MY TOP TEN LOOKS FROM MILAN

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

One word can sum up the entire spring/summer 2012 catwalk shows so far, and that word is optimism. Everything is bright and sunny, light and airy, jolly and upbeat, go-getting and fun. You get the picture. Yellow is the colour of Spring 2012, and if a floral print is not your thing, god help you.

The main thing about Milan, was, well it was very Italian. Molto Italiano. Looking at Pucci, Gucci, Cavalli, Dolce with their big bouncy haired models, exuberant prints and multiple-colours, there was no where else in the world you could be. And, as this is a season of optimism, the Italian designers were ten times more jolly about it than London and New York was.

Well, apart from Prada, Jil Sander, and Marni the triumverate of  thoughtful greatness that resides in the city. Without further ado, here is my top ten which veers away from that Molto Italiano vibe focusing on Fashion. Amazingly there is only one dress - its all about separates in fashion these days.

Divine Arizona Muse at Marni. Love the craft and layering.

No 21 by Alessandro dell'Acqua. All over print but done in cool way.

Sporty, youthful and feminine chic by Christopher Kane for Versus

Dolce Gabbana, just beautiful no matter how you look at it 

Pucci's only beam of cloistered purity in a show of steamy prints

Fashion's man of the moment Raf Simons at Jil Sander asked the Picasso family for permission to use this face - taken from some of the artist's pottery - for this sweater which is top of my wish list for SS12

This Jil Sander look by Raf Simons is perfection itself. Love this neon paisley.

Guipure lace embroidered coat in a colour clash last seen on my childhood duvet cover at Prada.

Prada, taking it to the limit in its uniquely cerebral way. What may jar with you now will trranslate to gold in the shops next Spring. Trust.

You can't do Milano without some Mr Lagerfeld at Fendi. This outfit is luxe and relaxed

All photos by Catwalking.com

What is your top Milan Fashion Week look and collection?

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SS12 EARLY WARNING- THE ABS ARE OUT + KINGA IS OUR PIN-UP

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Kinga Rajzak walking for Proenza Schouler SS12 (catwalking.com)

The Milan shows have only confirmed what London and New York majorly hinted at: if you want to be on trend next Summer, you're going to have to get your abs out. And for that you need to be at the very least fat free, or at the most ripped.  Our abs poster girl is Kinga Rajzak, who stole the show at Proenza Schouler with her aspirational midriff flashing and have you seen her muscle tone? Kinga's agent informs us that, contrary to appearences, the ab queen doesn't moonlight as an olympic athlete but is a gym bunny and yoga lover.

Dolce Gabbana SS12 (catwalking.com)

Dolce Gabbana SS12 (catwalking.com) 

Antonio Marras SS12 (catwalking.com)

In my own personal pursuit of midriff perfection, I have become a devotee of 8-minute abs. The video below is surely the secret weapon of fashion editors the world over. And judging by the number of views of the video in its various guises, as much as 10 million in one version, there is a kind of secret abs cult which can only grow as next year's abs reveal grows closer. Yes, it's super cheesy but if it works do we care? I guarantee you will feel completely ripped the next day and, if you manage to avoid all salt, sugar, wheat etc. then you MAY have Kinga abs by Spring.

TEDDY BOY COMEBACK FOR AW11

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Additional research by Bethan Holt

For Autumn/Winter, we will be seeing a lot of influence from the British youth subcultures of the 50s and 60s, notably Mods and Teddy Boys. So, we decided to investigate what was de rigeur for these young people seeking to break free from the wartime austerity which characterised their childhoods.

Abbey-Lee as a Teddy Girl in Dolce Gabbana AW11

First up, the Teddy Boys. These teenagers from disadvantaged areas of London are often credited as being the first to define a distinct identity for a group that weren't children, but were also not quite ready to call themselves adults. I am always keen to find a literary reference and that is easy-peasy with the Teddy Boys as their high maintenance look has roots in the dandy figure of the late-Victorian and Edwardian era, some 50 years before. In fact, the name Teddy Boy comes from this association with the Edwardian period. The poster boy for this look is the venerable Oscar Wilde whose preoccupation with velvet jackets and flamboyant buttonholes is legendary

Teddy Boys got their influence from Dandies. Their icon was Oscar Wilde. Here he is looking whimsical in the 1880s (image from www.wikipedia.com)

 The dandy attitude- placing having fun and looking pretty  above all else- provided an ideal template for the Teddy Boys. We have been hugely entertained by the brilliant names for all the elements which made up their look. The BROTHEL CREEPERS were orginally worn by soldiers fighting in North Africa in WWII and the thick crepe sole would save feet from getting burnt. Back in Blighty, they carried on wearing the army issue shoes out and about and so the creeper became the brothel creeper (we'll let you make the connection!). There is also a theory that the name comes from the creep dance which all self-respecting Teddy Boys perfected. 

Prada's flatforms for SS11 bear more than a passing resemblance to the Brothel Creeper

Doing the creep! (Photo- a 1980s teddy revival- from A30yoyo on Flickr.com)

WINKLE PICKERS provided an alternative to the brothel creeper; a sleeker option which 
has consistently survived in the mainstream (Image from http://www.riotmode.net/) How fabulous is this shot?

Also demonstrated above are the ANKLE STRANGLERS, which would be sewn in at the
bottom to create the desired effect. A coloured sock peeping out at the bottom finished
the look. Finally, the DUCK'S ARSE is probably the last thing we'd want on our head 
but this is the name given to highly sculpted, grease heavy hairstyle sported by the Teddy 
Boys. Although not exclusive to the Teddies- it was widely worn throughout the 50s , its
prevalence shown through the film which arguably epitomises the decade, Grease- it is a 
vital part of the signature look.

Elvis with his "Ducks Arse"

Here is a fascinating clip of Wayne Hemingway (of Red or Dead fame) discussing his
impressionsof the style choices of the Teddy Boys.  Key musical heroes for the 
Teddy Boys included Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, The Drifters and Cliff Richard (Never
thought you'd see his name in a fashion blog did you?). We also love the video below
of Buddy Holly, who was another key musicalinfluence on the Teddy Boys, on a 
rather prim and proper American dance show. The contrast between Buddy's rock
and roll sound and the perfectly poised ladies in the background, dressed

in their Dior 'New Look' influenced attire shows the tug between vastly different
reactions to the post-war era. Don't you think everyone should be dancing around
the background rather than standing tall, looking like puppets?!

The Teddy Boys certainly paved the way for men to become more engaged with their
fashion choices  but it wasn't just a question of style. The Teddy Boys may have been
swathed in velvet and inconveniently tight trousers on the outside, but these outfits 
were a mask for a more sinister motive. They were notorious for carrying around
knives in secret pockets of their jackets. After the release of Blackboard Jungle, they 
rioted and so the Teddy Boy name became associated just as much with violence as it
was with the seismic shift in men's attitude to fashion which they spearheaded.

Dolce and Gabbana are mostly responsible for bringing the Teddy Boy back into the
fashionconsciousness. They used velvet collars, winklepickers, coloured socks and
even a hint of a duck's arse to recreate the Teddy Boy aesthetic. Phoebe Philo also
references the subculture in her Celine Pre-Fall collection.

Dolce and Gabbana AW11

Celine Pre-Fall 11

Images courtesy of Catwalking.com and Style.com

PRADA UPDATE!!!! GOLDEN GLOBE GEEKS BRING ME GLEE AT MILAN MENS AW10

Posted by The Fashion Editor at Large

Thankyou to FOX TV, E4, and Golden Globe award winning GLEE who have provided the highlight of my weekend, a meditation on the triumph of Geeks in contemporary society and this hilariously brilliant cover of Kanye West's Gold Digger by the cast of Glee.

A small aside, but an important one. In today's popular culture being an outsider is celebrated. Not like when I was a teenager in the late eighties when being an outsider was a pretty lonely place. (No Internet just yet to connect with like-minded weirdo's and feel relatively normal). We have come a long way since then, and that makes me pretty glad for todays teenagers. Today Geeks rule the world (and they deserve the capital letter!). Look at Bill Gates (Microsoft), Larry Page or Sergey Brin  (cofounders, Google) then look at every cool boy around. Does he wear geeky specs and dress a "bit nerdy"? Yes? Of course he does - this is the most stylish look for men now because Geeks rule the world. Even the male lead of Avatar is an outsider because he is disabled. Not your average hero. A quick glance at the menswear shows taking place now in Milan and the fashion editors attending, demonstrate Geek power.

