Paris fashion week kicked off with a bold, “masculine'' collection for women in neutral colours by experimental South Korean designer Moon Young Hee. The Paris-based designer sent out an eye-catching collection of voluminous trousers, ruffle-covered tops and floor-length skirts. A master of layering, known for her fluid, feminine designs, she limited herself to a restrained palette of black, white, grey and ecru.
Architecture, the patterns of painting movement "art brut" and the surrealistic colors of Dutch Master Brueghel were all inspirations behind Cedric Charlier's diverse fall-winter 2013-14 show in Paris. The first pieces, among the collection's best, mixed up sharp geometric panelling alongside oversize coats with fluid, rounded shoulders. Ensembles were made up of several layers, like square navy skirts on top of knee-length leggings with a rectangular bib form hanging down. There were also some great structured sheaths in silky navy and black leather. It's a far cry from the more fluid looks seen in Charlier's last collection.
Check out the dames who've decided to ditch long locks and rock a shorter style.
Armani's latest winter collection came almost all in black, with accents of gray, navy and red. The chic-yet-simple collection spoke to a contemporary woman, who in the designer's own words is "a little man, a little woman, and a lot of both." Admiring front-row guests included singer Janet Jackson and a scattering of royalty: Charlene Wittstock, wife of Prince Albert of Monaco, and Tatiana Blatnik, wife of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark. The collection featured ultra-feminine long skirts in velvet or sequined chiffon, worn with tiny double-breasted or flared jackets. But the look also came with wide pants, complete with decorative suspenders. Evening pants were paired with dazzling sequined tops. Armani had more pants, including jumpsuits and Bermuda shorts, in his collection than most designers this round, where ladylike skirts and dresses were the preferred look. Armani's only concession to eccentric show stoppers were his funky Russian-inspired felt and furry hats, worn with every outfit.
The stars of the Oscars hit up the Vanity Fair and Elton John after parties.
As Life & Style Editor I have the heroic task of picking the most smashing red carpet looks, and deciding who was not so visually pleasing. So here you go. For all the red carpet banter check out the blog and tell me what you think of my picks on Twitter.
The Salvatore Ferragamo show concentrates on shapes. All in black, white and navy blue, with no prints or bold shades, the clothes have to speak for themselves. Massimiliano Giornetti, designer for the Florentine brand best known for its accessories, gives his winter styles a voice through sculpted silhouettes and carefully chosen fabrics. A few examples: a wide Alpaca jacket is worn with an A-line short skirt in pony leather; an oversized cashmere pullover is paired with a dainty slip with beaded hemline; and a classic overcoat becomes even more classy when worked in shiny silk. Even fur and leather are worked to highlight the artistry of the collection, starting with suede stitched in smocking, or beaver shorn to look like satin. The famous Ferragamo shoe next winter is a knee-high boot with pointed toe and relatively low stiletto heel, cut out at the instep and laced up the barelegged back. The latest Ferragamo bag is a shopper with metal inserts.
Fendi is to fur what Ferrari is to cars. Yet given current concerns about animal rights, the brand has moved from the lavish fur coats that were all the rage in the 1980s to a more discreet way of interpreting fur as fashion. Fendi creative director Silvia Venturini, daughter of one of the company's five founding sisters, opted for wisps of fur used as hair decorations, bracelets, or charms hanging from Fendi bags. Fur also appeared as inserts in a skirt or a dress, or sheered and fashioned into a cozy, but not showy, jacket. Long fur, usually goat, also seen on other runways during Milan's preview showings, was used to make up a skirt or a cape.
Mila Schon has turned to a new team of international designers to usher in a new era for the label. The first collection, cold weather clothes for next year, had an ingénue appeal, with flouncy and feminine looks. The design team created volumes with ruffles and blousy effects that projected an easy-to-sketch silhouette. Fur-and-wool coats had tiered ruffle necks. Sheer black spandex turtlenecks finished with a flourish with long, bell-shaped ruffles that start at the elbow. Ample skirts, short and long alike, promised sashay to any walk. Miniskirts and short coats showed off leather high-heeled boots that disappeared beneath the short hemlines. But hemlines on coats, skirts and pants also were left to trail.
The Gucci woman next winter is a playful mixture of demure and daring. "She seduces with her dangerous femininity," writes creative director Frida Giannini in her show notes. For example, while the season's pencil skirt has a proper several-inches-below-the-knee hemline, the slits up the front and back are not necessarily ladylike. Or take the little black dress, a cocktail-hour must — until Giannini ups the ante with fetching see-through lace, leather inserts and low-cut backs and necklines. In the constructed collection, jackets are generally small, with either a soft or well-defined shoulder. Coats are cut close to the body, except for a single mannish coat in cornflower blue with a black Astrakhan collar. Skirts are worn high for a delicate take on the waist, and the tapered and short pants are more sweet than sexy. However, the recurrent fishnet tights complete with black seam underlined the fetching mood of the collection.
The latest Alberta Ferretti winter collection could be labeled minimal Victorian. There were many of the elements of 19th century fashion, from the high collars, wide skirts, rich fabrics and austere embroidery, but on a paired down silhouette. A simple sheath takes on yesteryear allures when it comes in rich velvet and prominent jeweled embroidery. On the other hand a suit with hoop skirt and peplum jacket, is updated by making the skirt a little narrower and the jacket smaller. Eveningwear keeps old-age accents, but is cut in a contemporary long and slim style. Fancy fur wraps are reversible with a cozy felt lining, which in a minute can turn posh into pedestrian.
