When Rei Kawakubo shows the spring/summer 2010 Comme des Garçons womenswear collection in Paris today it will mark 40 years in the fashion business. Next year, Issey Miyake follows suit and in spring 2011 the V&A in London will unveil a retrospective of Yohji Yamamoto’s work, commemorating 30 years since his first show in Paris. The middle-ageing of the triumvirate of revolutionary Japanese design is as shocking as any of their more confrontational collections; to many of their modernist followers they still seem like box-fresh radical upstarts, while for the high street they have only recently come into existence through diffusion projects with the likes of H&M and Adidas. So, four decades on, have they really revolutionised the world of fashion?

Although they were all active in Japan in the 70s (Yamamoto founded his company in 1972), it wasn’t until they all came to the prêt a porter in Paris in the 80s that they made their mark on international fashion. ‘Western fashion at the time was surprisingly conventional,’ says Claire Wilcox, one of the V&A’s key fashion curators. ‘They had a huge impact, creating a disruption of construction.’ It was the shock of the new: unstructured, deconstructed and skewed garments, the antithesis of an era defined by body hugging Alaïa and the shoulder pad. ‘Their work is about opposition to body shape,’ says Wilcox. ‘A Miyake Pleats Please dress moves in opposition to the natural form, and Kawakubo’s Bumps collection was a total distortion of the human body.’ Similarly confrontational was their absence of colour palette – everything in black.

Their arrival coincided with the formative years of some of today’s most celebrated designers. ‘I was just finishing my studies,’ recalls Ann Demeulemeester, ‘and it was a brave new step in fashion – the beginning of a new freedom for me as a designer and as a woman.’ Demeulemeester’s aesthetic has continued to work in parallel with the promise of the Japanese revolution, shunning trend, embracing the avant garde, and focusing on monochrome; ‘because like an architect, new structures are clearer in black and white.’

John Richmond and Maria Cornejo were Thatcher-era London clubland prodigies with 14 short-lived shops worldwide selling their 3D Richmond Cornejo label. Richmond continued, solo, with immense success and Cornejo recently celebrated 10 years of her New York-based Zero label, renowned for strength and purity of cut. ‘When I was growing up you couldn’t find black clothes,’ says Richmond. ‘It was only with the Japanese that black really started. I love using black because I grew up in Manchester where the light always makes colour look grim.’ For Cornejo, it was about shape and attitude: ‘They were so innovative with their cutting and they also found a way of working within the fashion system that broke new ground.’ Rick Owens, whose artful deconstruction and haute murk shares the Japanese spirit, found their outsider status as much an inspiration as their cuts: ‘For a 19 year old art student goth, it was illuminating to see that the uptight fashion world could accommodate a weirdo. If Halston gave the world the white butterfly orchid, Comme gave us black leggings.’

If they weren’t quite minimalist, their focus on volume, cut and head-to-toe black was reductionist, Zen perhaps. And there was practicality too: shove a boiled wool Comme jacket in an overhead locker for an 11 hour flight and it’ll look the same on arrival as it did on the catwalk. When Joan Burstein of Browns opened the Comme des Garçons shop in London, it attracted a loyal following of tastemakers who wanted to dress as if they were above the vulgar whimsy of fashion, and were willing to pay four figures for it. ‘It was a hard sell,’ Burstein recalls, ‘but it’s a cult.’

The Japanese sense of ‘otherness’ was accentuated by the style of their presentation – bleak catwalk shows akin to performance art. Miyake presented his ‘body sculpture’ as high art; his static Bodyworks show toured the world, and he collaborated with Irving Penn on coffee table photography books. The style world in the 80s was fascinated by the avant garde chic of all things Japanese – this was a time when David Bowie would wax lyrical about his love of sushi as if it were food from outer space – and there were clear identifiably traditional Japanese elements to Kawakubo, Miyake and Yamamoto.

‘The influence of the kimono was definitely apparent,’ says Professor Wendy Dagworthy of the RCA. ‘They took traditional dress and did it in a very modern way.’ Dagworthy believes that there has been as strong a Japanese attraction to the west as there has been a western attraction to the insider-cool of the Japanese: ‘They have a clear love of western fashion and culture. One of my favourite Yamamoto collections was in the 80s and shown as an homage to 60s Cardin; very molded with lots of holes cut out of it – the shapes were very beautiful.’ Conversely, designer Hussein Chalayan believes that the Japanese ‘at times caricature the west’.

While they have all taken cues from western arts (Kawakubo has produced collections in recent years inspired by the Rolling Stones and the Sex Pistols), there’s perhaps a darker dynamic between west and east that gives their work its edge. When I interviewed Yohji Yamamoto in Tokyo for the Financial Times two years ago, he spoke of his hatred for the westernised youth of Japan, the mega-malls in Roppongi (‘they all look like Disneyland’) and the destruction of traditional Japanese culture at the hands of the west: ‘Until the end of the 70s there were strong looking women on the streets of Omotesando, but after the early 80s they became more Americanised. To be frank, I hate it. Sometimes I’m flying to another city and I’m sitting next to a fat American guy in shorts and a T-shirt and I just… I can’t believe it.’

