Mary Katrantzou...s/s 2011!

Mary Katrantzou is a designer that is conquering the fashion world with her wonderful prints and her absolutely new and fresh style. 

I find on Net-a-Porter this amazing long dress, which close the s/s 2011 show, with a classic print of Mary and  two black sheer silk-chiffon ruched drapes at side. 

As you know, fringes are one of the trends of this s/s and a lot of brands such as Gucci, Balmain.... use this decoration. Those two chiffon pieces give to the dress a movement that is like the movement given by fringes but in a more "legant" and innovative way. Katrantzou styel is strange and sometimes could appear a bit exaggerate but I think that with this dress, or in general with her last shows, she is really improving her style and moving to a more elgant one. I hope that she will never abandon these amazing tridimensional prints which make her so unique and different from the other designers. 

 The dress is all realized in silk and, of course silk-chiffon.

Images and shop on-line:
Net-a-Porter

Complete collection:
Vogue Italia 

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Posted in dresses , Mary Katrantzou , Net-a-Porter , prints , s/s 2011

Maison Martin Margiela... Boots!

Since Martin Margiela has left his label it looks as MMM is making for every collection more "conceptual" and absolutely "strange" clothes and accessories. After the "flat squared dresses" the creative maison presented this special shoes for the spring. The peculiarity of this boots is the avant- garde aestethic that I'm not sure if I like it or not. It's clear that the main risk is that the shoes seem a "broken" ones or that the shoes eats the feet. But this tendance of making shoes with unusual appearance or better like two shoes in one ( this model seems made up by the shoes and the sole, as a different part of the overall boot) is also purposed by Van Assche for Dior Homme. Dior made a nice sandal with a sock that could be wear together or separate. The Margiela's model and the Dior's one are absolutely different. But the element that unifies the two shoes is the desire, the trend, of making "constructed", "multiple", shoes with innovative and futuristic, sometimes, results.

Images and shop on-line:
Net-a-Porter

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Posted in Maison Martin Margiela , Net-a-Porter , s/s 2011 , shoes

Brian Atwood...very elegant shoes!

Bridal shoes are, often, really boring. Classic white shoes, very elegant but, in general, they are all the same even if there are a lot of deisgners who try to make "innovative" shoes for bridal: from Louboutin to Blahnik, I was always bored by their creations (speaking about bridal shoes). 

Brian Atwood tries to be quite classic with an innovativer touch. This looks as a controsense, but I think that this is the best defintion for this shoes: an innovative classic aesthetic.

The heel measures 12 centimeters and the sandals are embellished with floral and shimmering Swarovski crystals. The satin, the flowers and the  glittered heels make these shape the most chic model and the most interesting one for a bridal. The only "problem" is the price, but for this piece of art I think that every price is right: on Net-a-Porter these shoes are sold for $3,440. The only thing that leave me in doubt is that these shoes could "move" the attention from the gown to the sandals. In fact accessories (shoes, bags and jewels....) should be only accessories and not the centre of the outfit. So this shoes are nice and wonderful, for me,  but there is the great risk that they "obscure" the gown.

Images and shop on-line:
Net-a-Porter

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Posted in Brian Atwood , Net-a-Porter , s/s 2011 , shoes

Matthew Williamson...feather skirt!

Matthew Williamson has a great talent in  macthing ethnic style with his vision of fashion and actual trends. In this case he created a skirt with feathers (that are a trend of this s/s) and sequins (another trend) on a gold fabrics (quoting Anna dello Russo, gold will be the new black...). SO this skirt si a summary of the main trend of thsi s/s and it's amazing from my point of view that such a small piece of fabric could represent all these things. Maybe the price is a bit high, but in some cases (and this is one of them) every price is acceptable.

Images and shop online:
Net-a-Porter

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Posted in feathers , Matthew Williamson , Net-a-Porter , s/s 2011 , skirt

Nancy Gonzalez...light spring!

Nancy Gonzalez is one of my favourite handbags designers.

This bag is realized in crocodile and raffia, this particular mix (the mix'n'match with unconventional materials is her first feature) gives a lighter aesthetic to the bag that, otherwise, could be "old" and not so "fresh", for spring. 

The shape is classic, might remind the Alma of LV, but the nuances are completely new. Or better, the color of handles and the first part is classic for crocodile bags but the lower part with that use of raffia and the contrasting leather, under it, reinvented the crocodile giving to it a style that is really more youth and without that "past luxe" or "snob" appeal that sometimes crocodile may have. This designer knows very well how to avoid all the clichès about crocodile and this is the thing that I like most of her. 

Images and shop on-line:
Net-a-porter

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Posted in handbags , Nancy Gonzalez , Net-a-Porter , s/s 2011

Christopher Kane...galaxy!

Christopher Kane galaxy prints are becoming "it-prints" (is not a classic definition but I find that it gives you the idea of the concept), we find them on menswear and womenswear clothes which don't loose the Kane's style and his shapes. The silver biker style jacket is made by silk-chiffon, its appearance is more similar to a minidress with a voluminous skirt. The top is transparent and it represents a unique style that I remember to have seen only in Kane collections. The colors are a bit opaque not so brights and the big use of black made the jacket so dark. But the dark (or sometimes gothic) style is so contemporary and trendy in this period, so this jacket is the perfect "innovaitve-jacket" for the following season!

Images and shop on-line:
Net-a-Porter

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Posted in Christopher Kane , jackets , Net-a-Porter , prints , s/s 2011

Market bags: chic or..cheap?

