Milan Fashion Week FW 14/15 - Trends We Loved

London gave us a splash of eccentricity, lots of shiny clothes and an abundance of blue in many shows, New York gave us a whole lot of plaid, fur and masculine trousers. Here's what Milan has to offer for the coming Fall.

1. A-Line stuff - Even though masculine silhouettes have dominated all the Fall shows, there's always room for a little girliness. The A-line cut is a classic and never goes out of style. We saw A-line dresses, skirts and jackets in a lot of the Milan shows so make room for some feminine clothes in your upcoming masculine wardrobe!

L-R: Dolce & Gabbana, Fausto Puglisi, Antonio Marras, Blumarine

L-R: Fendi, Gucci, Luisa Beccaria, Ports 1961, Sportmax

2. Embellishments - This trend seems to be a steady one. Lots of embellishments were in the SS 14 shows and the it isn't any different for the fall.

L-R: Fausto Puglisi, Antonio Marras, Aquilano Rimondi, Blumarine, Dolce & Gabbana

L-R: Emilio Pucci, Fendi, Gucci, No. 21

3. A splash of fur - While big fur coats were plenty in Milan too, some designers used a dash of fur as an accent. Its quite interesting to see fur used on the border of a dress like at Blumarine or made to look like giant pockets at Dolce & Gabbana.

L-R: Blumarine, Dolce & Gabbana, Etro, Fendi, Antonio Marras

L-R: Emilio Pucci, Tod's, Francesco Scognamiglio, Iceberg, Marni

4. Masculine coats - As I mentioned above, menswear has influenced women's wear majorly for the coming season. Outerwear, which usually is snug for women is getting bigger, more relaxed and resembling men's winter coats.

L-R: Etro, Fausto Puglisi, Iceberg, Aquilano Rimondi, Costume National

L-R: Versace, Max Mara, Ports 1961, Prada

5. Suits - I'm loving the ever so evolving women's suits that I saw in Milan. Wearing a suit used to sound so boring. The usual grey, black, navy blue with zero character is out like disco. The new age suits are way cooler. Ankle length skinny pants like that those at Gucci or bright coloured wide legged at Pucci, blazers with big buttons like the red one at Versace or with contrasting lapels at Blumarine; this new suit is fabulous!

L-R: Francesco Scognamiglio, Giorgio Armani, Blumarine, Costume National, Emporio Armani

L-R: Iceberg, Jil Sander, Emilio Pucci, Versace, Gucci

6. Prints - Well, I told you I'll be repeating this trend and will probably do it again for my Paris trend reports. What can I do, all these designers just keep going crazy with prints!

L-R: Fausto Puglisi, Just Cavalli, Marni, Antonio Marras, Etro



L-R: Moschino, Prada, Sportmax, Tod's

Images via style.com

Dior Fall Winter 14 - Masculine, Colourful & Oh So Pretty

In my previous post, I had talked about Raf's understanding of the modern woman and her fast paced city life. This is exactly what the FW 14 collection was about. It wasn't about the ladies who lunch. It was about the ladies who lunch in between high powered jobs.  "This season I wanted to propose a new woman," says Raf. "A woman with power and energy in a very definite way. I wanted to pursue powerful tailoring, to offer another reality, another function. This season is less about the leisure of the garden and more about the pace of the city. I am attracted to the reality of the urban world and environment, not just to the leisured world of ‘the moment’ – that world of the event or the party. This Dior woman inhabits both."

Masculine silhouettes dominated the show. Loose, double breasted jackets in wool and cashmere worn over feminine silk dresses and sharp tailored suits were some of the first few looks. The suits weren't as tight fitted as women normally have been seen in. They were relaxed with an air of comfort in them. Then came this quilted silk dress in navy which if you zoom in you can almost see a figure resembling a merman amongst the quilting. The skirt had a bit of a flair with pink silk adding a stark contrast to the navy. This was one of my favourite looks. More dresses followed and then came the fur. So casually were the bright coloured sleeveless mink coats slung over the arms of the models. There was something so "je ne sais quoi" about it.

Another look that blew me over was a dress with pink cashmere on top and black and red quilted silk underneath it. The slit on the cashmere gave way to only a glimpse of the red silk as the model walked. The floral embellishment added the perfect girly touch. We all know that Raf loves colours so there was plenty of that. Fuchsia paired with bright green, bright yellow paired with pale pink, blue and orange; next winter is going to be a cheerful one for sure. I also loved the billowing dresses which required the use of nylon for a new form of canage quilting. For the finale, it was embellished gowns that looked a little bit like haute couture collection paired with knitted t-shirts that closed the show.

