In the art field, copying often generates completely new and interesting experiments. Antonio Marras fully proved it when, after seeing the recent Picasso exhibition in Paris, he set down to work on his A/W 09 collection.
Sardinian Marras transferred the sculptural quality, the complex patterns and the colours - those dark and vivid greens, reds and blues - of Picasso’s “Dora Maar au Chat“ onto his designs, reinterpreting these elements in a clever way.
The first outfits in army grey and green looked strikingly linear, but, little by little, the designer introduced his trademark ruffles, precious lace inserts and beaded and appliquéd motifs.
Mid-catwalk the wartime inspirations were filtered through Spain with flaming red dresses in brocade and silk with multi-layered ruffled skirts and pinstriped matador suits.
Details were dreamily romantic with pouch pockets on military jackets decorated with delicate black lace. The catwalk finale with wardrobes that opened revealing the models hiding inside them was romantically surreal, but Marras is known for these dreamingly poetic moments.
Ter Et Bantine’s creative director Manuela Arcari focused on a modern woman who likes tailored garments, classic, minimal elegance and functionally practical clothes. Arcari came up with sensible dresses, maxi cowl-necked cardigans and woollen pants characterised by relaxed silhouettes and by a masculine cut.
There were essentially a few basic looks at Salvatore Ferragamo with cropped trousers, jackets and capes and beautiful burgundy or cream woollen dresses with gathers and draperies that formed delicate swirling motifs.
Cristina Ortiz created interesting variations on these themes, adding luxurious sleeves of fur to blouses and jackets, sculpting a sensual neckline on a dress and adding geometric inserts in jackets-cum-capes.
As a whole this was a mature collection yet it verged a bit too much towards the style of another historical fashion house, Brioni, where Ortiz worked before moving to Ferragamo.
Aquilano and Rimondi proved just a few days ago they have the necessary skills to revamp Gianfranco Ferré and at their catwalk show they also showed they are skilled tailors.
Pagoda-shoulders were back once again in dresses, jackets and coats, though there were also echoes of Schiaparelli's designs from the late 30s (anyone remembers the evening dress with shocking-pink balloon sleeves with Vertès' prints?). Unfortunately the linearity of the duo’s most sculptural and polished designs was slightly affected by their most elaborate creations. Now that they proved they can master designs that combine fur, wool, velvet and intricate beaded motifs, maybe they should focus on stripping down their creations a bit.
Leaving behind all the other designers who suggested a return to the 80s, the unfortunate decade that style forgot, Miuccia Prada went for a look that merged rustic pin-up Silvana Mangano in Bitter Rice, an amazon and a fisherman's wardrobe.
Country inspirations clashed with more urban visions, short woollen trousers were paired with soft cardigans and worn with thigh-high waders; velvets mixed with brocade, while fur and flapper leather dresses added a barbaric edge to the collection.
Thick tweed suits and boiled wool coats evoking the 40s seemed to be perfectly fashionable: we live in critical times,
Miuccia seemed to highlight, but so did women during and after the war, yet they still managed to look beautiful.
The palette featured rusty browns and blacks with bright splashes of red and, thanks to the waders, the high-heeled shoes with thick rubber soles and solid high heeled footwear
with fringed leather fans and studs, there were no more embarrassing accidents on the catwalk like last season.
Not everything that Elsa Schiaparelli did was necessarily proof of good taste, claimed Cecil Beaton, yet, he stated, the designer was still a genius. The same could be said about the late Gianni Versace, a man of great intuitions, able to produce both amazing designs and the occasional dubiously kitsch collection.
In 1989 Versace started the Versus line that was directed at the time by his sister Donatella. Four years ago the line was put on hold as Donatella focused on developing the main line of the maison.
The news that Gianni's sister was re-launching Versus with a capsule collection of footwear, handbags and jewellery designed by Christopher Kane gave endless joy to the British press. At yesterday presentation (pics will follow), Donatella told all the journalists who approached her that Kane reminded her of beloved brother Gianni and seeing the products on display nobody could actually disagree.
Silvery high-heeled sandals and clutches were decorated with big sparkling gems; straps of black leather sandals and bags were kept together by metal harness hooks, and as a whole the collection was a well-balanced triumph of kitsch and glamour, aggressively rock’n’rollish, perfectly trendy and very saleable.
Versus was recently hailed by Versace CEO Giancarlo Di Risio as an aspirational brand that will produce accessible clothes and accessories for young customers. Re-launching an old line is always a risky business, doing it in the current climate is suicidal, aiming at young people who, due to unemployment, are not able to afford it is a bit like committing harakiri. But pumped up by Kane's supporters (especially in the UK...), Versus has great potential abroad, so thumbs up to Donatella for her disgustingly clever trick of getting Kane on board.
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I'm stunned with the photos specially the high heels, it was perfectly and uniquely crafted.. cool
Posted by: Womens Hunting Clothes | March 03, 2009 at 04:20 PM