This is surely one of the most discussed trend of the last spring... We started to see "plastic bags" on the runway with Louis Vuitton s/s 2010, where Marc Jacobs decided to purpose two version of a really expensive bag (2000 dollars). I think that everyone agree that the Vuitton bags were the worst example of this new kind of bag and showed what it means "pay only for the brand name". 

However, this year Jil Sander (for 100 dollars) purposes some acetate bags that could be an interesting innovative solution for make a look funnier or younger. Furthermore, the bag has an aesthethic that is so right for the spirit of the show and its style, so Raf Simons made a wonderful product where the relation between price and quality is good.
But, I see another version of the Jil Sander "bag". The shape of that bag is really with the shopper that you find at the supermarket. So, Margiela presented (not on the runway, only in the shops) a bag (available in brown and black) that has the same shape of the Sander's one but that is realized in leather and that cost more or less 400 dollars. Also in this case the bag reflects perfectly the style of the maison. However, I have to say that I don't like the Margiela bag becuase I think that here the "famous minimalism" of the maison appear a bit "old" and sad. So, I believe that only Simons, for Sander, understood the real "power" (and the limits, too) of this trend, or better of these accesories. In fact the only use of this kind of materials/kind of bags, is to make a look funny and not cheap/sad/ boring. Vuitton, absolutely crazy (the price) and so cheap the appearance. Margiela could make every look sad, not funny: I'm almost annoyed by those bags.

Simons, amazing...I love his style and the style that he is giving to Jil Sander: like Prada a new kind of "minimalism" where the shapes and the cuts are minimalistic but the colors are funny...not the "dark" minimalism of Armani, for example.

Images and shop on-line:
LuisaViaRoma
Net-a-Porter
Vogue

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Posted in Jil Sander , Louis Vuitton , LuisaViaRoma , Maison Martin Margiela , Marc Jacobs , Net-a-Porter , Raf Simons

Balmain...pin top!

The t-shirts of Balmain are somethign "legendary" in the last two season and legendary are their prices too. 

The green shirt with some holes of the past season that you saw on a lot of stars, surely, was a boring shirt that, for me, was not chic, glamourous or cool...simply a used shirt.  Instead, this model that is embellished with safety pins (that are one of the most trendy object since the Versace dress worn by Liz Hurley...) is so beautiful. The appearance is not too much used or destroyed but it's almost chic. In particular, the most important thing is that this shirt represent the style and the "fashion idea" of the Decarnin's design: this is the DNA of Balmain (since Decarnin have started to design for this maison). 

But now...speak about the price. This is sold for 1300 euros and the green one for 1000 euros. Ok, the price are completely crazy even if I understand more the 1300 euros for this mdoel than 1000 for the past one. But the question is: Balmain should earn a lot of money to establish its economical position (NYMAG said this on Balmain profile page) but are 5 years that Decarnin is at Balmain, so hasn't Balmain yet solved its economical troubles? 

In the end, I think  (and Anna dello Russo thinks so) that Balmain is the most stylish brand of our epoque and that its creations are the best representation and mix of shabby-chic, elegance and luxe; but the prices are too much expensive and they are not justified by anything...This is the main reason because this shirt will have a lot of success with celebs but nothing in "real life", also in the upper class society.

Images and shop on-line:
Net-a-Porter

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Posted in Balmain , Christophe Decarnin , Net-a-Porter , s/s 2011

Bottega Veneta...green!

This is the first day of the new year....So don't loose a lot of time to think (we are surely tired from last night...) but only admire this amazing Bottega Veneta green leather bag decorated with the classic "intrecciato".

How was gone yesterday night?

Images and shop on-line:
Net-a-porter

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Posted in bags , Bottega Veneta , handbags , Net-a-Porter , Thomas Maier

Louboutin and Atwood....Mesh!

I don't want to speak a lot in this psot. Only two things are important: first of all that both Atwood and Louboutin decided to integrate in their shoes a mesh secondly that this mesh has a lovely fetish taste and sexy, of course. Is this fetish taste an effect of the burlesque of the Von Teese for instance (so is an effect of a more spread interest about "sexual practice") or only a "style trend" not connected with any sexual referrement?

Images and shop on-line:
Net-a-porter

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Posted in Brian Atwood , Christian Louboutin , mesh , Net-a-Porter , shoes

Bottega Veneta...Knot sfrangiato clutch

This bag is a classic model and so it's nonsense to speak a lot about its details. I only want to put in evidence the fraying (sfrangiato) effect of the leather and the amazing color of it: a blast of freshness that makes younger this classic model.

Images and shop on-line:
Net-a-Porter

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Posted in Bottega Veneta , clutches , Net-a-Porter , Thomas Maier

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$...

Images and shop on-line:
Net-a-Porter

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

An amazing cluth...and other things!

The idea to develop the theme of scarab beetle on earring, bracelets and clutch is amazing. I watn to put your attention on the clutch, almost 8000$ on Bottega Veneta's website, and the nmoves it to other things. I love all the fashion jewellery and the colors of it; for me are amazing.

I thought to purpose you a match for the clutch and the jewellery. I thought to this wonderful Chloè dress with some chiffon and developed on the green thones! The model of the dress. that reminds us the greek godness, is so "in" today. Then for the shoes I thought to a pair of YSl tribute sandals made in ostrich or for a very particular pair of flat, by Bottega Veneta, colored with a lot of different, schocking, greens. I love all the things that I purposed ot you!

Images and shop on-line via:
Bottega Veneta
Net-a-Porter

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Posted in bags , Bottega Veneta , Chloè , jewels , Net-a-Porter , shoes , Stefano Pilati , Thomas Maier , Yves Saint Laurent