Capes are always... trendy!

Capes are always chic. During f/w 2010 a lot of designers showed them and now the trend came back thanks to Alexander Wang, Valli, Burberry and Pilati which dedicated some outfit to the capes.  Alexander Wang used the cape to revision his own urban style and capes give to it a glamourous touch that sometimes is lost by a too urban aesthetic. Saint Laurent, Pilati, developed an absolutely new model maybe the chicest cape ever seen that is very very elegant. Burberry, Bailey, showed a transparent cape with black details that during rainy days would be the best choice. Azzaro added some fur to give a personal touch to the cape. Elbaz for Lanvin showed a very complex and sophisticated model  in a nice beige with a nice detail just on the neck: very easy, almost minimalistic, but with the characteristic Lanvin silhouette. Valli didn't show capes but he just use the characteristic shape of capes to "cover" the upper part of the dresses. Owens has a very unique style that allows him to mix his own metropolitan vision of the world with the chic appeal of Paris.

In conclusion capes are still one of the collect trends and I absolutely love them!

Alexander Wang

Yves Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent

Alexander McQueen

Azzaro

Burberry Prorsum

Rick Owens

Lanvin

Images by: 
Vogue Italia 
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Posted in Alber Elbaz , Alexander McQueen , Alexander Wang , Azzaro , Burberry Prorsum , Capes , f/w 2011 , Lanvin , Rick Owens , Yves Saint Laurent

Noritaka Tatehana...skyscraping platform!

Noritaka Tatehana was born in Japan 1985 and he recently created his own brand. I think that you have yet seen some of his very recognizable creations. The key-concept (or if you want the DNA of the maison) of these shoes is the "withouth-heel" sky scraping shoes. The power of these  pieces of art is all in the platform and could remind (just to quote some example from the Runway) the Nina Ricci by Theyskens shoes from the f/w 09/10 or the Berardi ones from s/S 2008; if we think to the fall collection we could think about the wedges of McQueen; if we think to the s/s 2012 there is Zanotti with this amazing wedges. Now the biggest fans are Lady Gaga and Daphne Guinnes. It's like Lady Gaga is living with these show since she wears theme everywhere. I like the idea of having an "invisible heel" of on average 10 inches (25 centimetres) that allow you to seem tall with an avant-garde outfit without adding "heavy heels" (from the aesthethic perspective) to the outfit. The only doubt is about the future of this designer: how long can Tatehana go on with this shoes? Wouldn't they look boring if every season he shows the same concept? If he changes his style (other kind of shoes) wouldn't he change the own DNA of the maison and, so, loose his own identity?... Too much questions, but at the moment I appreciate the unpredictable shoes of this Japanese designer.).

Images via:
Noritaka Tatehana
Gaga Fashionlad
Daphne Guinness

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Posted in Alexander McQueen , Antonio Berardi , f/w 2011 , Giuseppe Zanotti , Nina Ricci , Noritaka Tatehana , Oliver Theyskens , shoes

Rodarte...McQueen: wedges!

McQueen and Rodarte are absolutely two of the most important brands of our epoque. Both have an avant-garde and peculiar style that, sometimes, could be exaggerate and sometimes so lovely. In general, these two brands have different styles that have nothing in common.

However, in this case we can see a general concept that is shared by these two models. These wedges are amazing by a fashion point of view. In fact, the "constructed-heel" in a baroque and opulent style gives to the entire wedges an innovative appeal that makes these shoes unique in their style. The main feature of Rodarte wedges is the decoration on the silk and the use of wood: wood is the theme on which Rodarte’s s/s show was developed. Alexander McQueen, or better Sarah Burton, decides to use flowers (white, gold or black) as a heel. The general aesthetic is baroque, with some touches of a "gothic-romanticism" for McQueen and "Kirkwood's ones" for Rodarte.

So,  I don't think that we can speak of a "copy" but it’s better speaking about a common inspiration, a "small trend".

 I love the idea (that is characterizing the contemporary heels) to consider the heels as a “beautiful part” of the shoes and not simply a support for the overall accessory. In this way, the creativity, and so the designer, has more freedom and could create this art pieces.

Images:
Vogue
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Posted in Alexander McQueen , Kate and Laura Mulleavy , Rodarte , s/s 2011 , sarah burton , shows

S/S 2011...ruches!

Ruches are conquering every designer. During the last seasons almost every brand decided to use this "decoration" in some different ways. For example, also Simons for Sander uses ruches on maxi skirts; the most minimalistic brand uses ruches. This is one of the things that I would not have ever imagined.

However, we see Valentino, Marchesa, McQueen, Ricci...everywhere an explosion of ruches. McQueen  is such an exageration of ruches that only Marchesa 's gown has more of them. 

I don't know if this is a trend that will end with this season or will continue...Speaking about f/w 2011 this trend is not so spread even if some brands use ruches (but, as I told, some maisons like Valentino and so on use ruches everytime.

