One of the main reason why the recent catwalk shows in Milan were a rather bland affair was very simple: well-established fashion houses seem to have exhausted their ideas and while some of them tried to copy younger and maybe less established designers by coming up with short body-con dresses that may appeal to new generations of buyers, the young and talented designers in question are quickly growing up, proving they can stand the test of time and renew themselves season after season.
Meadham Kirchhoff didn’t abandon their study into menswear and androgyny, but biker jackets were left behind in favour of deconstructed yet tailored outerwear and cotton shirts that called to mind in their asymmetrical lines and shaped pads or bumps that play with volumes Japanese designers, and of romantic chiffon dresses with the consistency of petticoats in powdery colours.
Black prevailed also in the little velvet bows appliquéd on navy tulle skirts that looked like deadly butterflies, evoking a romantic yet almost Victorian look.
There was also a touch of glamour in the rigid tops in shocking pink or midnight blue, matched with ethereal dresses or with Edward Meadham and Benjamin Kirchhoff's signature split-knee trousers.
This was probably Meadham Kirchhoff’s most interesting collection so far, while Marios Schwab’s was notable not only because it didn't feature his trademark body-con dresses.
Schwab set onto analysing the body, dividing it into three different sections and mixing at times three different styles: a tailored lavender jacket metamorphosed around the chest area into a light peach flowery printed jacket matched with a black skirt; a cropped organza shirt transformed into a pleated mini-skirt and then turned into a draped skirt.
This study around three main elements was also applied to colours, silhouettes, fabrics (and fabric weights) and materials: cropped chain-mail tops were matched with a draped dress that called to mind the fashion favoured by Greek goddesses or with low waist ankle-length pleated skirts that hobbled around the thighs.
Schwab’s passion for crystals reappeared in the gem encrusted lapels and in the ethereally colourful prints mainly employed for tops while there were hints at sculpture and architecture in light pannier skirts.
It was interesting to see how Schwab put into practice his equation based on the number three and, though at times his mathematics weren’t that perfect, there was enough to explore and admire in his collection.
Christopher Kane showed he is progressing and maturing quite a lot from one collection to the other.
Gingham checks in their brown/pale blue/pink and white variations and simple cardigan evoked Lolita style atmospheres.
Yet Kane injected in his designs healthy doses of sensuality by sculpting corsets, inserting pleated motifs and bra cups, integrating in his designs chiffon and silk elements in nude shades, adding rich beaded embroideries of white roses and slashing neat cardigans with perfect cut out motifs.
As a whole the collection was interestingly fresh and Kane showed he carried out a careful study in proportions and fabric choices, though there is maybe one aspect the designer will have to strengthen and that’s the cut of his trouser suits.
Yet, having mastered the science of dress making in just a few years, maybe he will become well-versed also in suit making in the next seasons.
Jonathan Saunders turned geometric prints and motifs into his signature designs, but for the Spring/Summer 2010 season he decided to play with a clean and pleasant palette.
Everything was light and airy, with the designer playing with matte and sheer fabrics and introducing dusty blocks of colours only every now and then.
Not everything worked to perfection though and there were moments – namely body-con dresses, skirts with sheer inserts and tops in perforated fabrics – when you had a strange déjà vu feeling, while a touch of vivid colour in a cropped top and pleated skirt and jacket with lime green splashes, revived a bit the collection.
As a whole Saunders' collection was more casual and sporty than usual, with enough feminine and romantic touches, and proved that, sometimes, a minimalist approach can be much more efficient than excessive bursts of colours.
Saunders was apparently inspired by the colours seen in Swedish vampire movie Let the Right One In, but there is a designer who has in the last few seasons abandoned his most vampirically gothic inspirations to look at wearability and elegance, Gareth Pugh
The designs that appeared on the runway during the first day of Paris Fashion Week were very different from the striking and rebellious but frankly theatrically unwearable fetishist inflatable monsters seen at Pugh’s Spring/Summer 2007 show.
It’s undeniable that Pugh still lives in a dramatically post-apocalyptic dark world in which women are mysterious priestesses of deadly rites, but a sort of romanticism has been creeping into his universe.
From black and white Pugh moved onto a palette that mainly focused on dusty grey tones, from charcoal to dove. The emphasis was on beautiful outerwear, especially trench coats with light trails or jackets with zipped peplum matched with slashed leggings.
Feather headdresses transformed the models into ominous birds, but there wasn't anything too costumy in the rest of the collection.
The wearability degree was indeed high, especially seeing the jackets crisscrossed by zips, tight mini-dresses and signature diamond prints on trousers, though maybe Pugh will have to improve his menswear section since it still looks a bit weak suspended as it is between corseted jackets, skinny pants or Rick Owens-like kilts.
Yet, for the time being, the most important thing is that Pugh has moved another step forward towards a much more intense exploration of fabrics and texture. Hopefully plastic has finally been left behind, after all it's difficult to achieve soft and light beauty through plasticky and inflatable designs.
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