Agatha Ruiz de la Prada has sent down a colourful collection at Madrid's Fashion Week.
Rising star Simone Rocha's beautifully executed autumn/winter collection was called "respect your elders" and was, she said, inspired by her grandmothers.
London designer Erdem Moralioglu has garnered a long list of fans with his delicate, ice cream-coloured floral dresses, but this season he decided to put a darker twist on his romantic style. The show began with all-black dress and coat ensembles, with a rich mix of textures to keep things interesting: Feather trims, boucle, exposed zips and shimmering sequins on sheer blouses. There were deep burgundy and black lace dresses with a contrasting pale blue collar, followed by Erdem's signature florals in knee-length dresses. The frocks introduced pinks, purples and neon yellows to the collection's palette, though the color was largely subdued by the sheer black layers over them. The final pieces of the collection returned to just black, playing on sheer layers of lace, velvet and polka dots — sometimes all together.
Fashion shows have been known to feature a little bit of behind and even racy topless models. But Pam Hogg has pushed nudity to the max. The British designer sent her models down the runway at London Fashion Week in a bold palette of black, red and white done in shiny materials with sculptural hats. But mostly, her models were naked. Actually naked. It was a bold move, one Pam Hogg has toyed with before. But does it detract from the fashion? Here's a selection of snaps that leave just a little bit to the imagination.
Burberry Prorsum has taken its classic trench coats on safari for a makeover. In a catwalk show that drew stars such as Kate Beckinsale and Michelle Dockery to its front row on Monday, the luxury British brand updated its coats with calfskin and mink in bold leopard and giraffe prints, cinched in with glossy gold belts. The slick runway display - the glitziest of London Fashion Week shows - was just the latest example of how deftly creative director Christopher Bailey combined Burberry's venerable English roots with trendy designs to produce clothes and accessories coveted by women worldwide.
Ford's show included lacy black tops, brightly coloured metallic skirts, and long, form-fitting black dresses set off by explosive sunbursts of sequinned, metallic colour. The American designer also made use of leopard-printed coats of varying lengths and — in a nod to the 1960s — soft black leather jackets with fringes in the back. Other outfits emphasized a basic colour palette of black and white in interesting contrasts, playing on a zebra-striped theme. The outfits were not revealing but very feminine and flattering, with many jackets offering high neck collars and dramatic shapes.
Since choosing London as Cheap & Chic’s temporary residence a year ago, Rosella Jardini has infused the young and cheeky collection with some local attitude. For fall, she played to tea-parlor types in an adorably improper way, sending up good girl clothes with a pretty punk spirit, Women’s Wear Daily reported.
Few designers so consistently mix fashion with politics, or manage to secure her fans' adoration with the same looks almost every season. But Vivienne Westwood is not any designer. The flame-haired grand dame of British fashion on Sunday sent her models marching down the catwalk in her signature tight-fitting dresses and nipped-in jackets, then in the finale joined them wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with a giant image of her own face and a slogan that read "I am Julian Assange." Westwood has been selling the Assange T-shirts to raise funds and support for the WikiLeaks founder, who is living in the Ecuador's Embassy in London. He is seeking asylum from the country to avoid extradition to Sweden to face sexual assault questions. - AP
Take a look behind the scenes look at the Fall 2013 NY Fashion Week.
COCO MADEMOISELLE is here again, beautiful, independent and mischievous. With Keira Knightley and Alberto Ammann, directed by Joe Wright. Soundtrack : "It's a man's man's man's world" (James Brown, Betty Newsome), performed by Joss Stone. Courtesy: YouTube/CHANEL
Posen presented his smallest show in years, taking a breath from a whirlwind few months that included joining Project Runway as a judge. For a designer who thrives on flashbulbs, cameras and frenzy, the change might seem odd, but he said his intimate show at the Plaza Hotel was the best way to sharpen his focus in a collection that was thoughtful and intellectual. "My fantasies about glamour or about society, about travel, all took place here growing up in New York. When you drive by great historical backgrounds, this is where Halston did his first shows, where Oscar de la Renta used to show,'' Posen said. Part of Posen's signature are red-carpet gowns, such as the strapless, draped bustier ballgown worn by Crystal Renn and the architectural peplum gown with cutouts and sharp shoulders worn by Coco Rocha.
At first, Hilfiger's looks, staged like a movie-set library, looked like they were built on the Savile Row-styled menswear and Ivy League prep-school uniforms he has played with for almost 30 years. There were houndstooth prints in every scale imaginable - on a coat, turtleneck, tuxedo pants and even a dickie - and probably even more plaid. "Classics receive an unexpected twist,'' was Hilfiger's mantra, putting some newness on the catwalk while maintaining a relatable ease that would appeal to his broad audience. Together on the runway, the collection evoked mod for 2013. The leather argyle pattern shifts and shirtdresses could reintroduce his muses - and fashion icons - Twiggy, Mary Quant and Marianne Faithfull to a new generation.