Japanese designers’ often aggressive sense of detachment from the west has fuelled the west’s fascination. ‘Their work has an integrity that western fashion lacks,’ says fashion author and curator Bradley Quinn. ‘Their work is more about nature than artifice.’ Hussein Chalayan agrees: ‘The most important influence on their work is the philosophy of wabi-sabi, a thesis about the beauty of the moment and the actuality of being. It is the magic of being Japanese that could never be understood by anyone but the Japanese themselves.’ Certainly austerity and asymmetry is as integral to wabi-sabi philosophy as Japanese fashion; and there’s also a recurrent sense of the rough and the organic (particularly in Miyake’s work); the glorious imperfections of nature. It’s this ‘look’ that has, perhaps, been mistaken as nihilist.

The various forays into more typically western commercial fashion territory have sometimes been uncomfortable. When Miyake launched a fragrance in 1994, it chimed as uncharacteristic and strange, as if the Miyake customer might be above something as frivolous as a perfume, but it spawned a full line of Duty Free favourites (including the latest, a scent by issey miyake, which launched in August), while Comme’s fragrance range is ever growing. When Yamamoto showed a range of Adidas trainers in 2001, it seemed shocking – two incompatible worlds colliding, like wearing Joseph Beuys’ Felt Suit to an Essex nightclub. Then a year later he launched Y-3, an immense commercial success, and sportswear and the high street didn’t seem like such distant universes anymore. ‘It makes perfect sense,’ says Claire Wilcox. ‘The sports shoe in particular is a perfect match – the very idea of high heels with Japanese fashion is ridiculous.’

The Japanese fashion revolution, from the 80s black-on-black tsunami that rocked Paris to the artful selling out into luggage and bathroom products in recent years has paved the way for a whole new generation of eastern designers, from Jun Takashi of Undercover and Junya Watanabe to Yamamoto’s daughter Limi Feu, who now sells through her father’s London shop. Meanwhile, Kawakubo, Miyake and Yamamoto continue to embrace their ‘otherness’ in Paris, far away from gauche ‘trend’. For this autumn Miyake catwalked bold geometrically patterned and pleated womenswear on four karate players, while Comme des Garcon’s Homme Plus collection riffed on dandy tailoring, bringing together pin stripe and leopard print. Yamamoto, meanwhile, presented his men as Hasidic Jews and 19^th century wild west pioneers… in pyjamas. His women’s collection was classic Yamamoto: all sleek elongated silhouettes and all black. If there’s one thing that 40 years of Japanese design has brought to the west it’s the understanding that when it comes to what shifts and what never ends up on the sale rail at the end of the season, black is always the new black.

I have nothing but great respect for the major Italian fashion houses, but it seemed like some of them were taking inspirations a little too literally.  At the beginning of the week there were lots of cowgirls and peasant-like dressed models sent down the runway, much of them not exactly “ready-to-wear.”  But by the end of the week I was really blown away by some of the collections!  There were even a number of them where I would have worn almost all of the looks, which rarely happens.  Anyway, once again, here are my faves!  (Please refer to the New York Fashion Week post for commentary on all of the trends seen here! And remember that these can all be translated to Fall!)

Trend: Cute Minis

Trend: Grecian Inspired Draping

Trend: Metallics

Love some of these textures!

Trends: Sequins & Glitter

(and shiny things!)

Trend: Jumpsuits/Rompers

Trend: Harem-like Pants

Trend: Asymmetric

Trend: Ruffles & Bows

Staple: Cool Jackets

Staple: Cute Shorts

Staple: Maxi Dresses

Staple: White Suit

Styling Trend: Strong vs. Feminine

Seen here mostly with a structured jacket over something flirty.

Styling Trend: Mixing Prints

These are the rest of my faves!

Our next and final stop is Paris!!

British designer John Richmond has been known for bringing some sex appeal and edge to his collections, and this collection was no different:

Platform sandals, sequence dresses, and boyfriend blazers. Whether you’re yacht-hopping or club-hopping, there is something in this fun, feminine and sexy collection for you. I also see he plans on bringing the thigh high boot into Spring, I’ll pass on that one…

Loving the feel of this collection! Definitely one for the party girls and the socialites.

Many a fine jeweller has looked to myth and legend for their inspiration. Van Cleef & Arpels have produced collections inspired by the fairies of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the lost city of Atlantis, while one of De Beers most recent collections, Amulets, is based on the imagery of African tribal totems. Stephen Webster, recently appointed as creative director of the Crown Jeweller Garrard, works with a very different kind of visual currency. ‘For me,’ says Webster, ‘it’s Mick Rock’s photographs of David Bowie and the Spiders from Mars in the 1970s that capture the essence of what I do.’ Webster’s work is utterly unique but also very much a part of the new school of luxury – a kind of modern luxury that looks, and feels, like classic rock and roll.

