After discussing some collections from New York Fashion Week and London Fashion Week, now, it’s time to get some inspiration from the fashion capital of Italy. The recently concluded Milan Fashion Week was very diverse yet showed strong collections. The city has a bright future ahead with countless established fashion houses and emerging designers. Keep reading to discover my favourite Fall/Winter 2014 collections!
BOTTEGA VENETA
Straight lines, right angles and cube shapes made their way from the classroom to the dressing room. Tomas Maier’s clothing choices for Bottega Veneta: mid-length coats, dresses and skirts – bisected and stitch-slashed; do the math. Though lacking embellishments, his collection was high in creativity with geometric patterns, pops of colour, splendid tailoring, micro folds and box pleats, while staying true to the female form.
COSTUME NATIONAL
Bold without being flamboyant, comfortable yet figure-flattering, Costume National’s Fall 2014 collection was basically a buyer’s dream (or should I say my dream?). It was the perfect juxtaposition of masculine and feminine and the perfect mix of tailoring with casual shapes. Ennio Capasa’s fur jackets with extra-long sleeves, blazers with unique waterfall drapes, and the replacement of the typical trousers with elastic-ankle pants and the way he paired them with double-breasted tuxedo jackets made the strongest impressions. The looks were mostly in black and white, so the monotonous colours made the fiery red and violet moments really stand out.
EMILIO PUCCI
Emilio Pucci’s Fall 2014 collection gave off a slightly nomadic vibe with some military influences. Oh, and let’s not forget mild grunge. The models came out as if they’d just rolled out of bed after a late night of partying. Artistic director Peter Dundas maintained the brand’s sultry signature, although he added cold weather-perfect knits into the mix, which still felt fresh and light, especially for Autumn/Winter. I’m not a huge fan of elaborately beaded pieces, but I really appreciated the crystal-embellished slim-fitted pantsuits and sexy dresses with deep V-necks because they were precisely made and the patterns were beautiful. This collection definitely glorified femininity and oozed sex appeal!
ETRO
First seen in South America in rough rectangular shapes, the poncho made a classy comeback in sundry lengths and smooth silhouettes at Veronica Etro’s show. She also showcased heavy tapestry coats, dresses, suits, shawls and tunics in dark browns, greens and shimmering golds, and layered and draped them like a true boho – albeit more luxuriously. As is her signature, prints and patterns were mixed, and the shapes were cut a little over-sized. Her folk-inspired pieces felt right at home and the beauty was in how it all came together, considering that she had several inspirations for this collection.
GUCCI
At Gucci, the models were clad in simple shift and A-line dresses as well as slim-fitting trouser suits in sea green, baby blue and pale pink. I never thought I would want to wear pink (especially the moto jacket), until I saw this collection! Perhaps it was because of its muted shade and in its styling that it turned into something edgier. But as much as this collection was courting a tough-chic kind of woman, it speaks to many when picked apart. It was pure casual elegance. Naturally, casual for Frida Giannini means furry coats and sweatshirts.
JIL SANDER
Although the minimalist German fashion designer Jil Sander left her namesake brand late last year, the in-house design team paid homage to the brand by delivering a collection that was as simple as it was beautiful. I loved the line-up of separates that featured a bit more volume and extra moulding on otherwise boring looks, as well as the asymmetric hemlines and unexpected folds and pleats. My favourites were the dresses with angled drapery and twists and the coats that were sculpted with high collars. Indeed, it was the subtle detailing that made the difference at Jil Sander Fall 2014. Look closer so you won’t miss the chic, little details!
MARCO DE VINCENZO
Marco de Vincenzo proved that he’s one of the most exciting new designers. His Fall 2014 collection was a real statement; he did an amazing job on material and colour effects. Pushing technical achievements to new heights, he gave his collection a different dimension by playing around with embroidered diagonal lines and circles, cut-outs, tiny crystals and holographic Lurex fabrics. Imagine, nothing was in its natural state! Now that LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton has taken a stake in his label, the fashion world is watching. After all, the future looks very bright for him.
MAXMARA
The coats, jackets, sleeveless trenches and sweaters were stars of the MaxMara show. The brand didn’t invent them but they certainly redefined them. And for Fall 2014, they made the hemlines longer, they loosened them, layered them and mixed different fabrics such as tweeds, herringbones and plaids. The clothes were structured and ultra modern in gray, black and camel with hints of metallics. While fashion reached greater lengths this season and the clothes looked amazing on the runway and in photos, they might be harder to pull off in real life for petite women like me, which is a shame because there’s a lot to like in this collection!
Image credit: NYTimes
Article by me; published in Tongue in Chic