In terms of detailing, the corset lacing, a perfect combination of old world meets contemporary was prevalent throughout the show. On the sides of a jacket or on the back, and even on some of the dresses. It was a very interesting take on corsetry. Another fascinating fact I noticed was in the trainer inspired heels. When the jackets with gracefully falling, loose peplums (look 23 and 24) were shown, the heel size had been reduced. It gave me a vision of a high profile investment banker running between meetings wearing these super cool, yet comfortable shoes. Apologies for dramatizing the scenario a wee bit! All in all, a marvellous collection AGAIN!

Please enjoy some of the photos from the show and click here to see the entire collection. I'm posting a video as well :)



Relaxed Suits

Notice the figure in the quilting?

Favourite Look

The heel is smaller in this look

Quilted Nylon Dress

Embroidered dress worn over an embroidered tee

Image Courtesy: Christian Dior

Bag Review: Alexander Mcqueen De Manta Clutch In White Leather

When I purchased my stained glass printed, satin De Manta before Christmas, I was totally overjoyed with it. Not was, still am. My BFF then saw it, adored it and decided to order one for herself too. Except she liked a De Manta in white leather with a black outline and in a smaller size. I ordered it for her to our Dubai address as like I mentioned before, I live there for a month every alternate month and duties are only 5 per cent so its much cheaper to order stuff to my Dubai address.

As soon as I got my hands on the bag, I had to inspect every nook and corner of it. I was very disappointed with what I saw. I'm not sure if it was the softness of the leather or the colour of the clutch but the finishing was far from impressive. To be honest, it looked like something Ayesha could have picked up at the Select Citywalk flea market.

The most unattractive part were the magnetic closures which are not subtle at all. What I mean to say is that if you compare it to my dark De Manta, you'll see what I'm talking about. The finishing around the buttons was very ugly which made me come to the conclusion that one should stick to a dark colour when purchasing this model. Its okay that the buttons are beneath the material and it is inevitable that you will see them jutting out. But it doesn't have to look ugly right? With a dark colour, they are just less visible.



Notice how the buttons are less visible

The overall look in general is just unimpressive. It just looks so blah. Like there's nothing exceptional when you see it, feel it and hold it. When you hold a designer bag, it should stand out and feel good. This one does none of that. The leather is a bit too soft and looks flimsy. Maybe if the leather was a little more stiff it would have looked better. For some reason, it just looks like a cheap knock off which isn't what one would expect from a McQueen bag.

Agreed that the De Manta is one of the most coveted bags and personally I love them. The shape is so unique and will always stand out. However, just try and stick to the darker colours when you choose to purchase one. Or opt for buying it from the boutique so you can inspect it thoroughly.

Currently Trending: The White Shirt

A white shirt has always been a wardrobe staple for me. It's one of the most versatile pieces a girl can own. You can pair it with literally anything from your closet and dress it down or up depending on the occasion. There have been times when I didn't have the time to get changed from a busy day to head out at night, so all I did was continue to wear my white shirt and blue skinny jeans, put on a pair of orange pumps, big earrings, rolled up my sleeves and stacked a bunch of bracelets, grabbed a fun clutch and I was all set for a night out. Oh, I forgot to add, I put on a deep burgundy colour on my lips as well. The result was fabulous. For a day time look, pair it with a skirt and bejewelled flats or whatever you may be comfortable with and once again, good to go.

The classic white shirt has been reinvented over the years and just gets more fashionable as the seasons go by. Currently, I have been obsessed with the white stuff that Alexander Wang has been creating. especially this cropped white shirt for SS 14.

Here are my top picks in the coolest white shirts. Mind you, its really hard to make a product page with a white back ground and white shirts all over it so instead of just putting product images I've used the pictures with the models so its easier to see!

1. Joseph Jin Two - Tone Cotton Poplin Shirt - I love the black trim on this one, adds a slight edge to a simple white shirt. The sleeves also have the black trim. Click here to purchase.

2. MCQ by Alexander McQueen Racer-Back Stretch Cotton Poplin Top - I chose this white shirt because of the super cool racer-back. Very relaxed and informal when worn on its own, yet you can transition it into a slightly formal look by pairing it with a blazer. Click here to purchase.