Renowned for a muscular and offbeat way with silver and diamonds, Webster’s first collection for Garrard, Fire of London, features 18ct white and yellow gold, white and black diamonds, orange sapphires, garnets and citrines all sculpted into rings, cuffs and earrings in the shape of blazing flames.  Webster’s imagery is essentially a bold but luxe redux of the skull and crossbones, and his stock in trade is jewellery that — while not exclusively for the kind of individual who fathered Garrard’s previous creative director Jade Jagger — is certainly aimed at the client who wants a little more 21^st century attitude in their jewellery box than comes with a tiara and pearl drop earrings.

If there’s any one woman who embodies that 21^st century attitude, it’s dishevelled grunge queen turned Hollywood icon Courtney Love. Love recently appeared at London-based designer Todd Lynn’s catwalk show at the Pacific Design Centre in West Hollywood and is one of his most faithful customers. She can, on occasion, rock a look that might suggest she’s appeared on the red carpet via a backwards-facing hedge, but it’s always done with confidence and sophistication. ‘She always looks fearless,’ says Lynn, who is currently working on his spring/summer 2010 collection which he says will combine ‘something slick with something tattered…  a style adjustment that fits the new world attitude.’ Suzy Menkes of the International Herald Tribune, and the world’s most powerful fashion writer, commented of his autumn/winter 2009 presentation in February: ‘This is a show that seemed modern.’

Although Lynn has designed for Marilyn Manson and Keith Richards, continues to create U2’s tour wardrobe and cites as influences ‘The Cramps and Sisters of Mercy’, his collections combine leftfield edge with a sense of things haute and a wearability. He’s a sharp tailor, first and foremost, and works almost exclusively in monochrome. There are often black leather or fur touches, and there’s an obvious toughness to his work, but at the heart of his collections there is often The Perfect Black Jacket, or the most wonderful 21^st century Power Suit, all catwalked on custom made Louboutin heels. The quality of his menswear and womenswear, assured by top-level factory production in France and extremely limited runs (each item is numbered), is near couture standard.

Fashion and rock culture have, since the 50s, made for a passionate, if rowdy, bonding. In recent years the American designer John Varvatos has used leftfield rock stars (Franz Ferdinand, Ryan Adams and Cheap Trick) in the ad campaigns for his pared down, contemporary tailoring. Last winter’s Comme des Garçons Homme Plus collection was themed on the Sex Pistols, borrowing from a punk history that had already fused Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm Mclaren’s early sartorial exploits with the sounds of the Silver Jubilee. For this spring, rap star Kanye West collaborated with Louis Vuitton’s menswear designer, Paul Helbers, to launch a range of single-coloured sports shoes geared towards the Miami lounge bar more than the tennis court.

Other designers who are consistently inspired by rock style but interpret it in a very grown up, luxury, wearable way include Paula Thomas of Thomas Wylde, and John Richmond. For this summer Thomas showed soft layered dresses reminiscent of Ossie Clark, but with a skull print in the chiffon and press stud shoulders – feminine but dramatic. John Richmond started out in the 80s as one half of the wild, Taboo-era label Richmond Cornejo, and now shows his own label men’s and women’s collections in Milan. His palette, like those of Lynn and Thomas, includes lots of black. ‘I come from Manchester where everything is dark anyway,’ he says. ‘Versace grew up in Mediterranean light so colours look wonderful, but to me colour looked grim.’ Richmond, one of Stephen Webster’s favourite designers, describes himself as a ‘frustrated musician’, and takes most of his inspiration from ‘glam rock and punk.’ ‘Seeing David Bowie on Top of the Pops was like Paul on the road to Damascus,’ he says. His collections feature whisper-thin, angular noir sur le noir suits, but there are also sensual draped and folded liquid-silhouette evening dresses and gold sequin shifts – echoes of the glam rock of the 70s that offset the darker rock and roll era of CBGB and assorted fatalities within the confines of the Chelsea Hotel in New York City.

Rock and roll luxe blends together the magpie with the goth. Damien Hirst’s For the Love of God, a now iconic human skull covered with diamonds valued at £12mn, is a paradigm of the style: outre; dark and expensive. Frivolous too. It doesn’t so much flirt with bad taste as lift up its skirt and goose it.

It’s also a style that’s crossed from fashion into interiors. The bedrooms at Sanctum, the Soho boutique hotel opened earlier this year by music manager Mark Fuller, feature a mix of plush dark textiles and lurex-like flash details, including door handles encrusted with crystal. Room service includes amps and guitars. Fuller believes that rock and roll style isn’t so much a ‘look’ as a ‘state of mind.’ ‘I think rock and roll is what you feel,’ he says. ‘Sanctum is a hybrid of the best hotels in the world, including the Mondrian in Los Angeles, which is entirely white, so not what you could imagine as being rock and roll. But you have to couple it up with the social side of things, which is why there’s a hot tub for 8 people on the roof of Sanctum. It’s about hedonism.’

After Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood – who knows a thing or two about hedonism – left his wife Jo last year, Jo decided to launch a wedding business in the ample back garden of their rambling gothic Richmond Park mansion, Holmwood. She also set up a pop-up restaurant in her dining room with the not so much arresting as banged-to-rights name of Mrs Paisley’s Lashings. She announced that it would run through the mid-summer months, with a menu by Arthur Potts Dawson of Acorn House. Wood’s pop-up enterprise was intended to echo her main business, the Jo Wood Organics cosmetics range – the 21^st century rock chic doesn’t OD and nod off, she has an organic allotment and the keenest business sense.

Most guests booking for an evening of Mrs Paisley’s Lashings were, of course, primarily interested in a poke around Holmwood. A visit reveals a classic rock star pile: vast velvet sofas; wood panelled rooms and hallways; scores of oil paintings; suits of armour and a snooker room lined with gold discs aplenty. ‘That’s a Grayson Perry above the bar,’ says Jo, gesturing to a panoramic framed sketch above the fully stocked centre of the saloon. ‘It was a gift from Mick.’ Holmwood is a prime example of a shamelessly louche aesthetic that implies many a visit to an auction house or Clignancourt with a ‘fuck it, I’ll take the lot’ attitude, and a bank balance to match. It’s the kind of house that demands a party, which is another aspect of rock and roll luxe. It may be brash at times, but it’s certainly out for a good time.

There is a part of the new, post-maximilast tendency in interiors that embraces those good times, even if they’re apparently in short supply elsewhere. Mogul, a design company based in Los Angeles, has recently carved a niche for providing ‘fashion for your home’, and the brand’s aesthetic is absolutely in tune with the likes of Holmwood – particularly the Mogul Rock and Roll Bed, with a huge hooded headboard in distressed black leather with Chesterfield-style buttoning. Elsewhere there are sofas with Italianate chrome backs and a dramatic, perhaps even demonic, finely crafted black leather canopy chair with a carved skull at the top of its frame; a piece of furniture that would be splendid as a single dark accent in a space with theatrical scale.

Not all rock and roll interiors are so obvious. Molteni & C Dada, the Italian furniture company which started out life 45 years ago with a selection of Aldo Rossi pieces and now showcases designs by Jean Nouvel at its recently opened flagship stores in London and New York, launched a range of textile pieces with Vivienne Westwood last year. Westwood’s Squiggle print, which has also been used to great effect by the Rug Company on its products, appears on their Freestyle sofa, Glove chair, Domino pouf and on two sizes of cushion, in five different colourways. It’s an elegant, graphic print, inspired in part by the luxury-infatuated French Merveilleuses, but it has a darker, subcultural rock pedigree: the print was launched as part of the Pirates collection, Westwood and McLaren’s first real London catwalk presentation in 1981 under their World’s End label. Although it was a billowing, new romantic U-turn from their previously spiky punk work, it was still fashion for the young and the wildly rebellious; the pair were dressing the same urchins – or at least those that had survived the 70s – but in different clothes.

Just as Westwood’s work passed from underground to overground, so the late Stephen Sprouse – famed for dressing Blondie and the Warhol set – took his fluoro and graffiti style into interiors. Before his untimely death in 2004, he produced a range of textiles for Knoll, including Techno Tweed and a variety of prints based on the dayglo Warhol camouflage patterns he’d used for his mens- and womenswear previously. They are still available today – all of the seating at the rooftop lounge at the LES hotel in New York, which opened at the end of last year, is covered in the orange Graffiti Camo print – and earlier this year Jeffrey Deitch staged a retrospective of Sprouse’s work in fashion and on canvas at his SoHo New York gallery. At the same time as the Deitch Projects show, Louis Vuitton debuted a limited edition collection featuring Sprouse’s distinctive scrawl, which sold out within days.

The overgrounding of rock and roll style, an inherently underground movement, continues apace. It’s now a part of the fabric of modern luxe. As Stephen Webster says, ‘The luxury consumer in the 21st century tends to make more emotional choices that fit with their own lifestyle rather than wanting something because it is expensive or an investment. My “rock and roll” pieces sell well as they tend to make an emotional connection with our customers.’

If further evidence was needed, it was seen at the Governors Ball at the White House in February. The First Lady, Michelle Obama, made an entrance wearing a just-the-safe-side-of-avant-garde jumble of pearls by Tom Binns, a rock and roll jeweler through and through who started his career with the aforementioned McLaren and Westwood in London and whose last collection included a necklace with faux pearls and gold tone safety pins called Rhythm of Cruelty. With tough times ahead and ‘a new world attitude’ in place, it seems only fitting that there’s a bit of rock and roll style and spirit in the White House.

STOCKISTS/CONTACTS

www.garrard.com

www.jowoodorganics.com

www.johnrichmond.com

www.johnvarvatos.com

www.knoll.com

www.louisvuitton.com

Mogullife.com

www.molteni.it

www.sanctumsoho.com

www.stephenwebster.com

www.therugcompany.info

thomaswylde.com

www.toddlynn.com

www.tombinnsdesign.com

www.viviennewestwood.com

I so wanted to be in Milano right now! On june 20th will happen the super event Milano Moda – International Fashion Show 2009. Just have a look in which brands are gonna be there:

Giorgio Armani, Gianni Versace, Roberto Cavalli, John Richmond, Blumarine, Luisa Beccaria, Byblos, Diesel, Dsquared2, Salvatore Ferragamo, Gianfranco Ferrè, Krizia, Iceberg, Laura Biagiotti, Frankie Morello, Aquilano e Rimondi, Ermanno Scervino, Vivienne Westwood, Missoni.

It will have also place for the new designers: Federico Sangalli, Andres Caballero, Leitmotiv, Gilda Giambra, a.VE ante vesperum edicta, Chicca Lualdi, Carlotta Danti and Andrea Turchi.

If you are in Milano or will be there on the 20th, pleaseee, don’t miss it!!!

Here is one of the shoe styles from John Richmond’s collection. Mr. Richmond started his collection in 1982 after graduating from Kingston University at London in 1982. The label expanded when he partnered with Saverio Moschillo in 1995 by taking advantage of Moschillo’s global distribution network and the production of his line at Falber Confezioni.

As sequelas do catastrófico terremoto acontecido na região de Abruzzo, na Itália, estão sendo minimizadas de diversas formas, ao menos no sentido material. O país têm realizado diversas iniciativas e uma delas partiu da Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana.

Do site:  Fashion Times

“Iniciativa Camera Moda: 29 de abril vendas a favor de Abruzzo

Boa resposta das casas de moda que aceitaram a iniciativa do Conselho Diretivo da Camera de Moda, ao dedicar uma jornada de solidariedade a favor dos atingidos pelo terremoto em Abruzzo. Muitas casas de moda entraram em consenso, aderindo ao projeto que irá destinar, através da Proteção Civil Nacional, uma contribuição de 5% do valor das vendas do dia 29 de abril de 2009. Nomes das prestigiosas marcas que aderiram à iniciativa: ALBERTA FERRETTI, ANTEPRIMA, BALLY, BIAGIOTTI, BLUGIRL, BLUMARINE, BOTTEGA VENETA, BRUE’, CALVIN KLEIN, CANALI, CIT/BAGUTTA, COCCINELLE, ETRO, FENDI, GATTINONI, GUCCI, ICEBERG, JOHN RICHMOND, LITRICO ALTA MODA, MELEGARI&COSTA, MISSONI, MOSCHINO, PHILOSOPHY DI ALBERTA FERRETTI, POLLINI, POLO RALPH LAUREN, PUCCI, SALVATORE FERRAGAMO, VICINI. “

Tradução, grifos e links: fashionzzz!

Black is and will always be perfect and modern. It comes back again and again, no matter it’s summer or winter, this classic and seductive colour is always suitable!

Of course we will find it in this spring and summer collection as well. Mostly as dresses, short or long, doesn’t really matter as long as they are sensual. Like the creations of John Richmond who chooses a very rocky but still elegant style. The top designer’s glamorous dresses are partly made in sheer fabrics partly full of pearls and decoration which together creates an ideal style for summer nights. The style is somehow provocative but still very delicate!

For a more classic black look Valentino is just right, who remains simple but still very feminine.

Fendi with its this year fashionable surrealistic and odd style, is perfect for you who desire a stronger black look!

Suitable black accessories…

<–Available at Giglio.com

           Available at Giglio.com–>          

The Classic black and white style is always in fashion, more than ever for evening activities were charm and sophistication is a must! Like this John Richmond combination of black and white you can see below…

Black stands for elegance while white stands for harmony and purity. The result, of combining these two opposites, is stunning, stylish and absolutely marvelous!

Valentino for this spring and summer collection put together black and white and creates both elegant dresses with particularities both soft joyful shirts with decoration like hundreds of butterflies flying over the body of who wears it.

Black and white python printed leather shoes available at giglio.com

When Dr. Marten shoe brand asked several artists to redesign the original 1460 boot, this is what they all came up with. Needless to say if these were put in production I would buy them all…

Enjoy my favorites…

Betty Jackson

Edian Ronay

Elspeth Gibson

Fake

Heatherette

John Richmond

Preen

Scott Henshall

Vivienne Westwood

all images: www.1460boots.com

This Week everyone’s eyes are at Milan. That is where the Fashion Week takes place.

It is not hard to see where Dolce & Gabbana found their inspiration for this collection -the dining room, combined with the living room. It sure gives a different, new look but is it that cool to walk around with a curtain tassel swinging from your hair? If you want to emulate a doll, you have found the perfect touch. According to me, is not the creation above totally successful. The best parts are the stylish bag and the outstanding skirt with perfect matching belt. From there, my interest is gone. The t-shirt looks very simpel with a skirt like that and the green curtain tassel gets too much, that it looks just silly. The scarf is matching to the belt, but it is hard to see what is so special about it makes the model’s neck looks short.

