale cream silk chiffon summer dress with a soft flora print on the chiffon. The hem of the dress is finished with a small channel ruffle. Both looks really stand for the collection that Yudashkin created a young everyday and every night collection. The options are endless and the classics were just paraded down the runway. Valentin’s detailed eye for the woman today is evident in this collection. Bravo Monsieur Yudashkin!

View complete collection at Wireimage

[images viaWireimage.com]

Posted by turlie at 03:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One of the continuing trends season after season is fashion rewind. Last season designer Frida Giannini rewind the fashion clock at Gucci to the 70’s and this season she rolled back to the 60’s. The look and inspiration is a very monochromatic color palette with shocks of reds, purples, and silver here and there. Giannini’s focus in terms of inspiration this season is the prints used on several looks. While she kept to a skinny leg pant this season she did show a lot of short length dresses. One of the standout pieces in the opening section is one of the bold prints she used throughout the opening section. The key to this dress is the color combination, mixing red with burgundy and purple. The dress length is short and finished with a belt around the torso.

Most of the editors were raving about these bold color pieces and looks post-show. While I loved the color in the first section, one section I think will be overlooked by editors is the 60’s geometric print looks. The prints were a combination of a honeycomb design and geometric fan shapes. One of the standout looks in this section is mini a-line dress. The dress incorporates both prints, the fan print use for the bust line of the dress and the honeycomb print for the high waist skirt section. For evening Giannini goes long showing a series of floor length gowns. One of the standout looks in the evening section is a reworked classic paisley Gucci print on black silk. The dress has a full skirt and halter-top neckline. The dress is finished with bands of purple and red around the halter and waistline.

There were two must have looks from this collection. First is one of the 60’s geometric print looks. A classic a-line mini dress with a honeycomb design done in metallic silver. The other must have piece from the collection is one of Giannini’s leather jackets. The jacket is black suede with a black snakeskin detailing the jacket. The snakeskin is used to create a 60’s architecture line design on the bodice and sleeves. The jacket is tailored close to the waist and pinned with one of Giannini’s wide belts in purple. For her junior collection Gucci, Frida Giannini returned to the dark and masculine womenswear of the Tom Ford days but she adds her take on the Gucci woman. The key pieces to the collection are Frida’s print dresses and gowns. Her ability to re-master prints from the Gucci archives is amazing. Friday is proving to be the right fit for the house of Gucci. Not since Ford has the brand had such great understanding of the brand the look the customer depends on. Bravo Madame Giannini!

View complete collection at Wireimage

[images viaWireimage.com]

Posted by turlie at 03:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

For Spring/Summer 2007 designer Anna Molinari keeps her collection very young and very feminine, a classic theme for Molinari. While Molinari plays with a lot of last seasons big trends, the ruffle. She gave the trend a new life by giving it a new color palette. In the opening section one of the standout looks was a pale cream satin finish silk taffeta skirt. The skirt is trimmed with ruffles and drapes of ruffles around the waist and front of the skirt. The look is finished with pale cream silk taffeta long sleeve dress shirt. This look was a crowning moment in the opening of the collection, another trend that Molinari continued to use was the skinny leg pant.

In the second section Molinari focused on the detailing on several dresses. The detailing ranged from synching to embroider adding more movements and effects to each look. One of the standout looks in this section was a cream silk velvet dress. The waist and skirt of the dress is synched velvet and the velvet is draped below the breast line and up to the shoulder of the dress. To finish the dress Molinari use a pale taupe bustier and to finish the shoulder she used pale taupe chiffon. The hem of the dress is finished with frayed white chiffon that looks like feathers. Another great synched look in the second section is cream silk satin cocktail dress with the sides of the dress synched. The hem of the dress is finished with a tier of ruffled taupe silk chiffon over a tier of frayed silk cream chiffon.

The must have pieces from the collection are two of Molinari’s evening looks. First is the black silk chiffon cocktail dress; the dress is covered with a embroidered vine and flower design in black. The embroidery is detailed with appliqués giving the design a 3-D effect. The look finished with a cropped jacket made up of black silk taffeta rosettes. The other must have look from the collection is another Molinari’s rosette looks. An a-line dress covered with taupe silk crepe rosettes worn with a matching cropped jacket covered in matching rosettes. While the color pallet is very toned down, a lot of whites, taupe’s and creams. The overall look of the collection is soft and feminine and the absence of metallic and bold color was actually a breathe of fresh air this season. The result is a standout collection in a season of prints and color. Bravo Madame Molinari!

View complete collection at Wireimage

[images viaWireimage.com]

Posted by turlie at 03:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Designer Angelo Marani’s theme this season was more glitz, more color and more glam. Marani also took a lot of inspiration from the 70’s using gold lame and leopard and tiger prints, a trend that we are seeing very often in NY and London. One of the strongest trends that Marani took to heart this season were prints. The playful theme of his prints this season is games, from crossword puzzles to card games. One of the standout looks in the opening section was a cards and joker print on pale green silk dress. To finish off the look Marani showed a gray wool jacket with a metallic weave in the fabric. The jacket is tightly tailored with a square off shoulder. Another great piece from the opening section is a crossword puzzle print on silk chiffon blouse. The neckline of the blouse is finished with a band of yellow/gold sequins and the sleeves are draped with a wide opening. The look is finished with a pair of the skinny leg pants that Marani used through out the collection. I would like to have seen more looser fit pants.

