Burberry Prorsum Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Milan FW2013

Apart from the leopard printed shoes Burberry’s first catwalk looks seemed very classic. Jeans, crispy white shirt, cashmere sweater and a camel shaded trench coat; Burberry like you would describe it to someone who doesn’t know the British brand (if there are any).

Perfectly shaved boys, with neat hairdo’s and sunglasses dressed their best for a first introduction to the parents in law or a perhaps a somewhat casual business encounter.

But when look #12 came on it was clear the leopard was a bigger theme for Christopher Bailey’s I Heart Classics collection. A zebra printed collar on one of the coats was followed by fully leopard and zebra printed patent leather jackets. Bailey teamed up his wild side with some looks in army green and then went on the spread the love. Literally by introducing a heart shaped print on several shirts, sweaters and one of the short scarves.

Animal prints and heart shapes; perhaps a lot to take in for a fifteen minute menswear show. Luckily we have at least six more months to get used to it. Plus, six more months to fully enjoy Burberry’s metallic designs, which Romeo Beckham is already wearing oh so well.

Dolce & Gabbana Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Milan FW2013

The models’ looks couldn’t have been more different from each other today at Dolce & Gabbana. Long bearded men walked to Milan show next to some very young fresh faced boys. No seasoned models, but all guys and men (protagonists) hand picked by Domenico and Stefano because of their Sicilian roots. Because once again the Sicilian designers focus on their heritage and origin.

It is all about devotion for fall/winter 2013/2014. Absolute devotion to tailoring, devotion to cut, devotion to fabrics and devotion to details when it comes to the clothing. And  devotion to family, devotion to religion and devotion to love when it comes to the vision behind those clothes.

And all that devotion surely paid of. The (more than 80) protagonists looked impeccable in the classic creations. Dolce and Gabbana opted for inevitable winter shades like black (for coats, suits, velvets and cashmere), grey (for coats, suits, T-shirts, vests and embroideries) and white (for poplin shirts, inlaid shirts and for lace pillow-style embroidered jackets and shirts). Yet they added rich colors at the end used on jackets and silk T-shirts printed and embroidered with flowers. A few religious icons here and there, but the designers wisely said goodbye to last season’s Blackamoor imagery.

Costume National Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Milan FW2013

Today Ennio Capase almost sent out a completely black colored collection. But, proving the power of black in fashion, there was more than enough to look at. Capase paired tough with chic by mixing leather pants with woolen coats and by giving other coats extra biker details, like multiple zippers and strong leather collars and panels. Extremely tailored jackets and classic hats added to that contrast. Touches of white and blue cheered up the collection, but it didn’t change the long haired models’ bad-ass mood. They were perfectly dressed rock ’n rollers on a mission.

Jil Sander Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Milan FW2013

For her second menswear show (and the start of Milan Fashion Week) since her return Jil Sander did what she does best. She sent out perfectly tailored clean looks, often done in only one shade. Like the completely red or pinstriped suits even worn with matching shirts underneath.

Models looked warm and cosy in check printed coats, sports jackets, and big woolen sweaters with large collars. The six sleeveless chic looks seemed less appropriate for winter, yet did stress Sander’s vision.

Violet, burgundy and army green spiced up the grey color palette. Bands placed on chunky sweaters made up for a fun detail and plain duo colored tops might just be it for upcoming winter.

 

Festimode Casablanca Fashion Week 2012, Day 2

The second day of FCFW was sreserved for three designers: Siham Sara Chraibi, Paolo Errico and Said Mahrouf. Three different designers with their own signature. Siham Sara Chraibi studied architecture in Rabat and architecture& philosophy in Paris. But since she is also passionate about fashion and couture she deceided to start her won fashionhouse. Her style is sober and pure with contructed and graphic lines but always influenced by decorative arts and historic costumes.

Said Mahrouf lived in Amsterdam for a long time and focused his work on designing costumes for site-specific performances. But eventually his love for fashion made him design ready to wear again. His fashion-collections are an ode to femininity and elegance. The soft, sensual lines of his designs truly come to life on a female body. And his clientele in Casablanca loves it. Said Mahrouf returned  to Casablanca in 2010 definitely. In his atelier he designs and sells ready to wear de luxe.

