Milan Fashion Week Review – Part 2

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Welcome to the second part of our review of Milan Fashion Week SS2016, where we look back on the highlights of this season’s runway shows.

Moschino

Jeremy Scott’s show was dazzling and provocative, to say the very least. Here is a designer at the top of his game, so confident in his every move that you have no choice but to go along for the ride. The guests were provided with hard hats, and an overarching theme of roadworks defined the event. “Dangerous Couture Ahead”, read one sign. “Clothed for Repairs”, said another. There was even a car wash.

And the clothes? Nothing short of sensational, always outlandish, and occasionally bordering on the insane. There were dresses that looked like car wash roller brushes, jackets that resembled traffic cones, and fluorescent yellow “hi-vis” suits.  There was an even a Cadillac dress with flashing red tail lights.

Whatever the reaction may be from the more traditional end of the fashion world, Scott’s designs are turning heads and getting people talking. At a time when brands left and right are looking deeper into the past for inspiration, Moschino continues to push forward into the future, never hesitating to experiment with new forms, nor recycling the nostalgia of yesteryear.

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Moschino’s car wash-themed show certainly made an impact. Photo: The Calgary Herald

MaxMara

Another brand with a clear vision for their SS2016 collection was MaxMara, and here the motifs were distinctly nautical: the models coming up the runway resembled sailors walking a gangplank, replete with a sea shanty soundtrack, and a visual background of water lapping against portholes.

Of course, in a show recalling those classic images of seafaring, there had to be stripes. And there were, lots of them, together with knotted ropes on sleeves and waistlines. The inspiration taken from Jean Paul Gaultier was clear, but these designs went beyond imitation, and forged new ground in an already well-trodden territory for fashion.

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MaxMara’s SS2016 collection is heavy on nautical references. Photo: junglam.com

 

Fendi

It’s been 50 years now since Karl Lagerfeld began working with Fendi, and this incredibly long-lived collaboration continues to bear fruit. Here again, there were throwbacks to the past, going back as far as the Tudors (complete with exaggerated shoulders), but no single historical reference point dominated proceedings. They were chosen, according to Silvia Fendi, because they were “times when women were strong and tough”. Instead, this was an eclectic and diverse collection, showing once again how wide Fendi’s range and appeal continue to be.

Of particular interest were the bags, with their long straps and leather flower decoration, they screamed for your attention, often eclipsing the accompanying outfits. Indeed, Fendi is innovating in this direction, now selling their bags and straps separately (“Strap You”, as they call it) to allow their customers to personalize their accessories.

The clothes themselves were rich in handcrafted details, combining styles at once puritan and sexy. Soft lines, coral blousons, basket-weave skirts and long lines of buttons were all present, and though it would be hard to call this a revolution in fashion, the collection will no doubt be lapped up by Fendi’s loyal, adoring audience.

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Traces of the medieval in Fendi’s evocative new collection. Photo: The Malay Mail Online

The Best of the Rest

Elsewhere: Alberta Ferretti’s show recalled the Classical World (both Egyptian and Greek), with models who were at once both heavily accessorized and nomadic. Philipp Plein’s catwalk was a conveyor belt lined with guitar-playing robots, with a heavy emphasis on studded leather. Tod’s collection was all stadium rock chic, both androgynous and powerful.

Roberto Cavalli reveled in ludicrously long, flowing skirts that seemed to never end, with more than a touch of tye-dye influence. Marni, meanwhile, proclaimed itself with loud, block colours from the head down, with billowing sleeves aplenty. Fausto Puglisi, on the other hand, was inventive with his influences, mixing his trademark Sicilian theatricality with a sort of cowgirl look, complete with Western boots. Last, but not least, Stella Jean’s show took in something from every continent, redefining culture clash and presenting us with a collection inspired, above all, by immigration.

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 Stella Jean’s colourful, intercontinental collection delighted onlookers. Photo: Yahoo Lifestyle

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