Bottega Veneta’s F/W 13 collection was all about using elements of "poverty" to create beautiful embellishments. Designer Tomas Maiser used unexpected rustic materials such as lacquered wood and straw, and treated them to give the impression of crinkly layers of chiffon that formed oversized an abstract motifs. The rich autumnal tones add warmth and dimension to the raw edges and wrinkled textures, heightening the homespun vibe.
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DECORATIVE ARTS
Milan: Roberto Cavalli has always been associated with a certain sense of excess, and this season the designer pulled out all the stops, sending forth a collection featuring eye-catching prints, luxe materials, copious embellishments, and opulent accessories. The looks were mostly black and white, connecting the show to the film noir theme that has become so prevalent for fall.
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MINIMAL MOVEMENT
Milan: Jil Sander’s work is undoubtedly modern, but the designer’s feminine silhouettes always elevate her shows above dispassionate minimalism. Following up on a curvaceous return to her label in September, Sander’s F/W 13 presentation settled into a soft groove, expanding from nipped waist dresses with exaggerated hips to include easy halter sheaths and below-the-knee skirts with flowing, asymmetric hems.
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HITCHCOCK HEROINES
Milan: Film noir is shaping up to be one of the fall season's key trends, and Ermanno Scervino is yet another designer to embrace the reference. Hitchcock heroines were on his mind when he was creating his current collection. The show started off as a study in heather grey flannel, which was shaped into an alluring double-breasted coatdress and
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BORROWED FROM THE BOYS
Milan: Designer Umit Benan is relatively new at Trussardi (this is just his fourth collection for the label), but his strong roots in menswear have given his offerings an androgynous edge that has brought new life to the venerable house. This season, Benan borrowed a windowpane pattern from menswear, using it for slouchy flannel trousers and a
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RICHNESS FROM POVERTY
Milan: There's sure to be a lot of talk surrounding Tomas Maier's latest collection for Bottega Veneta. Dyeing strips of wood and straw and shellacking them to his elegant sheaths, he stated that his goal was "to create embellishment out of poverty." Edges were often left raw, and what looked like scraps of crumpled chiffon were used as
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MASTER CRAFT
Milan: Gabriele Colangelo’s Spring collection was a sophisticated and graphic interpretation of the designer’s artistic aesthetic, full of clean silhouettes as well as splattered ombré fades and directional transparency. F/W 13’s craftier look was no less artistic, but it was somehow more approachable, particularly the nubby, hand-knit wool pieces with raw, natural fringe in creamy tones. Touches of shredding
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HIGH-GLOSS PUNK
Milan: Donatella Versace may not be the master of reinvention, but she certainly knows how to bend a theme to her will. Swiftly abandoning Spring’s bohemian groupies, the designer fully committed to another famous subculture for Fall, treating punk to just as much sizzle. Stripped clean of any grit, this was Sid Vicious by way of a high-end Sunset
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ZIP TO IT
Milan: Jo No Fui's F/W 13 collection has many of the hallmarks of Italian luxury: Sumptuous calfskin and furs, earthy shades of camel and chocolate and cozy cashmere. But the clothes themselves—patchwork leather separates, clean satin cocoon dresses, and deconstructed biker jackets—are more in step with a downtown New Yorker or a Left Bank Parisienne and put the
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FIT FOR A PRINCESS
Milan: With its light knits, satin bolero jackets, prim pencil skirts, and pretty chiffon layers, the F/W 13 Aigner show was fit for a princess. The very proper day-wear, which also included slim taffeta pants and an embroidered fur coat, would be the perfect attire for royal appointments, or simply a day out shopping for the kind of well-manicured
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THE EIGHTIES RESURRECTED
Milan: The 80s have been resurrected many times over in the past few seasons, but Paolo Gerani’s translation for F/W 13 may have been the most literal renewal yet. Hewing to a boxy, wide-shoulder silhouette that tapered to the knees and ankles, the collection had all the graphic banality beloved during the yuppie decade. From two-tone colorblocking to
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Dior’s 1947 New Look has been a touchpoint for several seasons, but in Milan for F/W 13 it seems a key inspiration. The iconic moment resurfaced in peplum looks, pencil skirts, and voluminous midis, all emphasizing that symbol of feminine beauty — the hourglass-shaped torso. – Sharon Graubard
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Layered necklines looked fresh and alluring in Fiona Cibani's F/W 2013 collection for Ports 1961. Here, a raspberry-toned turtleneck sweater over a white pullover peeked out from beneath a precise flannel dress with a clean bateau line. –Deirdre Pérez
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TEXTURAL INTEREST
Milan: The first look in the fall Sportmax show – a rich brown fur coat with a grid-like pattern – set the mood for a collection based on texture and geometric shapes. Head designer Grazia Malagodi repeated that fur grid for a jacket and later included glossy, curly fur, which was used for a chic skirt suit and a
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DIGITAL TRAVELER
Milan: Against a backdrop of swirling digital lights, Veronica Etro sent out futuristic interpretations of her label's signature looks for fall. The famous paisley prints were now interrupted with curving colored lines or morphed into kaleidoscopic mirror images. Other motifs were obscured by black lines and squares, giving them a pixilated effect. In keeping with the digital-age theme, the
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