Paris Fashion Week Round Up - Christian Dior

Dior SS15

When Raf Simons presented his couture collection a few months ago, I was left mesmerised by not only the clothes but how he looked to the past for the future and reinterpreted it in the most original manner. For next Spring, the designer continued the theme and transformed the haute couture clothes he showcased, into ready to wear. “For this collection I wanted to continue; I thought there was more to explore. By beginning with the ingredients and the form language of the couture, but going further, I wanted the ready-to-wear to feel more modern, more dynamic, more real – I wanted it to be made available to a wider audience ” explains Raf in the press release.

There were lighter versions of the pannier dresses that were previously a part of the couture collection. Except this time the bodices were in the form of racer back knit tanks. Embroidered 18th century court coats and gilets, most of which had like a ribbon closure along with long Edwardian coats were worn over skater shorts, beautifully combining the old and the new. A powder blue velvet jacket (forming an inverted V from below the bust because of a wrap-over construction) with pretty colourful buttons and another in coral linen with black embroidery were my favourites amongst the outerwear. Dresses crafted from plaited ribbon (Monsieur Dior loved ribbon) looked fresh and modern. Pant suit jackets and coat dresses with buttons on the hips were reminiscent of Dior's New Look. There was lots of white used throughout the collection. The lightly embroidered shirt dresses towards the end resembling nightdresses from the Victorian era looked really cool especially when worn over contrasting coloured hand-knitted boots.

A collection inspired by a very rich past, but modern and light enough to wear now; is it any wonder why Raf is currently one of the greatest fashion designers today.

Dior SS15

 

Milan Fashion Week Round Up - Prada

Prada SS15

As much of a traditional design house Prada is, it’s stood apart always for a distinctive edge. An edge of being ahead, of being unique and being offbeat-the offbeat that very uncharacteristically turns mainstream. The spring summer presentation by Muccia Prada accounted for the same but not as much the same. If it wasn’t as provocative, as out there and as vivid as the last few it had its own unanticipated character of restraint and stark straight forwardness. This reflected in the full sized A-line dresses and coats in black with contrast top stitching that progressed towards an infusion of print and leather detailing and culminating with complete print on print and full leather treatment of the garments. The trick lied in the solid construction of the clothes, but these came with eccentricities that blended in as much as they juxtaposed, for instance, the almost knee length socks, that were worn throughout the show with the not so petite wooden clogs. The tattered edges and the frayed detailing that went hand in hand with all that showed the restraint.

This is how the expected conjured- the controlled treatment that was the leitmotif but it never could sustain at Muccia’s Prada without what counters it throughout. If there were pockets bursting out at the waist, there were also diamonds and brocades. Only if you look close you realize where the genius lies in the details and where the shocking takes shelter behind the deceiving normalcy on the face. And there you have your quintessential Prada.    

Prada SS15

Prada SS15 Bag

The must have Prada SS15 shoe

Text by Nitiz Kaila

Milan Fashion Week Round Up - Jil Sander, Antonio Marras

Jil Sander SS15

Jil Sander - Whenever a new creative director joins a label, the fashion flock is always excited to see the latest offering. Especially when the brand has been through a bit of a rough patch, like Jil Sander leaving her own brand for the third time. The theme here was androgyny, or rather how to dress like a boy. Crisp, finely tailored shirts (most of them worn under sweaters) that would do well in stores marched down the runway. Personally, I liked the blue one that sort of scrunched at the waist.

There were the boxy shirts too, but those looked a little too frumpy for my liking. And so did the boy shorts. I'm all up for androgyny, but a hint of sex appeal doesn't hurt. Those boy shorts had this whole ugly aesthetic thing going on which I wasn't on board with. What I did enjoy were the skirts, in both the graphic print and leather with the whole diagonal slit thing going on. Very wearable, streamlined and well, true to the brand's minimalist motto. Rodolfo Paglialunga played it relatively safe as a new creative head at Jil Sander. What I do hope is that he ditches the whole frumpy/ugly look for next season. There's no rulebook that says androgyny can't be sexy.

Jil Sander SS15

Antonio Marras - At Antonio Marras, the clothes were just plain beautiful. There were lovely dresses, some dripping with 3D embroidered flowers, others with floral and abstract prints. A series of striped ensembles marched down the runway that were paired with Japanese blossom type prints or colourful embroidery. My favourite was a straight cut dress (very Japanese looking actually) cinched at the waist; the front layer was orange with a print that looked a 3D version of splashes of blue paint (or at least it looked like that to me) and the back side consisted of stripes.

Things got a little surrealist from there onwards as creepy looking hands, complete with red nails (inspired by Italian artist Carol Rama) decorated the clothes. They were seen in abundance on a blue ankle length dress or simply caressing the neck of a model in a tailored, pristine white romper. Towards the end of the show, there were these pretty pleated skirts (it could have been part of a dress too, it's difficult to tell looking at photos) with strips of different fabrics stitched on in various angles. Those skirts were extremely well crafted, almost like a work of art. A black sweater with those freaky hands and flowers embroidered on to it, was high on my must have list.

I liked the little darkness that came with this collection. It added a little bit of an edge. And surrealist prints, all said and done are a dead on recipe for success. For now at least. All in all, a truly lovely collection for next year.

Antonio Marras SS15

Antonio Marras SS15

 

Milan Fashion Week Round Up - Tod's

Tod's SS15

Tod's SS15 collection was one any woman can easily relate to. There was a very relaxed feel to it and most of the clothes could be incorporated into daily wear wardrobes almost effortlessly. Leather silhouettes dominated the show. And what I loved most was how Allesandra Facchinetti gave the material an everyday appeal. From the leather series, loosely cut dresses with giant pockets (some came with laser cut holes), the boxy tops (some with embellishments) and skirts seemed easy to carry. Normally leather silhouettes have this rigid/restricting vibe which wasn't the case here.

