Jil Sander Catwalk Fashion Show SS2011

Set in an old park in the hills of Florence, Raf Simons sent out an energetic menswear-collection for Jil Sander thanks to the beautiful bright colors and vibrating stripes. I watched the Web stream – but even without being there the clothes looked crispy and clean and very upbeat. Color was the message, without trying too hard. They worked best when mixed together, like orange pants with a turquoise sweater or a purple coat mixed with pink, turquoise and nightblue. The patterns were surprising too, especially the multi-colored stripes that made a psychedelic effect and will definitely be adapted in the fast fashion-collections. Softer were the flowerprints, that gave a particular touch to the vibrant color-blocking.

The collection consisted of shorts (as seen in many other collections), casual jackets, shirts, trenchcoats and belts which gave  it all a sporty touch. Nice details: the reflecting spots at the back of jackets and the colored soles of the shoes.

Let’s hope men will catch up with it, at least with a  colorful shirt or coat – it will definitely make the sun come out.

Versace Catwalk Fashion Show SS2011

Many pale, young male models walked in Versace’s rockabilly-inspired fashion show today. Their eye-catching hairdo’s, tight-fitting clothes and small silver necklaces gave them an absolute edgy look. They looked tough, like you wouldn’t want to mess with them.

The fact that they had to wear the most psychedelic (printed and sleeveless) blouses seemed to make them even more aggressive. But we can understand that. Donatella came up with the strangest graphic prints for those blouses. She introduced those as a tribute to the iconic images Bruce Weber made in the 80’s.

Like today at Calvin Klein all blouses were fully buttoned. So that might just become one of the new trends for next year. Apart from the blouses, Donatella designed many tight suits with rolled up legs and leather jackets with fringes.

Towards the end some printed beachwear was shown. Not in color, but in black & white, like the biggest part of the collection. But the absence of color didn’t bother us, Donatella’s prints were already spectacular enough!

Dolce & Gabbana Catwalk Fashion Show SS2011

Dolce & Gabbana keep on celebrating their 20th anniversary with memorable events. Not only a cocktail and exhibition in the Palazzo Marino (City Hall) in the centre of Milan, but also with great theatrical fashionshows. The shows not only tell the story of their roots, but also of their creativity and passion.

Today’s menswearshow was all about passion and drama. The duo took inspiration from their beloved Sicily, especially from the fishermen. They took their simple, but inventive way of clothing – pants held together by a rope, fishnet-shirts, simple linen suits, sandals and shorts – and translated that in a casual, relaxed collection with white, black and sand as their main colors. I’m sure there was something for actor Morgan Freeman or Matthew McConnaughey who were attending the show.

But the most dramatic part was the performance of singer Annie Lennox. Dressed in a  huge ballgown she played the piano and acted like a real diva. Her voice sounded better than ever and she sang her evergreens passionately.

Calvin Klein Catwalk Fashion Show – SS2011

Today’s Calvin Klein collection had an overall sporty vibe to it. This was visible through all kinds of aspects, like the hi-tech sneakers, the sweaters, the belly-exposing tops and jackets, the many zippers, the (partly visible) Calvin Klein logo and the sunglasses hanging on cords.

The many suits Italo Zucchelli came up with weren’t necessarily very sporty, yet they felt quite modern. Zucchelli once said ‘I no longer believe there is a fabric that’s wrong for making a suit. You could use material designed for tents and make a spectacular suit out of it.’ And so he did. Leather, silk, satin, he used almost any fabric for his slim-fit suits. Overall they looked very shiny and smooth. And the turquoise, the beige, the light grey and the blues appeared to be a good mix of colors.

In between the slick suits and sporty jackets some models in ultra-tight swim-shorts passed by to the sound of Lou Reed’s Walk on the Wildside.

The old-fashioned, fully buttoned blouses, the glossy suits and the belly-exposing tops might not be a huge hit in stores next summer, but overall the show was fun to watch. So we’re sure the people watching the show on LED screen at the Piazza del Duomo in Milan had a great time tonight.

Gareth Pugh Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2010

Gareth Pugh may have used a softer approach for his fall/winter collection, his models – with black sprayed foreheads – looked as Gothic as they ever did. They wore heavy, stiff, leather designs and some transparent pieces. Many clothes were pointy to the sides and a lot of the fabrics had frayed ends.

