ShortList had a ringside seat at all of the major Milan and Paris catwalk shows, previewing their spring/summer 2011 seasons. This is our summary of the key looks across all occasions that we believe will be influencing the way we all dress in the not-so-distant future....
Words: Adrian Clark / Pictures: Catwalking.com
CASUALWEAR
The main stay of what was shown in Milan and Paris, and what will make up the bulk of our wardrobe staples for next season, came in the form of the category that spans a multitude of occasions, casualwear. Here, not so much ‘looks’ were the order of the day, as key pieces that you should add to your already perfectly formed dress sense. A lot of bleached denim was shown on the catwalks with Dries Van Noten proving most dedicated to this trend by showing both skinny leg jeans and denim jackets often juxtaposed with soft tailoring. Luxe hiking looks such as Kim Jones for dunhill’s luxury drawstring waist cagoule jacket, Gucci’s 1960’s spin on the safari suit in silk mix fabric, Prada’s Striped hand-knit sweaters and both Bottega Veneta’s and Louis Vuitton’s layering of feather light couture fabrics for sportswear, were also all highlights.
In this photo: Bottega Veneta
CASUALWEAR
Prada
CASUALWEAR
Gucci
CASUALWEAR
Dries Van Noten
CASUALWEAR
Dunhill
CASUALWEAR
Louis Vuitton
OFFICEWEAR
Tailoring for the office will have a relaxed ‘Continental’ attitude next season, with lighterweight fabrics, soft scarves replacing formal ties and a more European slimmer fit. Epitomised in Ermenegildo Zegna’s centenary collection, which showed lightweight 2-button textural suits such as in seersucker, with soft shirts and silk ascot scarves, accented with this season’s hot colour, tan. Other looks worthy of a mention include Dries Van Noten’s Classic English tailoring, in windowpane, salmon or woodchip textured suitings and D-Squred2’s scalpel sharp and sartorial style of sports jacket, grey flannel trousers and contrast white-collared business shirt that took grip on 1970’s Wall Street.
In this photo: Dsquared2
OFFICEWEAR
Dries Van Noten
OFFICEWEAR
Ermenegildo Zegna
HOLIDAYWEAR
Beachwear for high-summer 20011 will have a chic 1960’s resort feel, think St Tropez when Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin rocked the scene. Frida Giannini for Gucci epitomised the trend with her hipster suede jeans cut off to tennis short length worn with archive Gucci buckle belts and slim fitting, open necked Alan Delon inspired printed shirts. Other looks included Louis Vuitton’s traveller luxe, showing a collection that mixed practicality, functionality and stealth-wealth dressing, and Dolce & Gabbana whose 20th anniversary menswear collection took an retrospective glance back at all of the Sicilian and Calabrian romantic classics with which they made their name, such as loose linen trousers casually rolled up at the hem, or roomy shorts that were tied at the waist with rope, worn with Neapolitan tailoring, lightweight rustic knits or vests.
In this picture: Dolce & Gabbana
HOLIDAYWEAR
Gucci
HOLIDAYWEAR
Louis Vuitton
EVENINGWEAR
An international playboy ‘confirmed bachelor’ style dominates in eveningwear for next spring, with Dress To Kill suits veering on the 70’s lothario side (more Studio 54 than Tony Manero), plunging open neck silk shirts, aviator shades and dark, fitted ‘Vanderbilt inspired’ denim. D-Squared2 epitomised the trend with their Super smooth collection inspired by cult Gere movie, American Gigolo. Other looks that will be influential included Salvatore Ferragamo’s soft take on 1920’s Great Gatsby elegance and Martyn Bal’s first collection for the house of Versace, which fused rock ‘n’ roll with hard rock for a line of 50’s rockabilly inspired shiny suits and Iggy pop influenced fringed leather.
In this picture: Versace
EVENINGWEAR
Salvatore Ferragamo
EVENINGWEAR
Dsquared2
