It's day 2 for style director Adrian Clark and fashion stylist Barnaby Ash as they report back on the latest trends at the Milan fashion week.
To read day 3 click here.
Gucci (second from left) opened Monday’s offering of presentations with a show that put luxury, the subtle use of colour and exploration of texture firmly on the map as key trends to follow for autumn 2011. Soft shades of mole and mink formed the neutral backdrop for trench coats in croc printed suede, mohair tailoring and alligator blazers, paired with tonal shades of rose and washed out raspberry as accents in shirts and ties or for mohair knits. The fit for suits took a decidedly 70’s route, with trousers fitting slimly on the thighs that kicked out to subtle flared silhouettes at the ankle.
Defining the look as ‘Rockmantic’, the collection, one that built on Gucci’s ever increasing exploration of the poetic and chic, proved one of the highlights thus far in what is proving to be a stellar season ahead from the Italian fashion capital.
D&G, (far left) Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana’s high octane and sporty diffusion line was everything this younger audience targeted collection should be: shot through with bolts of electrifying colour. Brightly coloured cord jeans were worn low on the hip, with sneakers and t-shirts or sweats that featured abstract ‘Drink Coca Cola’ and Mickey Mouse prints, that made a cultural reference to American pop-culture and consumerism.
Versace, now designed by young U.K based designer Martyn Bal, took a hardcore stance with post-modern and industrial styling that took much of its influence from the 1980’s Germanic electro movement, showing scalpel sharp suits, wrap coats and experimental uses with black leather. Knits featured 3-D textural and geometric patterns, while harness waistcoats gave a powerful silhouette to tailoring.
The eagerly anticipated first full collection for McQueen (second from right) by the designer’s successor, Sarah Burton - she picked up the mantle from Alexander on the last collection that was shown in June last year - proved that she was more than capable of the job. Referencing Napoleonic coats for oversized sweeping outerwear that featured upscale shearling collars and playing with military influences there was the perfect balance of show-stopping ‘special’ pieces with more commercial tailoring. It was among some of the finest shown in a capital know for its sartorial take on menswear, with car coats, blazers and sport jackets in textural tweeds with narrow shoulders and an extremely elegant fit.
Shockwaves Style Director Michael Douglas on how to get the look from the Iceberg (far right) show:
"You can create this classic Italian-inspired style by applying Shockwaves Heat Defence Curl Shaping Mousse (RRP £2.99) to damp hair combing through with fingers, never a brush or comb. Then dry with a hairdryer on a low speed but high heat - or leave it to dry naturally. Once dry, scrunch a little Shockwaves Re-Create Styling Wax (RRP £2.99) into the hair while pushing the hair back wards."