What would have made the creation complete had been a careful designed blouse in wine-red, navy, dark orange or dark green. It would have created a great contrast to the soft colour of the skirt. It would have been even better if the blouse had a long neck that had lengthen the models neck and given her the quality she deserved with that mervellous skirt. If you think it seems like I do not like this creation, I can let you know that I like this the most.

Finally, to comment something besides the creation, look how sick the model seems to be. Will not the days of anorectic models soon be over? It is about time!

To take a look at some of Dolce & Gabbana’s creations from the Fashion Week fall/winter 09/10, visit:

China Daily: D&G F/W women\’s collection at Milan Fashion Week

The rest of Dolce & Gabbana’s collection is much more impressive with powerful colours like gold and pink in fabrics like satin and silk. To see the rest of Dolce & Gabbana’s collection and creations by brands like Fendi, DSquared2, Max Mara, John Richmond and Pollini, visit:  Elle: Milan Fashion Week fall/winter 09/10

Dress by DSquared2

U. Logardt

John Richmond

Jean-Paul Gaultier

Lanvin

Miharayasuhiro

Missoni

Ralf Simons

Trussardi 1911

Yohji Yamamoto

Yves Saint Laurent 

Related post / Autre article: Look books Men’s collection Fall-Winter 2009/2010 (A to J)

It’s the end of the S/S09 as we know it, and I feel fiiiiiiiine. Alright, capping off this fabulous season of fashion, I’m gonna hit you with some accent seams, a military vibe, and some things that just made me laugh. Alright so kicking it off are the accented seams!

Now, for the most part these are self-explanatory and if you’ve read from the beginning, or at least close to the beginning, you probably already noticed that some of these have already shown up in other posts of mine. Kicking it off here we have a great jacket from Belstaff. I like how the seams are almost like an extension from the pants to the jacket in texture and note how the pockets on either side are also the same fabric as well. This is a demonstration of a more subtle form of the accented seams as a lot of them are much more noticeable. Then, we’ve got two from CNC Costume National. In the first one, the shirt is the one that’s obviously done with accented seams, but also the zippers on the gray jacket. On the black jacket in the second from CNC, I really like the white edging around the buttons. I like the jacket even without that, but I felt like that was a really cool touch that CNC added to that. Following CNC we have three looks from D&G. In the first I really like that gray shine texture on the breast of jacket. Again it’s more subtle, but don’t worry if you want it in your face D&G hits you with the next one. You cannot escape the white breast on the black coat here along with the accents on the pockets and (it’s hard to see) the white seam up the outer seams of the pants. This one is a lot like the the last one D&G, but they toned it down slightly with a white edging all around the edges of the jacket here including the chest pocket and the sleeves. Moving on to something completely different and much more retail, we have a look from the Gap. The edging is on the lighter side, but if you were to wear your polo open you could see these white stripes up the inside of polos where the buttons are and the white collar on polo. I’ll definitely be watching the Gap website to see when that comes out and what other colors they provide. The last one in this group that I just adored was this coat from Gaspard Yurkievich. I really like that blue tartan pattern and then to cap it off you’ve got the black around the edges. I thought it was just a killer concept that somebody in SL should make.

Omg! How did more Iceberg get in there? I have no idea. This shirt is awesome. Cool, casual, and comfortable. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again…I could live in Iceberg. Moving right along (footloose and fancy free) is this fantastic sweater from Marithe + Francois Girbaud. I love the colors on it and those shorts are pretty great too. They both really work together very well. Next up we’ve got a great thin black jacket from Michael Kors. It’s very much like something you would see Kanye wearing and it actually touches on the upcoming military-inspired section coming up. The big pockets in the front are cut military style. Finishing it up here Roberto Cavalli and Versace throw their hats into the ring on the accented seams. Roberto Cavalli hits it with a navy coat and cream accents to match up with with the pants, whereas Versace hits it with a little piping around the edges of the black jacket.

Still marching its way onto the runways is the military-inspired clothing and I’ve got 4 looks here for you. The first is a great all cream look from Belstaff. I really like the pockets and the fabric on that look. It’s definitely your light and comfortable military look for spring. Then, we have more of a contemporary runway version of the military look from D&G. The all black with white buttons is a superb piece. High shine on the boots and military colors reign over this look from rag & bone. Finishing this off in the main color of Spring/Summer 09 is a military-inspired piece from Versace. I really like this jacket and the pockets angled in is a great touch.

Finishing it off we have some things that I just could not hold myself back from laughing at. I know the designers chose these items and models for specific artistic reasons, but sometimes they just go a little too far. In the first pic we have a white trash Easter play. The second gives a model that looks like he rolled out of his cardboard box. The third just made me think of LL Cool J’s “Rock the Bells”…LL Cool J is hard as hell! Battle anybody I don’t care who you tell! I excel! They all fail! I’m gonna crack shells! Double L must rock the bells! The next could have joined Paul Blart in the Mall Cop movie. Again, DSquared2 hits us with some classic Run DMC. Finally, if you ever need a place to hide your sultan sword, remember that your hair or a do-rag on your head are perfectly good places to hide.

