MILAN...An unexpectedly standout collection from usually staid Milan, the Iceberg F/W 08 looks were wonderfully modern and innovative. Opening the show with oversize, tonally embellished knit outerwear and stuffed cocoon shapes, a wide range of key items followed, including body conscious, zippered bandage dresses and bustier topped shifts. The primary color palette plays it safe, keeping focus on flattering silhouettes
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MILAN...Clearly taking the current popularity of plaid to heart, D&G made a collection for F/W 08 almost exclusively built on this classic pattern. A wild concoction of plaids in various scales and colors, ruffle print dresses, blouses and even tights and pants were covered in checks. Perhaps more puzzling was the combination of plaid and paisley on some bohemian tunic
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Season after season, Miuccia Prada refuses to be pinned down on the inspiration, influence or any sort of background story to her collection and yet so influential is she that season after season the industry searches for them. The show began with a little teaser, some grey flannel dresses, rather drab and cut to a rather difficult length below the
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MILAN...CNC Costume National's Ennio Capasa seems to do his best designing for Fall, and this season is no exception. Relaxing the strict, sharply slim silhouette he most often uses, Capasa adopts a thoroughly modern, young style, comprised of irregular pleated layers, compact sleeveless hoods and embellished, sheer wrap tops. A somber palette of black and charcoal is shot through
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MILAN...Christopher Bailey for Burberry Prorsum stepped away from spring's "luxury warriors" and the hard-edged Medieval theme of the previous season, choosing to focus instead on soft proportion play for a series of outerwear looks. There were many versions, cocoon-shaped, double-breasted, single or with a slightly raised waist. What they all had in common was the length, above the knee and
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MILAN... From Raf Simons, yet another collection to qualify the statement, "Less is More". The blend of impeccable tailoring taken from menswear and the draping reminiscent of women's couture was a satisfying mix to be sure. The groundwork laid for spring was unmistakable, the silhouette, cut and proportion were all present. The yards of tulle were gone, replaced by shoulder
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MILAN...Gianfranco Ferre clearly understands the undeniable appeal of sparkle and shine for Juniors, pulling out all the sequins for F/W 08. Smartly restricted to simple t-shirt shapes, the shimmering design is a perfect foil to flowing minis for evening, as well as trousers for day. Other Junior-appropriate day looks included ensembles that referenced a brightened Annie Hall style, with oversize
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MILAN...Established fashion house Missoni took a more youthful turn this season, perhaps in a nod to brand heir and girl-about-town Margarita. Sophisticated yet girly florals enliven loose v-neck dresses, and the addition of a ruffled bust gives a strapless look more kick. However, the standout item in the collection has to be the gray jumpsuit, a style presented by other
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MILAN...Roberto Cavalli is a designer who revels in print and texture, and his younger line, Just Cavalli, is no exception. For F/W 08, the label brought out a wild mix of animal print legwear, plaid mini-dresses, '70s references, and playful pendant jewelry. Even though the looks weren't perfectly cohesive, Just Cavalli was still a youthful and easy collection for Juniors.
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LONDON...Designer Betty Jackson's collection for F/W 08 looked quite different from the rest of the pack at London Fashion Week, transmitting a slightly librarian, eclectic signal. Like a cooler, more creative version of Erin Fetherston's work, Betty Jackson showed on-trend florals alongside pop brights and creative layering, acheiving a madcap femininity. Look to this collection for styling and print inspirations.
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LONDON...Twin sister designers Felder Felder employed the gnarled texture common to many in London this season, but added a rock chick spin. A mostly black palette was dressed up with feathers, patent leather, satin and lots of heavy gold metal rings, forming a pitch perfect juxtaposition of sweet and dangerous. Strong shoulders and combat boots rounded out the look for
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LONDON...After a stark and tough Spring season, fashion forward Sinha Stanic is back with a much more colorful statement for F/W 08. Long sleeve knit dresses explored color blocking and feathered textures, while short, fortune cookie skirts were paired with cropped biker jackets for an interrupted silhouette. Look to this London designer for consistently directional and fresh fashion updates.
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LONDON...Similar to the organic looks on display at Basso and Brooke, London-based label Bora Aksu brought layering and sinuous shapes to their collection, using accented hems, frills and rigid piping to highlight the curves of construction. A muted and harmonious palette of browns, feminine pastels and orange compliments these forward, yet wearable Junior items. Watch this emerging designer for more
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LONDON...Young label Basso and Brooke are known for a masterful use of color and print, and this season they added texture to their list of talents. A wide ranging F/W 08 collection featured digitized patterns, Pantone stripe coats, undulating bubble dresses and reworked plaids. Bulbous sleeves, pleating, twisting and fur accents added to the mixture and solidified the place of
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LONDON...British designer Emma Cook, absent from London Fashion Week for two seasons, returned for F/W 08 with a nuanced and unusual collection sponsored by Topshop and presented in their underground garage venue far from the official tent. Legwear dominated, adding to each look and consisting of both tie-dye printed latex leggings as well as crawling black lace. Hemlines were short,
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