Paolo Errico is originally from Milan, Italy. He began his career at Calvin Klein, Versace and Roberto Cavalli. Since 2004 he runs his own fashion-house.  Paolo’s inspiration and reference point are architecture and design. His technique involved using primordial geometric shapes and combining them with the human body to produce timeless fashion. The result creates a multi-dimensional effect of innovation, dynamism and sensual elegance.

Please enjoy the pictures of day 2, with a selection of the three collections and backstage.

Festimode Casablanca Fashion Week 2012, Day 1

The seventh edition of Festimode Casablanca Fashion Week (FCFW) 2012 started yesterday with two shows of Fadila el Gadi and Mehdi Khessouane.

Fadila el Gadi has been working as a fashion-designer since 1990, and she is probably one of the few people in the fashion-business who has been working with the legendary Yves St. Laurent. That experience opened some doors for her, but it is of course Gadi’s talent that made her design for Barbara Streisand and Beyoncé. You can find her work in boutiques in Paris, Madrid and Saint-Tropez, in Morocco she has her own boutiques in Tanger and Marrakech.

Mehdi Khessouane was always surrounded by art and design, since his father is a interior-architect and his mother has a passion for art. Besides that Khessouane also had a passion for science. No wonder he studied Biology at the university and Fashion at the l’Ecole superieure des Beaux Arts in Casablanca. He is not only fascinated by designer Amina Agueznay but he also stands up against global warming. In 2009 Khessouane joined the selection of young talented designers at FCFW. This year he returned with an avant-garde collection for men and women.

Please enjoy the pictures of the first day of FCFW, with a selection of back and frontstage and some atmosphere during the event.

 

 

 

Louis Vuitton Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2013

Please enjoy the pictures for now. Our review will follow shortly.

Alexander McQueen Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2013

Bees. That hardworking, matriarchal society where the femaile rules was Sarah Burton’s inpiration for her Alexander McQueen collection ss2013. And because the artful shape of the honeycomb, it opened range of possibilities to create a strict and form-fitting silhouette.
Burton transported the honeycomb shape into jacquards, nets and laces, some embroidered with bees, and used all kinds of iridescent versions of honey, gold and black. She opened with wasp-waist jackets, their peplums constructed for exaggeration over bustiers; thin skirts or pants and boots made from a crystal-studded stretch of netting that ran up the leg. The focus was on the hips. As the collection went on, Burton began to undress and add, putting cages and corsets on the outside as dresses. Eventually these went undercover in eveningwear.

Saint Laurent Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2013

It was not the most easy job to take the helm at a house like Saint Laurent. Hedi Slimane delivered his first collection yesterday, ans some people seemed a bit disappointed. Yes, it was edgy, it was chic and it was skinny, but it looked more like a costume parade than a new take on what Yves Saint Laurent created.  The first look was a small black jacket with skinny black pants, a white frilled shirt,  big, soft bow at the neck anda bigger-brimmed fedora. This was followed by countless variations of the same — the fabrics changing from wool to leather to glitz to pinstripes and from cotton to silk and back.  Slimane incorporated typical YSL codes to be developed in the future: tailoring, smoking, gypsy tiers, long evening-dresses, saharienne, animal spots,  demonstrative jewelry.

The clothes were good, but on the safe side: slick, sexy pants, jackets and shirts, which didn’t scream retro and gowns that women will want to wear. But Slimane needs to add more, a risky sizzle that let women crave for Saint Laurent.

Chloé Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2013

Oversize clean looks are Clare Waight Keller’s biggest bet for 2013. They were given both sporty and elegant references like bold shapes, reflecting sleeve details and flower appliqués. Perhaps Keller took the girly-ness a little too far when she sent out a series of sweet, sheer and ruffled dresses. But at least she presented them in this season’s it-way; worn over Bermuda shorts (another hit for SS2013). Blouses with standing collars and cross over jackets added a subtle touch of Asia. In Palais de Tokyo an Chloé exhibition which covers 60 years of the brand has just opened. And this collection would have fit in just fine.

 

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