Alright, that wraps up all of my Spring/Summer 09 coverage. I just looked at the website that I used to look at all of these images and the 2009 Fall RTW Menswear images are up to 2,441…Again I will sift and inform, but next time it won’t be as close to the season as this time. Hard drive crashes when you’ve already completed your entire pull of images blow…Thanks for reading everybody and stay fashionable!

Okay let me preface this with the fact that I know absolutely minimal information about what the buzz is about trends in S/S09 Menswear. I went through all of the images and just sort of picked out the looks that I liked and some of the trends that I picked up on. I assure you that there are probably a ton of trends that I missed because, as I said, I’m not exactly sure what to look for. A few of the things that I noticed are: vertical, diagonal, and horizontal stripes (I’m partial to the diagonal), military styles are around though less prominent, big buttons on sweaters, and a lot of contrasting colors on the seams/around the edges. I also realize the the Fall/Winter 09 shows have already kicked off in Milan, which prompted me to get my bootay into gear and get this post done. A lot of these images are going to require a closer look to see what I’m talking about, but I’ll touch on some of my favorite things. The categories I’ve put these in are Casual, Dressy Casual, Suits, Accented Seams, Military, Stripes, and last but certainly not least Craziness. Simply because of the sheer size of this, I’m going to break this up into smaller posts on specific sections. So let’s kick this off with the Casual:

I’ll touch on some of my favorites in these shots. Starting it off from agnes b, I was really liking how she used the green-patterned shirt underneath the jacket. It really made that look pop and jump out at me. Next, the innovative zippers by Emporio Armani really gave a basic leather jacket that little bit extra. Note the nice shine texture to the pants as that’s still around. Now, like the agnes b look, the Evisu look here with the nice lure on the sweater and the green underneath that jumps out. Great for sitting on the dock of the bay…I hope that’s a Snoopy fishing rod. The main piece of the Hermes shot that I liked was mainly to show the strappy sandals. I saw a lot of strappy sandals and you can actually pick up a pair of excellent strappy sandals from J’s called the J’s Men’s Belt Sandals. They feature a set of prim toes for you to adjust to your skin color. They’re only L$280 for 6 different colored straps. Last on this image, but starting off the next one, are some of my favorites from Iceberg. I can 100% honestly say that if I could live in the menswear of any designer it would be Iceberg. Perry Ellis is a close second, but Iceberg really just hits me hard. I pulled off a lot of images from them.

As I said before, Iceberg Iceberg Iceberg, love it! The next 4 shots after Iceberg feature something to watch on the runways that I didn’t pick up initially, but notice how they all have the rolled cuffs. I also really really like that Lanvin sweater with the elbow patches. It takes something that naturally would feel very old school, but brings it up to that next level. Also note the diagonal stripes on the tie. The Kris Van Assche shot mainly demonstrates what I’d love to see in a bold pair of boardshorts in SL. The two Lacoste shots were just really excellent pieces. Just looking at them makes me feel calm, cool, and collected (like the Eugene song). The Lanvin shot is also in there as another reference to those strappy sandals.

The third and final collection of casual attire starts with a really really cool tee. I love how the electricity of the blue and red of the graphic play off of each other with the stark contrast of the dark gray tee. Despite the fact that this guy reminds me of Animal from the Muppets, his look, as well as the three from Perry Ellis, really hits the same spot as the Lacoste looks before. I love the Roberto Cavalli look there. It’s almost like something you would wear on a cross-country trek. Rock & Republic bring back the acid washed jeans in skinny style. I’m not a big skinny jean fan because of A) a little tight RL and B) there’s no way that they’d work on my bigger more athletically-shaped av. I love the stark contrast that the jeans provide in this look. Simply as an FYI Audrina Patridge, of The Hills “fame”, is in a new ad for Divine Rights of Denim in acid-washed jeans…I have a feeling they might be on their way back. Again, here we have the strappy sandals on the Salvatore Ferragamo look and really liking that sweater.

I think a lot of these could be implemented into SL. And that’s not saying, “DESIGNERS GO COPY THESE” because everybody has their own flavor that bring to the table. I think these would be some nice spices to add to your recipes is all. Alright the first one is down. Coming up tomorrow, I’ll give you my picks on the Dressy Casual looks and Suits that I’m really feeling.

milan menswear fashion week may have just passed by in incredibly quick succession (4 days!) but it still had a lot to say.

if it’s anything we’ve learnt, it’s that there are hard times ahead.

