MFW DELIVERS A FUTURE/ R-ETRO FASHION-FEST!!

Now, aside from pulling-off next year’s styles with poise and panache, the Milanese Fashion Week also has a penchant for providing ampitheatres as show auditoria! Never before have I witnessed collection-after-collection being displayed in such gargantuan spaces and it was no different at Etro!

The vastness became noticeably apparent when front-of-house assistants seemed to take on Borrower-like proportions as, flanked by mountains of onlookers, they peeled back the wedding-train of cellophane-covering from a glacier-white runway!

So done, so began a stream of Etro-consciousness of a distinctly paisley-inspired, retro feel! Colourways revolved around a pastel-blue/ mint-green/ coffee-cream/ lemonade-yellow/ powder-pink palette and were dreamt-up on jumpsuits, handkerchief-hemmed separates and dresses of midi and maxi options. Print-clashing proved popular and a truly inventive ensemble-for-the-eyes were a knee-length skirt with the aforementioned pattern, topped by a ‘tsunami-wave’ design. The antithesis, a veritable repertoire-in-rust included a midi-dress and skirt, both adorned with a black, ‘vine’ motif, which would be later presented magnified, upon a sheer blouse of the same shade. Metallics were also seen, with hints of gold, shot-through a particularly playful backless dress and a jumpsuit which looked as if it had leapt straight from the days of psychedelia!

Drapery was de-rigueur and artfully-incorporated as a ‘scarfed’-neckline, accompanied by a distinct love-of-layering, which was charmingly portrayed, tumbling into voluminous flares. Fringes, whilst exaggerated, were tastefully used to enhance plunging v-necklines and a single-strapped, ‘tube-form’ added extra interest to the dress silhouette. The label also showed a single-take on coats, it being of oversized ilk, in two-tone, mint-green and silver, a finishing touch which surely sets-out their optimistic stall for scorching  weather next year!

  So, I’m packing my bags with some of those splendid r-Etro spring/summer styles, because I, for one, want to be wherever they are in 2014!

©AFROW2013-2019 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

MFW DAY 3 OFFERS COOL SOPHISTICATION FROM BLUMARINE…

If, like me, you are an aficionado of the home-makeover/ home-build genre of t.v. programmes, then you will already be aware of a clever little design-touch of adding mirrors, to give the illusion of increased space…

Gucci employed the method upon their catwalk and Blumarine went that extra mile, in constructing a floor-to-ceiling, mirrored wall, which subsequently made the low-lit, u-shaped runway look as if it went on for miles!!!

‘Sophistication’ was the buzzword, with a little bit of ‘edge’ thrown in to keep things cool! What better musical metaphor to use for the show, than to feed the mesmerising voice of Moloko’s Roisin Murphy into the vast space.

The stories came thick-and-fast, beginning with razor-sharp tailoring to be found in calf-length cut-offs, body-skimming skirts and a striking white jacket with slash, asymetric-opening and deftly-defined shoulders. (Now, we are not talking about power-dressing of the 80’s, here, more  an understated authority of the noughties, which we can all work!). The neutral black companion was heralded by a ‘sheer’ theme, depicted in delicate, cap-sleeved tops, apt for summer days, and a neat, leather, knee-length pencil-skirt, perfect for a balmy evening. Nigh-on floor-sweeping dresses, both sleeved and sleeveless, were luxurious, being débuted into the collection, with the contrasting white, floral, motifs overlaid onto the fine fabric.

Indeed, this was a neat segway into the ’embellishment’ element of the show, which saw the first inclusion in any presentation, thus far, of a butterfly, on a sparkling, knee-length dress. Later on, the design would be developed into a ‘metallic’ rendition with sequinned wings, strikingly-placed upon gossamer-gowns, to retain a lady’s modesty! Another welcome thematic entrée to Milan Fashion Week was the ‘polka-dot’, depicted in silver and, once more, overlaid to impressive effect, onto a black maxi-dress. This led into a stunning column-creation, featuring a fish-tail hemline, which was wittily accentuated by fastidiously-fastened appliqué in fabric, cut to mimic scales.

However, an iridescent-gold, knee-length dress, styled with a darkly-hued, tailored jacket, served to retain the harmonic adaptability of the trends, whilst also underpinning an enticing design-edge. This mood matured through an unusual, ‘paint-splash’ print, in red, white and black and would mark the beginning of a carefree, celebration of colour, revealed in a burnt umber, scoop-necked number and a garment so dazzlingly yellow that, aside its fitted, silk nature, you would believe it to, literally, be a sun-dress !

The finale wowed with sequin-studded bodices, which, when reprised against the sheer-black backdrop, would fill the pass with walking constellations and the ravishing, white feathered variation which followed, gave a goodbye-embrace to embellishent.

In all, the collection embodied inspired designs of accomplished dexterity, with looks as suited to the red-carpet, as they are the edgiest of streets-scenes…and if that sounds like you, then ‘BLUMARINE’ might just be the next label you put down, in capitals, upon your show-shopping list!

©AFROW2013-2019 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED