Yves St. Laurent Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2012

Stefano Pilati kept it clean and classic for YSL ss2012. He started with impeccable tailored suits in navy where the message was in the details of lapels, cut and fabrics. Then he switched to sportswear inspired items all in white followed by a selection of experimental safari-inspired outfits in khaki.

It all resulted in military-style jackets, double-breasted coats and funnel-necked shirts. Large cargo pockets were placed  on pants, and curved all the way around the back of blazers. Safari jackets are all over the runways, and of course Pilati did not miss a chance to use an iconic YSL style.

Giorgio Armani Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2012

The Giorgio Armani ss2012 show had a lot of ingredients that popped up in other shows this week which set the mood for next spring. First of all the color blue, then the new suit with wider pants and longer jackets, followed by the short (motor)jacket and the return of sportswear. The only thing we missed were the bold prints and colors – but these don’t belong to the image of Armani. Well, except for the checkboard-print we noticed at some knitwear and shirts.

Versace Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2012

It looks like it’s time for a true, classic Versace revival. Not only because of the Versace-inspired show of D&G, also because of the ss2012-collection Donatella Versace sent out yesterday AND the news that she is signed on to be Swedish fashion giant H & M annual guest designer. The collection -launched at nov. 17th in 300 shops around the world – will look back at the Versace-heritage with lots of leather, color, prints and vivacity. For the first time there also will be a small home-collection. Donatella was wearing one of the dresses yesterday when she entered the catwalk after the show.

Maybe that explains the ss2012 collection, full with old fashioned versace-prints, play-boys, and suits that closed low to emphasize the torso. Other elements of those heydays were the baroque-print and lots of buckles.  The swirling curlicues that were a Gianni signature reappeared  in black and white, across jeans and silky blousons, decorating the bath-robes that were once every well-dressed pool’s accessory of choice, and as the tone-on-tone pattern on a sheer mesh shirt. The buckles decorated leather trouser legs, and as closings for jackets.  Colors varied from chrome yellow, grass green, cobalt, hot pink and vermilion.

Here’s the official announcement of the Versace for H&M collection:

 

Roberto Cavalli Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2012

It was the first time Roberto Cavalli’s son Daniele Cavalli had some influence on the menswear-collection. His father asked him to add some youthful juice to the line. He presented an almost clean collection, where blue-tones and white played a central role plus some bold colors. The show was a romantic take on Riviera summers with influences from all over the world. Instead of playboys in flirty clothes came men dressed smart casual in natty blazers, suits in vivid fuchsia, yellow or purple/blue, and jackets with inserts of python.It seemed the young designer wanted to do a very good job, not too cool and hip.

And somehow it worked out fine, to be honest: it was better than all the rock ‘ roll, Jim Morrison meets Mick Jagger inspired Cavalli-collections we’ve seen in the past seasons. Although it lacked a bit of irony.

The most Gaga-worthy outfits for SS2010

There’s no doubt Lady Gaga’s success has something to do with the way she dresses. From day one she has looked out of the ordinary with her structured creations, body-exposing outfits and crazy headgear. She has been wearing those extreme designer outfits no one dares to wear in public and therefore she’s always in the news…

We’ve seen Lady Gaga in Armani prive, Gareth Pugh, Jeremy Scott, Chanel and Hussein Chalayan to name a few. The pop-diva has also worn some Viktor & Rolf creations before. The Dutch designers even got to make an outfit for Gaga’s video Telephone. But apart from all those designs, we think there are many more looks that would get Lady Gaga’s approval.

Out of all the spring/summer fashion shows we selected the most Gaga-worthy outfits. Those pieces mostly have crazy shapes, they show a lot of skin and several times they go with an eye-catching headpiece.

We selected multiple black body-revealing dresses with cut-outs, wholes and tears all over them (Asish, Byblos, Julian Macdonald, Mark Fast).

We picked out over the top hats from Aguggini (large with zebra-print), Jean Paul Gaultier (blue with Napoleon shape), Givenchy (shape of a lamp shade) and Watanabe (strange kind of turban).

We chose for two designs with accentuated shoulders. At Ilincic the shoulders were huge and made out of feathers, at Todd Lynn they resembled shark fins.

The opted for the Giles dress because of the big spiders and we picked Julian Macdonald’s dress because of the scales. Alexander McQueen’s outfits need no explanation; Gaga has already worn one of those (incl. the crazy shoes) in her video Bad Romance and we think Gaga would actually love to wear all of his designs.

Unfortunately Gaga’s on-and-off boyfriend Matthew Williamson didn’t design anything kinky that that would suit her. Yet we think there’s more than enough to choose from for the 23-year old singer. And if she doesn’t find the right outfit, she can always ask a designer to make one for her. Cause designers understand that Lady Gaga wearing one of your outfits is good publicity and they’ll do anything to make that happen.