(left to right : prada fw 09, bottega fw 09, burberry prorsum fw 09)

like i predicted in my “2008 in review” entry, blacks, greys and neutrals ruled the runway – painting a picture of sombre dedication and silent manhood. most designers tried to play with silhouettes or shapes or little details (prada’s cohesive collection, if a little basic, played with studded details). everything was meant to be more practical. all-purpose coats, self-shine shoes, work-to-play shirts. etc. such conflict and purpose within each item. i particularly love the oversized prada bag (featured above) which functions as a work-briefcase, a day bag and a travel bag all at once.

it’s what we probably would call “Recession Chic”. lots of things were really really cute, just not particularly exciting or dramatic. nothing opulent.

highlights for me begin with Alexander Mcqueen’s amazing victorian inspired collection.

(alexander mcqueen fw 09)

people often forget that mcqueen is one of the best tailors and patternmakers of the 21st century. this collection allowed him to express his avant-garde vision whilst remaining relevant and not-costumey. obviously if you wear and style these pieces the way they went down the runway you’d look a little crazed, but his pieces are still so mysteriously masculine. strangely seductive collection i must say. wearablity is questionable but still. fierce.

(jil sander fw 09)

i also give raf simons props for his Jil Sander collection. i always love the structured pieces of jil sander, the construction and minimalism is so beautiful and xyse. this time raf was really in his element. the colour hues he played with were still muted but well matched, such that the drama was present but not overwhelming. still sobriety was the backdrop of the ever minimalist brand.

(john richmond fw 09)

the john richmond collection was also very cool. he pretty much stayed to black and brown, but there was a glam-rock practicality to his designs. the aesthetic was very urban-harsh but the effect was still that the clothes were soft and accessible at the same time. i die for the coats.

the collection that really rebelled within the Recession Chic mode was Iceberg. iceberg has been around for years and it’s always marched to it’s own beat. this time, they played around with colour, particularly the colour (other than black,grey and neutrals) that seems to rule 2009. blue. prints were cartoony but very well designed. such a fun sensibility despite the overtones of black and grey.

(iceberg fw 09)

i love the kidult-esque outfits and the wonderful knitwear. which isn’t surprising since iceberg started out as a knitwear company before going fullon into fashion.

all in all though, fall/winter 09 doesn’t strike me as particularly fun. there are definitely classic pieces in the collection, but i love myself a little drama in what i wear. not over the top, but still a presence. but i guess fashion and the world can’t possibly accommodate the frivolous requests of man anymore. we have to wear what we wear because we have to wear it now. the utilitarian movement.

and we better be happy doing it.

the designer that perhaps best summed up fall/winter for men was Thom Browne. the american designer’s first time in milan saw him doing a collection-installation.

40 models. identical suits (very sexy. signature grey shrunken thom browne suits with a camel-toned overcoat). walk in. remove coats. sit. type.

go.

More after the jump……

{source}

-MP

Ogni anno Sergio Valente organizza una raccolta fondi destinata ad una buona azione, quest’anno all’Ospedale Pediatrico Bambin Gesù, attraverso la manifestazione “Il Natale dei 100 Alberi d’Autore”, che vede designer e nomi noti dello spettacolo, adoperarsi a realizzare alberi di natale personalizzati. Quest’anno l’iniziativa è giunta alla sua quindicesima edizione e fra gli alberi realizzati spicca, come sempre, quello di Agatha Ruiz de la Prada che attinge dalle sue collezioni iper colorate e stravaganti, creando un albero in velluto e lurex.

Fra i nomi che hanno preso parte all’iniziativa:

PRADA, ALBERTA FERRETTI, ANNA FENDI, BLUMARINE, BORSALINO, DAMIANI, DIEGO DOLCINI, DIRK BIKKEMBERGS, DSQUARED2, GIAMBATTISTA VALLI, GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI, GUCCI, HOGAN, JOHN RICHMOND, L’AURA, ESTÉE LAUDER, LA PERLA, LOVE THERAPY BY ELIO FIORUCCI, MARTA MARZOTTO, PAUL SMITH, RENÈ CAOVILLA, ROBERTO CAVALLI,
ROCCOBAROCCO,  SALVATORE FERRAGAMO, SEDUZIONI DIAMONDS BY VALERIA MARINI, SIMONETTA, STAR CHICH by SIMONA VENTURA, TOD’S, VALENTINO…

Autore: Sonia Grispo

Es ist vollbracht, all (my) votes have been counted und ich sage “Ciao, Milano, wir sehen uns im Sommer wieder” … Aber zuvor:

Beste Kollektion(en) – Gesamt:
Gucci & Jil Sander

Beste Kollektion(en) – Business/Formal:
Moschino & Ermenegildo Zegna

Beste Kollektion – Casual:
Emporio Armani & Vivienne Westwood

Beste Show-Inszenierung(en):
Etro (auch schönstes Rot!) & Dsquared²

Beste Location(s):
John Varvatos, Les Hommes & Belstaff

Beste Musik:
Burberry & Versace

Beste Models:
Giorgio Armani

Bestes Fingerfood:
Brioni

Bestes Give-away:
John Richmond (iPhone-Hülle)

Beste (und einzige) Party:
Diesel Store Opening

Quelle: 28 besuchte Schauen & Präsentationen. Und meine Meinung