In the second section turned up his use of prints and started to add more beading and more sheer fabrics. One of the standout pieces from this section is a black sheer organdy top draped over one shoulder. The top the playing cards and joker print is silk-screened onto the organdy and beading is used to detail the print and on the trim of the piece. The look is finished with one of this seasons big trends the mini skirt. Marani continued to use this print and beading into the evening section. One of the standout pieces was a floor length gown with a plunging v-neckline. The beading trims the neckline and straps of the gown.

The must have pieces form the collection are actually two animal print looks. First is the black silk chiffon blouse with a cheetah print done in gold. While I have frowned on the whole cheetah and leopard prints this season. These pieces just proved to me you could really make a cheetah print sexy and classy. The other must have piece is floor length over one should gown of black silk organdy. The organdy is has a tiger print design on the fabric. The print is a combination of gold and black paint and gold sequins. Color, color, color, lots of colors in this collection! The mixing and matching of color is very careful, although I found there to be too many gold pieces in the collection. One of the over the top pieces throughout the collection were the gold leggings. The shape seems to be all over the place, from loosely tailored dresses and tops to skinny leg pants and mini skirts. Although Marani did keep true to his sexy shape and detailing he kept true to the fundamental look of Milan Fashion Week. Bravo Monsieur Marani!

View complete collection at Wireimage

[images viaWireimage.com]

Posted by turlie at 03:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sitting at the G.V.G.V. show was like being at Valentino collection in Paris. Designer MUG’s vision and skill is very close to the man who has defined refined clothing for over 40 years. For Spring/Summer MUG adopted everything Valentino from the red lips to the feminine silhouettes accented by layers of ruffles. In opening section there were several 70’s halter-top inspired looks with a ruffle trim. Then all of a sudden he switched to a series of 50’s gamine dresses and then to an 80’s blue leather matching jacket and skirt look. One of this season growing trends appeared in a handful of pieces, lace, which MUG really created several feminine looks. One of the best looks was a floor length lace and chiffon gown. The top of the gown is off the shoulder and a single layer of ruffled lace. Reminds me of the 70’s prom dresses seen in “Footloose”. Another great trend that MUG played with was prints. He showed a series of floral printed crepe summer dresses. One dress that really stood out was navy blue floral print crepe dress with a burgundy floral print on chiffon used as a ruffle trim around the halter-top and the hem of dress.

In the second section MUG played with a tailoring in his looks along with trends of ruffles and the bubble. One of the most striking pieces in this section was a gray moiré dress that is tailored with a masculine silhouette with feminine accents. MUG trimmed the shoulders of the dress and strip on top of the hip with ruffles. The ruffle is done in gray moiré and lined with a floral printed silk. This look along was a crowning moment for MUG. His level of tailoring and constraint is evident in this piece. A stunning piece! A great accessory idea from the collection is all the little red or gold heart pendants. Reminds me of the little ceramics hearts that used to be sent with the “Care Bear” dolls during the 80’s.

The must have piece from the collection is one of MUG’s lace looks. A white lace dress with a fanned lace used on the bodice of the dress and two tiers of ruffles cascading from the waist. The top is worn with a two layer skirt of cream linen over a layer of white chiffon. One of the great things about this collection is that MUG exhibits a lot restraint in his creative process. Giving each look just enough but not too little. Bravo Monsieur MUG!

View complete collection at Wireimage

[images viaWireimage.com]

Posted by turlie at 03:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

For Spring/Summer designer Aksu looks to Paris couture for inspiration, everything from Safari to Fairies and even ‘Blade Runner’. The emphasis this season is on a shorter look that is built with structure. This focus can easily fall towards a modern and minimal look, but Aksu steered away from that path. The opening section was a play on the safari look with a focus on a lighter and shorter look. The results are some of the best pieces from London fashion week. In the opening section the standout pieces were the outerwear pieces. One the best pieces were a white canvas safari jacket that cropped above the waist. The jacket lapels are wide and drape over the shoulder. Detailing the jacket he used the shell of a Converse high top as the opening of the jacket. Another great look from the opening section another piece that incorporated Aksu’s Converse shell. The dress is a white sheer chiffon tank dress with Converse shell used on the front of the dress and the laces are crisscrossed in the front.

In the second section played a little with the deconstruction design that many Parisian designers have mastered. One of the standout pieces in this section is a sleeveless leather jacket that has been built with single straps for the collar and bodice of the jacket. The waistline of the jacket is a leather corset that connects the bodice of the jacket. Moving into the evening section Aksu started add some color to the collection with some rosy reds, purples and burgundy’s. One of the standout looks in the evening section is knee length cocktail dress. The dress is made up of a muted purple silk satin shell draped with dark burgundy and blood red silk crepe on either side of the dress. The straps and below the neckline are detailed with beading.

The two must have pieces from the collection are from the closing and second collection. First is the white silk organdy jacket with a band of silk taffeta hemming the sleeve and hem of the jacket. The collar and opening of the jacket are lined with the cream taffeta and the collar drapes down to the hem of the jacket. The other must have look is one of Aksu’s beaded evening dresses. The dress is a silk knit shell that is layered with strands of braids around waist. The skirt of the dress is embellished with silver and gray beading. The absence of a strong evening section was felt by many editors but he showed several strong pieces through out the collection. You can easily pick and choose from the entire collection. By the end of the show the Converse shells seamed to be over used. I was really moved by Aksu’s ability to craft and build each look. The lacking part of this collection is structure of the whole look Bora Aksu is trying to convey on the runway.

View complete collection at Wireimage

[images viaWireimage.com]

Posted by turlie at 03:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)