Emilio Pucci
Known to not be a shy brand, Emilio Pucci really stepped it up a few notches this season! Last season, was a bit of a miss – lacking a boldness, something Pucci-esque that although Massimo Giorgetti looked to the archives for, failed to translate successfully. It was a bit soft, and I wished that certain aspects were elaborated on more, exaggerated to full effect. Print galore perhaps?
Italian Fashion has to not be shy!
Fashion has to not be shy!
And given more time to sink his head into the archives of Emilio Pucci, boy, did Massimo Giorgetti deliver! At foremost, it started with the obvious roots of Pucci – geometric print which felt like something old, but something new. It then exploded into more graphic, vivid prints, including the mountains motif which was more than appropriate – graphic danger, risqué. Not least, there was also play with silhouette and proportion, large overcoats over an otherwise lean physique, slim-fit top paired with an A-line skirt that hit just below the knee, oversized sweaters. Athleticism meets Geometry.
The collection started with a bang and finished with a bang. Bravo, Massimo Giorgetti.
There was the genius move of bringing the geometric shapes bigger, louder on the body and where it’d be most slimming, attractive but not accentuating flaws.
Fendi
Fendi is a brand that has really been in my good books for the past couple of years, and so season after season, this is the brand I look most forward to seeing (or at least when concerning Milan Fashion Week).
Mr Karl Lagerfeld, Creative Director in total of 3 brands: Fendi, Chanel and his own eponymous brand – it’s practically unheard of isn’t it? Perhaps also the longest serving till this day considering how quick newly appointed Creative Directors are to leave in the most recent year (notably Hedi Slimane at YSL or shall we say Saint Laurent?).
Mr Lagerfeld, a force to not be reckoned with, looked to the waves this season. Not ruffles, waves; just to be super clear. It was strange, moody but delightful, as if these waves had a life of their own and as such, connected with a Space Age theme.
Not to be too literal – there were no signs of silver metallics but plenty of fur of which I wasn’t a huge fan of (personal preference I guess). But – the consistency and the exploration of the waves were magnificent from the bags and accessories, to the shoes, to the actual garments. There were the dark, hypnotic waves which worked their magic the most by not being overly neat and equal. A flatter wave served as an accessory around the waist, adding a pop of colour. Then, there were the stripes that were communicating with the female body. Strikingly though, the coppery jacquard with Japanese floral motifs was the most stunning highlight of the show, as if the waves had a power to lift and reveal a whole new world.
The Fendi woman at the beginning? She had been transformed.
Gucci
Not quite as large a collection as Dolce & Gabanna but with seventy looks, it was more than enough to keep our eyes busy and heads turning, all within good reason.
Out of all the famous European Fashion Houses, I am least committed to Gucci and I don’t exactly know why. And though I have not necessarily ranked my favourite cuts per season, per city, I dare say that Gucci is towards the top, faring extremely well in colour, textures, fabrics, theme/story…it was crazy without being garish or somehow distasteful and that takes a lot of skill.
How best to describe this collection?
It felt very evident that there was a surrealist feeling overall. There was play and there was Fashion. It began with a foot in the past, a tradition, Old Hollywood Glamour re-contextualised simply by bringing it to the now – and it felt very current. This is how the cool kids dress. It then motioned to many time periods from the past which, as schizophrenic as it sounds, somehow connected on the surrealist level of beauty and somehow convinced us that the same Gucci woman would wear all these clothes. She’s a Romantic, she’s a player, if you know what I mean. The star of her own show, like that of a Hollywood film or a Rococo painting.
One more Fashion Week to cover, #PFW! What were your highlights? Who do you look forward to seeing each season? Who surprised you the most? Let me know in the comments below or maybe you’d prefer to tweet me @ahoyhoi?
Note: All images courtesy of Indigital.tv via Style, Vogue and BoF
Hoi Yin Li 