Pilati for YSL is the only one who uses contrasting ruches. In fact, on the neck uses pink that contrast with blue and on the hem there is a little ruching underlined by some white pieces of fabric.

Images via: 
Vogue

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Posted in Alexander McQueen , Francesco Scognamiglio , marchesa , Nina Ricci , s/s 2011 , Valentino , Yves Saint Laurent

S/S 2011...feathers!

With the arrival of spring, some days ago, we forget winter to watch to s/s shows that are becoming already old with the recent presentation of the f/w collection. However, some trends continue for some seasons. This is the case of the fluo colors, for instance, and of feathers. The f/w 2011 season was caracterized by a lot of designers (such as Dsquared, Demeulemeester, Giles...) who purposed feathers. Personally I saw a huge use of this material that sometimes could seem heavy and not so chic. 

Speaking about the spring, fortunately, feather are used in a softer way. Bottega Veneta is the best example: the feathers are distributed all over the lower part of the dress and give an effect so glamorous, for me. McQueen exagerated with feathers on the skirt  and on the bustier, the entire look could be a bit dramatic but this is McQueen and we love it for this thing, or at least I love that maison.  Chanel is really gothic, maybe one of the most innovative Lagerfeld's outfits, and this look is very       unconventional for the maison. Gucci use feathers in a way that is very similar as fringes.  

So, I love this trend and  I think that the best dress is the Maier's one  and, in its style, McQueen is the most "particular use of feathers...". (who coul forget the f/w 2009 collection where feather were gorgeus, for me.)

Images via:
Vogue

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Posted in Alexander McQueen , Bottega Veneta , Chanel , Giambattista Valli , Gucci , Nina Ricci , Zac Posen

Alexander McQueen...f/w 2011

Wonderful collection. I think that the first feeling that everyone should have when see this show is an "sensation of amazement". The style is the classic McQueen but it's is "clean" by the more simple soul of Sarah Burton.  The collection is the right "sequel" of the s/s 2011 one.  The colors are white, black, grey, violet and a mix of colors in some wedges and bustiers. The shoulder are really strong and the shoes are strange in a classic way. I mean that the heels of the wedges are absolutely "gorgeus and strange" but I like them. The dresses are perfect, McQueen, I'm sure, would be proud of this show. The feathers are used in the most wonderful way that I've ever seen. In particular geometries and volumes of skirts are really beautiful. This woman is a McQueen woman with  touch of  "sex provocation" due to leather straps and  studds mix with the supreme elegance of fur details, feathers and  colors. A queen of purity who is also a "warrior woman" which loves to wear romantic but strong clothes. A new kind of "fashion-drama" that is matched with sweet touchs obtained by the use of materials and the soft volumes of the skirts, at least of the first ones.  My favourite dress is the one in the last pic, the embroidery could remind a bit some Givenchy, Tisci, creations but I think that here is developed in a better way than Tisci did. The fringes and the black remind also dresses of Rodarte, but I think that even in this case Burton, McQueen, is better. The best dress of the show: wearable and exagerate, really my favourite ones.

Images via:
Vogue 

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Posted in Alexander McQueen , f/w 2011 , Paris fashion week , shoes

Sleeves...so particular!

The sleeves are so important as the other elements of the jacket, in particular for the kimono and coats. The wool and prints collaborate with the sleeve to desing a very soft line that is very actual and loved today. Furthermore is interesting the appearance. As the very stretch clothes are so sexy and so often are also a bit casual (not every time, but often...) the "soft" clothes are so elegant and have a taste of "past" regality by that everyone is fascinated. In particular is amazing the whiteness of the Givenchy one (first photo) and the bon-chic bon-genre of Valli's cape: that's full of his style, the style that we love!

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LuisaViaRoma


Image that opens the post:
Givenchy

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Posted in Alexander McQueen , Alexander Wang , Ann Demeulemeester , Erdem , Giambattista Valli , Givenchy , jackets , Matthew Williamson , Riccardo Tisci , Salvatore Ferragamo , Viktor-Rolf , Yves Saint Laurent

McQueen's winter...on Net-a-Porter

I've posted about the f/w 2010 of McQueen but I'd like now to speak more in details about the single pieces of the show.I desire to put in evidence the contemporary design of this clothes. In fact, the taste of medieval style and baroccan style is perfectly mixed with one of the most important trend of the f/w 2010: the Kimonos. The big sleeves and the "3d" appearance of the dresses give a sense of contemporary that every designer should look for... But in the evening the things change completely: a very sweet dress (with a pair of flies on the back...) mixed the "regality of its shapes" with the very contemporary embroidery that makes the dress perfect for the most elegant events in the world!!

I don't like the shoes: lovely heel and platform but the mix of printed crocodile leather and suede is truly horrible. The kneeboot are the only one "good" of the shoes of the f/w made by McQueen.

P.s.: the only bad detail is the price: the shoes are almost 2000$ and the dresses are from 6000$...

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Posted in Alexander McQueen , dresses , f/w 2010 , Net-a-Porter , sarah burton , shoes