3. Alexander Wang Cropped Men's Shirt - Off late, Wang is turning into a bit of an obsession of mine. His SS 14 collection was mind blowing. Every look, especially that Parental Advisory sweatshirt had the fashion fraternity going crazy. Apart from that, generally, the silhouettes were very off duty and somewhat reminded me of the whole naughty school girl look. A very posh naughty school girl! I featured this particular shirt because of the raw edges. Also isn't it cute how the buttons have been stitched with X es on them?! There's a very fun attitude that comes with this cropped, frayed hem shirt. It says Wang's girl isn't so serious when it comes to fashion. She finds perfection in imperfection. Click here to check it out. This shirt cannot be delivered to India, but if you have any friends in the US you can order it there or contact Le Mill to inquire if they will be stocking it.

4. House Of Holland Embroidered-Dove Cotton Shirt - This runway shirt from House Of Holland is perfectly in line with the current boxy trend. Simple, clean cut, slightly cropped with a religious symbol embroidered on it, the shirt can be paired with almost anything from your closet. Click here to purchase.

5. Zara Poplin Flared Blouse - There's something that's very Alexander Wang or Phoebe Philo ish about this shirt. I'm not sure if it's just me who feels that. I love the loose silhouette on it and the way it flares out. Click here to check it out or go to Zara at Select City Walk mall to try it on.

 

Bag Review: Wild Wild West - Discovering The New Gucci Nouveau Shoulder Bag

As you all know by now, I'm a bagaholic. And when I discovered this latest release from Gucci's SS 14 collection, I had to blog about it. Its such a playful bag and so perfect for summer! Not to mention luxurious.

The Gucci Nouveau features a very classic shape and is of course equestrian inspired (the flap resembles a saddle). There are two versions to the Nouveau, with or without fringes. The long fringes infuse a Western touch to the bag and its fun to watch them move as you move. My favourite part of the Nouveau is the cool black lacquered bamboo details. Normally the bamboo is brown and looks slightly mature, but the new look is quite contemporary and fresh. I love how the signature Gucci tassels too have the bamboo detailing on them. Its like luxury all over!

Also, the whipstitches on the top handle add an element of cool rawness which I adore. By the way, those big stitches are done manually and require a specific technique to do so. Inside the bag are three pockets which makes it easier to organise your essentials (phone, wallet, keys, etc.) so you're not fumbling to find them like I almost ALWAYS do!

In terms of materials and colours, there are plenty to choose from. Suede cachemire (a printed leather made from calf skin, featuring a silk-sheen suede look), leather and exotic skins like soft laminated python in black, cobalt blue and stunning shades of red. I've got my eye on the blue suede one. God its so pretty.

As always, the bags are all handmade in Italy displaying the finest craftsmanship. It takes the artisans up to two days to work on a single bag. I am attaching some pictures of the making so you can get a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes.

Image Courtesy: Gucci

London Fashion Week FW 14/15 - Trends We Love

Just like New York, furs, oversized coats and plaids were big in London too. But I wanted to save the repeating of the trends for Milan and Paris. Here are my top 4.

1. Blue - I think its safe to say that Blue is the official colour for the fall. A lot of designers had blue incorporated in their silhouettes. It also happens to be my favourite colour. Yay for me. Now my fall wardrobe can be filled with everything blue instead of bursting with varying shades of pink, orange and coral!




L-R: Eudon Choi, House Of Holland, JW Anderson, Marques Almeida, Emilia Wickstead



L-R: Matthew Williamson, Peter Pilotto, Roksanda Ilincic, Temperley London

2. Shine bright like a diamond - Be it through the use of sequins like that sequinned dress at Tom Ford or through the use of iridescent/metallic fabric, next fall will be shiny as ever.



L-R: Tom Ford, Jonathan Saunders, Simone Rocha, Todd Lynn



L-R: Peter Pilotto, Mary Katrantzou, Matthew Williamson, Meadham Kirchhoff



L-R: House Of Holland, Ashish, Daks, Giles

3. See through - Lace or sheer fabric, the see through trend is still going strong from the previous seasons. Don't store all your sheer stuff just yet.



Simone Rocha, Temperley London, Meadham Kirchhoff



L-R: House Of Holland, Marques Almeida, Burberry

4. Prints - This is yet another trend from the previous seasons that is as strong as ever. I know I'll be repeating this trend from Milan and Paris too because it's so amazing to show you all the eclectic prints that designers are inspired by. The surrealist hands at Giles, the geometrics at Peter Pilotto and many more. Also another thing to take note of is that clashing prints, albeit a bit risky, is no longer a fashion faux pas. This is a trend that has not only been seen on the runways but also on street style.



L-R: Paul Smith, Peter Pilotto, Jonathan Saunders, Temperley London



L-R: Jean-Pierre Braganza, Matthew Williamson, Burberry, Emilia Wickstead

Images Via Style.com