Yesterday I tuned in to watch my two Sky plussed episodes of Glee (which last night - Sunday 17th January - won a Golden Globe for best TV comedy/musical), the new American import about the geeks, outsiders, physcially impaired and outside-the-box thinkers at a high school who join what seems to be a US stalwart - the Glee Club. I think a Glee Club is a singing and dancing group that enters competitions to beat all the other local High Schools (excuse my ignorance on the matter, and correct me if I am wrong.)

I haven't had so much fun and laughed so much watching a TV show for a long time. I have now watched the first two episodes twice over, reserving particular unbridled pleasure in the Kanye Gold Digger cover above, which has had up to five viewings as of right now. I can't wait for tomorrow night (Monday 18th January) for the next episode.

PS. Watched episode THREE last night (18th Jan) and it was sooo good all three of us watching shouted "NO!" when it finished.

girls in prada aw10 pre-collection...has Mrs Prada been watching Glee too?

Rachel from Glee would look amazing in each of these ensembles. I'm in love with the pink sweater and the patterned trousers.

guys in super geeky gear saunter AW10 runway

Bottega Veneta, AW10

Burberry Prorsum, AW10

C.P Company, AW10

Roberto Cavalli, AW10

Dolce Gabbana, AW10

Prada mens had a 90's moment. They played Shakespeare's Sister as a runway sound-track.

 

Prada, AW10

Prada, AW10

Picture credits: Christopher Moore/Catwalking.com

SS10 CATWALK: INTRODUCING TRENDS THURSDAY!

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Christopher Kane incorporate lingerie detailing into his good-girl-gone-bad collection for SS10

At the end of each month of catwalk shows in February/March and September/October I come home and immediately closet myself in the study to create an enormous and comprehensive trend report. It helps focus the mind on what I've been doing for the previous few weeks. And when intensely using Chris Moore's brilliant catwalking.com you see what you missed in the flash and rush of a runway show. I love Chris.

Yesterday afternoon, while scrolling through my opus to SS10 it occurred to me that I could now serialise my trend report on FEAL. So I welcome you to the very first Trends Thursday!

I'm kicking-off with the mega-trend for lingerie, corsetry, and visible underwear. So many designers picked up on this visible/invisble, body-contouring, uber-feminine trend; each in their own unique way.  Likewise we can also adopt it in our own unique way.

So here is my personal edit. Let the pictures talk to you.

   high fashion super gorge lingerie fashion inspirations for ss10

Sophia Kokosalaki - love the way she has created the corset top with bra detail underneath. SO beautiful.

Loewe - Stuart Vevers mixed orange lace with khaki, a colour blend to take note of, methinks

Just Cavalli - who knew putting a satin bra over a tank could look so sexy.

YSL - this is demure, yet sensible and you don't need to share your midriff with the world

Ferretti - how pretty is this? The lingerie trend can be as sexy or innocent as you want it to be

Dolce Gabbana - I have seen Stefano and Domenico's corsetry up-close, and the workmanship is flawless

Justin and Thea of Preen are superb designers - I love their dresses, and this blends the corsetry theme with a light touch

Jean-Paul Gaultier - hmm. Love this shot. If I was 22 again I would wear this clubbing

The brilliant Giles Deacon corset dress - his SS10 show was my favourite EVER Giles collection. Can't wait to wear it!

Louis Vuitton - just drink in this outfit for a while....The tassled shoes, the duffel, the denim corset. It's brilliant!

 

I was lucky enough to have Antonio Berardi talk me through the making of this corset on Grazia Daily. It was created by hand and then built into the the dress. His work is exquisite and totally contemporary

Bottega Veneta - this is how I will be wearing the lingerie trend. So chic! To me it looks like a new beginning.

Christian Dior - for me John Galliano was on total form for SS10. When I saw this in the showroom, it was actually an all-in-one.

Christian Dior - another one from John. This is a dress, and when I got up-close to it, it looked like a silken treasure from the trousseau of a forties Hollywood starlet that had been re-shaped for the 21st century

Fendi - a modern way of showing the underwear trend.

Dolce Gabbana - love the way they did this play of sheer/opaque goodgirl/badgirl. Modest sexiness is where it's at

After viewing this you should be an expert, and when you see the trend highlighted in print media you can nod sagely and say "Oh yes, I know all about the lingerie trend for SS10!".

Blogging is all about comments, so don't be shy, tell Fashion Editor at Large what you think about all this....



THANKYOU TO CHRIS MOORE & CATWALKING.COM FOR USAGE OF ALL THE LOVELY CATWALK IMAGES