Strong were the women on the runway, dressed in Pugh’s long silhouette accentuating pieces. They looked quite the opposite of some of the male models, who were dressed in tight pants and a rigging or a tank top.

Many of the clothes touched the floor as the models walked the runway. Especially the wide legged male pants were floor-sweeping.

A lot of attention went out to the collars of the designs. They came in many variations (pointed, standing, folded) and looked out of the ordinary.

The show pieces in Pugh’s finale must have weighed a few pounds extra while they had lots of gray chains attached to them. We didn’t immediately jump off our seats when we saw those, but they sure fit perfectly with the Gothic feeling of the show.

Just Cavalli Catwalk Fashion Show Milan FW2010

At today’s presentation of the Just Cavalli winter collection it was clear this line is aimed at young customers. Primary colors like blue, red and yellow were visible in almost every look. They were there in some leopard printed house pants and on a few crazy printed leggings. Even the fur on some coats came in those colors. Besides, some of the skirts and dresses were pretty short, teenage short you might say.

Fortunately Roberto Cavalli was able to add some sophistication to his collection as well. He designed some romantic, transparent blouses with ruffles on the neckline and on the sleeves. Yet we didn’t really get the sort of bib he added on top of those blouses. It had it’s own ruffles and details and seemed to be tied at the models’ backs.

The crazy mixing continued when we saw wide belts, matched with short skirts and small jackets with pointy shoulders and fur collars, all in a different print.

By adding some tartan prints, multiple fans, necklaces with huge pendants and several patchwork sweaters Roberto Cavalli proved he dares to experiment. Though we admire his courage we advice to combine his items with more basics.

Streetfashion Paris fw2010

What are you wearing during the Menswear Fashionweek? Your Burberry-boots, your latest D&G-vest or that vintage YSL? Maybe we’ll spot you in Paris, Milan, New York or Amsterdam. During the fashion-weeks we refresh our streetwear-category regularly. We don’t judge, we’re not the fashion-police, we just enjoy fashion and your own personal style. Next stop: Paris.

Pictures: Muriel Schouten

Backstage at Lanvin Menswear fw2010

Peter Stigter went backstage at Lanvin this morning to capture the vibe. He spotted Lucas Ossendrijver – the designer of Lanvin menswear – and Alber Elbaz – creative director of Lanvin – backstage styling the models and giving interviews to journalists like Suzy Menkes (who was lyric about the collection: “Loving Lanvin has become the leitmotif of the 21st century. But there was a good reason why the menswear show Sunday was cheered so fervently. This is a rare historic house where the clothes seem to live in the moment, yet embrace a traditional masculine  only culture.”)

Take a close look at the accessories – those rings and snakeskin bags ! – and the clothes. This is menswear from today – never aggressive or conservative, but self-assured and loving.  And, most important: it brings back the fun in men’s fashion.

Paris Catwalk Fashion Show fw2010: Paul Smith

Looking at the diverse types of models that walked in Paul Smith’s fashion show, you’d think he must have wanted to reach a large audience. The models were as different as they could be:  young, old, pale, bold, long, bearded, red-haired etc.

The clothes were just as diverse. Shirts with floral prints, checked jackets, colorful trousers and bowler hats were easily combined in one look. And while some clothes were appropriate for punky students other seemed perfect for late night dinners.

In this collection Paul Smith mixed natural colors like brown, gray and beige with bright ones like pink, blue, red and purple.

A few jackets had decorated safety pins attached and we saw sunglasses in some of the breast pockets.

Items that really caught our eye were a black poncho, a long cobalt blue overcoat and a turquoise colored suit. The show ended with some slick black dinner jackets.

Then Paul Smith and all his models came on to the runway in a chaotic manner that matched the fashion show’s overall vibe.

Streetfashion Paris fw2010

What are you wearing during the Menswear Fashionweek? Your Burberry-boots, your latest D&G-vest or that vintage YSL? Maybe we’ll spot you in Paris, Milan, New York or Amsterdam. During the fashion-weeks we refresh our streetwear-category regularly. We don’t judge, we’re not the fashion-police, we just enjoy fashion and your own personal style. Next stop: Paris.

Pictures by Muriel Schouten

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