Thursday, September 20, 2007

Milan Fashion Week

The Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana has annouced that this year's spring fashion week opening this coming Saturday will display a whooping 233 collections with 90 brands featured in 96 shows and a further 143 presentations. Mario Boselli, association president, has even announced that 2009 should be featuring more collections since he will be introducing a new schedule starting from a Wednesday instead of Saturday making the event the first Fashion Week and a half. Since when did the Italians get this French?

Spring 2008 New York Highlight: Zac Posen

After the success of his first major runway show in 2004, Posen was awarded the CFDA Swaroski-Perry Ellis award for ready to wear but his ruffled satin draping and fishtail hems never cease to remind us of Christian Dior's couture gowns. In this year's collection, despite disappointingly simple first pieces Zac ended with a tour de force finish that sent the whole crowd - including Martha Stewart, Lucy Liu, Demi Moore and P. Diddy among others - cheering. The dirt-brown tornado gown - of which Lauren David Paden from the British Vogue said that the sported seams spiraled around the model's torso so well that it seemed that she had indeed been caught up in a dustbowl with very flattering results - was just a warm-up for better things to come. Zac Posen ended with four pieces that he later described as his cloud gowns (Nimbus, Cycolone, Cumulus and Cirrus) which reminded us once more why Zac, 27, is still considered the promise of New York's future in fashion. Judge for yourselves.















Monday, September 10, 2007

Spring 2008 New York Highlight: Ralph Lauren

Donna Karan said after seeing this show: "I am not going to have a show!"; and she was only half-joking. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of his label, Ralph Lauren put up a collection making all Italian and French designers wishing they were from New York. This is by far one of the most well-coordinated collections any designers has put together. In an orgasm of all-time Ralph Lauren favorites the collection opened with thinK breeches, jodhpurs, panama pants, and a smoking hot black skirt suit worn by a bowler-hatted model. From there, he embarks the audience into an exuberant floral-sprigged garden party featuring silky dresses later followed by jockey wear - faithful to his equestrian inspiration. A group of stunningly simplistic and elegant taffeta dresses followed before he ended with stunning beaded dresses and party gowns celebrities will be fiercely fighting over on their way to red carpet events. Unlike Valentino, we're are brought to believe that this is not an 'Adieu' as Ralph Lauren takes his bow to the sound of Frank Sinatra's "The best is yet to come".














































Spring 2008 New York Highlight: Carlos Miele

Carlos Miele is New York's favorite Brazilian designer. His designs are highly detailed and structured with bold colors and impressive patchwork. The jagged hemlines, plunging necklines, clingy silhouettes and bias-cut sheer gowns are one of the sexiest yet surprisingly most couture-like pieces on the runway.







Srping 2008 New York Highlight: Marchesa

Since this label was established in 2004 it has quickly become a favorite between fashion critics and celebrities. Designers Georgina Chapman and Karen Craig complete each other beautifully producing a great iconic vision of extremely detailed, delicate and refined evening gowns mixing far-east embroidery and draping fabrics that keep the fashionistas awing. This season was no exception. In what the British Vogue described as "a jewelery box of style" their collection featured raj inspired golden embroidery (among which a magnificent black chiffon with gold peacock feathers), strapless, floorlength and Grecian gowns in Indian tangerine, silky blue and fuchsia pink. My favorite: the rose petal fuchsia pink dress.