There were pant suits too, but not the super tight kinds. Beautifully tailored jackets were worn over slightly loose cropped pants and came in a tropical print, bright colours (the blue one in particular was beautiful) and even denim with exotic skin pockets. And cotton numbers like a baby blue jump suit and a pristine white skirt were just perfect for those excruciating hot summers.

What I also noticed was the very fresh take in bags for the coming season. Normally, I find Tod's bags to be a little too mature for my taste, minus the D-cubes which are quite cute actually. However, this collection featured some very fun shapes especially those bucket bags which are on my wishlist for next year along with their very funky marble and crystal jewellery.

Tod's SS15

 

Milan Fashion Week Round Up - Moschino

Moschino SS15

It takes a little while to fully grasp Jeremy Scott's collection for Moschino. They're so high on shock value. And at first, one can't help but think, "oh god, these clothes are so trashy". But once you get beyond the initial jolt, loosen up a bit and take a closer look, you realise that fashion shouldn't be taken so seriously. And before you know it, you've succumbed to the hedonist inside of you and hit the "purchase now" button on the Moschino website to pre order parts of this collection so you can have it before anyone else does. I did that right after their Fall show. I was probably the first few to be seen in India with the Moschino French Fry cover.

Moving on, this season, it was the immortal and the epitome of perfection, the Barbie doll that served as inspiration. Various avatars of the Barbie paraded down the runway. The show opened with a Biker Barbie wearing a bright pink jacket resembling the much sought after biker jacket bag with a matching leather skirt. There was cowboy esque Barbie with those boots in bubble gum pink and plastic white followed by vacation Barbie in her shiny zip dress (suitcase in tow) or in an abstract printed top and skirt complete with a yellow camera round her neck. Beach Barbie had a swimsuit pattern stitched on to her dress or came in a terry cloth robe with large inflatable handbags and giant plastic accessories (the oversized, bright pink chain link necklace, sigh). One cannot miss the tongue in cheek Chanel spoofs throughout the show. The quilted leather skirt/shorts suits (resembling Chanel suits), the leather intertwined in chain detailing and the quilting on the bags were so cheeky. Jeremy Scott also continues the Moschino logomania with belts, colourful necklaces and bracelets spelling the label's name.

Every now and then, we need a break from the seriousness that comes with international fashion weeks. It's always about analysing collections and techniques and what not. Just too grim! Jeremy Scott's show put a smile of people's faces. Almost like a breath of fresh air. And that's exactly what it was. Fresh.

Moschino SS15

 

Milan Fashion Week Round Up - Fendi

Fendi SS15

After seeing Fendi's show, I considered selling my car and using all that money to go shop their SS15 collection. Whilst most collections have a combination of hits and misses, at Fendi, there were only hits. Here was a brilliant combination of technique, creativity and beautiful clothes.

Cara Delevingne opened the show in an orchid printed shift dress with strips of matching fabric resembling gashes stitched on to the dress. The orchid motif was seen throughout the show and in various forms. Embroidered on a shaved fur jacket, or on a peek-a-boo bag, printed on a new breed of trousers (they had something like a skirt overlay) or even appliqued on leather like the white dress Malaika Firth was wearing. There were jackets that will make you weep with lust. Beautiful slick leather numbers like the floral appliqued dark grey jacket or a lighter grey with an intricate laser cut geometric pattern all over or the baby blue suede one with architectural bands on the arms and below the bust resembling half a rib cage. You can add those leather tops, that had vertical slits and some artsy print on them, the denim and suede jodhpurs and the skirt made from giant strips of suede to the MOST WANTED list too.

Finally, when it came to the accessories, apart from being a creative genius, Karl knows how to make things that will sell out in minutes. The bag bugs and karlito were prime examples. And so was the Karl Barbie (not Fendi though). On the runway, there were mini versions of the Peek-a-Boo bag, exotic By The Way bags and the coolest, a hybrid between the 2Jours & By The Way. Crocodile leather bangles were on the wrists and orchids with tails adorned the models' hair, whereas teeny tiny Fendi Baguette bag charms decorated the bags.

Not only was the collection aesthetically outstanding, it was also very commercially viable. I guarantee that you will be on the wait list for most of the accessories if not the clothes. Meanwhile, I'm still contemplating selling my car.

Fendi SS15

Fendi SS15 Accessories

Fendi SS15 Bags

 

Milan Fashion Week Round Up - No. 21

No. 21 SS15

At No.21,  a trio of khaki looks belted at the waist opened the show indicating the military trend that started in New York is going strong. Silhouettes were predominantly masculine as was seen with the oversized shirts in organza and shiny macramé. There was also a grunge influence in the collection. Clothes, in a tartan print were crafted out of various fabrics complete with shiny embellishments. A pinafore style midi dress in organza, a boxy shirt cinched with a belt (the fabric looked like wool) and a bralet that closed the show (all in plaid prints) were some of my favourites. A series of clothes made from sheer organza or see through lace induced a seductive feel to the collection. I didn't much care for a bra top that exposed a bit of the nipples. I doubt many would consider wearing that in public unless it's Rihanna. Meanwhile the perforated trousers worn under the top, and a perforated dress in another look rated high on my must have list.

Finally, the shoes, with bows tied on one side; you either loved them or hated them. They were in plain leather or came in Duchesse satin with giant surrealist style embellishments (an eye in one case). With the crazy fashion flock, my instinct says, these will probably sell out. Personally, I'm not sure which side of the continuum I belong to.

No. 21 SS15