khaleej times Friday, October 1, 2010
FASHIOn
15
O B M A M
ITALIANO VERSACE
GUCCI
Donatella had structure tinged with sensuality as the basis of her collection and it was wonderfully balanced with bright colours, the company motif used as trim and pattern, sexy day dresses and chic day coats. The story of sensual rigour had runway indicators on many levels: the controlled, tightly slicked back hair of the models, the strong defined brows and the serious ‘don’t mess with me or else’ look on their faces. The clothing spoke to the sensual mood the designer was feeling with body con dresses, high slits, cutouts, and harness straps on dresses. The accessories were strong, especially the nude heels with one bold stroke of colour and high ankle strap, which were simple yet very sexy. Leather played a big part in the collection, with a rich little skirt suit in black with embellished piping that should be in every fashionista’s closet.
PRADA Bold stripes, brightly hued furs, sleek pincurls and a dancing monkey/pattern intertwined with baroque swirls made for a playful yet seriously sexy outing at Prada. The bold looks, colours and patterns seemed to signal the end of minimalism and embraced a ‘more is more’ festiveness. Miuccia’s brainy simplicity was on display with fitted hourglass shapes, jackets with architectural structure, hemlines with flippy ruffles, swirls and bananas that modernised the campy Carmen Miranda aesthetic, as well as in the curve-inducing ‘flight attendant’ suits. Prada is always ahead of the curve with accessories and this season she knocked it right out of the ballpark. Who doesn’t want sexy, playful shoes that reflects one’s playful side with tricoloured platform sneakers, or a sexier, more grown-up side with 40s-inspired woven check platforms?
BOTTEGA VENETA The urban jungle served as inspiration and backdrop for the sophisticated looks from Tomas Maier this time out. Loose silhouettes, flat, sensible yet stylish shoes and roomy handbags, spoke to the needs of a chic city dweller and the demands of city life. The collection played up the sporty ease that urban life dictates with cool separates: tank tops, gathered skirts, tank dresses and jumpsuits, while rumpled fabrics and ‘straight out of bed or the shower’ hair supported that laid-back nonchalance that cool, urban denizens are known for. The shirtdresses in monochromatic hues were edgy and sexy with sheer insets at the waist, shoulders and hemlines. Maier threw in a little Mad Max feel to the collection with structured croc vests and chainmail dresses. All in all, it was a breezy urban affair, perfect for the modern day urban princess, warrior or not.
The woman that likes chic served with a serious side of sass sums up the Gucci S/S 2011 collection. The sartorial cleansing of the palate from last season was the perfect springboard for this season’s plethora of choices, bold looks and use of colour that any sexy sophisticate would call for. The designer played with the house’s equestrian heritage, colour blocking, the YSL 70s and Guy Bourdin photographs as inspiration. When working with the bold, saturated jewel-toned hues of her colour block dresses, the designer kept accessories and embellishments to a minimum save the wide bronze-hued belts that were a fitting contrast. Monotone hues of black or desert tones were the blank slates that the playful excess of fringe, hardware and other embellishments came to life on. Skinny silhouettes were the perfect way to showcase the sensuous nature and edgy grommet details of the exotic Berber-inspired leather pieces that made for great day and eveningwear.
The lessons from Milan this season has taught us that the street chic of Milanese women coupled with Zaha Hadid architecture and garden party blooms is exactly where it’s at for the S/S 2011 season, says Stephanie Rivers
JIL SANDER The mundane was raised to a very elegant and minimalist level, given weight to the most ordinary can be extraordinary in the right hands. Raf Simons paired a plain white T-shirt with floor-length ball gown skirts in bright bursts of colour, with draping details and tiered layers, and jackets coming down the runway in structured and boxy shapes with contrasting peplum hems paired with potato-bag pants. Flashes of skin were present, as they have been on many runways, with shirt insets on shirts. Stripes similar to awning stripes and oversized blooms provided bold patterns and electric shocks of colour, and along with the deep jewel hues and the full shapes gave the looks an elegant circus appeal.
FENDI Karl Lagerfeld was feeling a sense of nostalgia, which showed in his channelling of the vintage 70s for Fendi’s S/S 2011 collection. The collection provided the Fendi woman with cool daywear pieces that used the louche 70s as its inspiration. There were poet blouses, offshoulder pheasant dresses in linen, smocks, romantic poppy-inspired prints that were reminiscent of pressed flowers in glass, paper bag-waist pants and skirts, and fabrics that were ethereal in nature, exuding a lightness that would be perfect for hot summer temperatures. Architectural touches came in shapes of skirts (tulip skirts), lantern sleeves on long shirtdresses, and square shoulders on a lovely blue suit. The off-shoulder dresses, drawstring tunics and wrap skirts signalled a holiday mood, perhaps St Tropez, which spoke both to the locale’s temperatures and its noted sexiness. The collection’s ‘homespun’ flourishes, which showed up as details and contrast on many of the looks, made this outing one of my favourites of the season thus far.