ShortList's style director Adrian Clark and fashion stylist Barnaby Ash report back on the second day at Milan Fashion Week.
Gucci (picture 1) kicked off Monday with a delightfully textured parade of luxury, featuring velvets with Deco floral designs, printed silks, vintage-style leathers and crisp shearling in dark nuances of red and peacock green, dubbing the look as ‘Bohemian Grunge’. This was a welcome entrance after last season’s dry colour palette.
Inspired by Victorian Britain, Alexander McQueen’s enticing collection featured plus fours paired with oversized shearling overcoats and felted wool tailoring in a colour palette dominated by black, oxblood, ivory, grey and inky blues. They also announced the exciting launch of a made-to-measure service - a collaboration with Huntsman, which will be available at the Bond St. Store.
CK Calvin Klein presented a beautifully understated lesson in minimalist tailoring and elegance, displaying luxurious textures and slim-line silhouettes in tonal shades of grey and putty. After years of dabbling in sportswear it felt like the brand had found its place once again.
ZZegna (picture 2) redefined their look with the arrival of Paul Surridge (after being Raf Simons’ right-hand man at Jil Sander). He presented a collection with a rigorous practicality, aiming to express status with technological eccentricity. Muted neutrals were blended with pops of rich and vibrant jewel tones - a mature yet extremely chic take on functionality.
Umit Benan has managed to capture our curiosity with his approach to both the Trussardi collection that he showed over the weekend and his very own label too. The man seems uninterested in the monotonous approach to the traditional catwalk but instead takes pride in putting on a show for those lucky enough to attend. This season for his own collection he presented a military-inspired tailored mash-up.
After last season’s welcome explosion of Versace print and embellishment little did we know it hadn’t even touched on what it had to offer. This season saw the collection (picture 3) reach a whole new plateau of luxury with a devilish presentation of brightly printed military pieces with pop colour fur collars, dark denims embellished with gold and black leather jackets with crystals and studs. Versace’s work was a magnificent combination of the most inappropriate clothing that should never work together but was blended in a way that was extremely thrilling.
ShortList's style director Adrian Clark, explains how you can achieve this look from the Roberto Cavalli Autumn Winter 2012 show:
One of the most representative grooming looks shown yesterday came from Belgian designer Dirk Bikkembergs, who gave his models a winter sun-kissed look with very neat side-parted hair that was kept in place with a high-shine finish. To achieve Bikkembergs' healthy glow we recommend using L'Oreal Paris Men Expert Hydra Energetic Gradual Tan Moisturiser £10.71 for 50ml, which gives a natural looking tan within two hours of application. Smooth evenly over skin and build up in layers to get the look you desire ( for Bikkembergs' look use sparingly). To achieve the side parting with a wet-look finish, use L'Oreal Paris Studio Line Wet and Sleek Wet Look Gel £3.56 for 200ml. Slick the gel through your hair from front to back and then comb into place. Use on damp or wet hair to get the best finish.
L'Oreal, 0800-030 4032
