For Fashion Spot forum members, New York and London Fashion Weeks are just a warm-up; Milan and Paris are the cities they eagerly anticipate season after season so that they can raise up and tear down what they love and loathe on the runways. With so many forum members weighing in and reviewing all the collections, it can be difficult to discern a clear consensus on the clothes and accessories, but below is a selection of some of their standouts – for better or worse.
THE HITS:
“Gorgeous show, probably my favorite of Milan. Wearable pieces with the typically unusual details such as the white sheer backs of tops and jackets, and that fantastic drop-waist effect with the plain hip-length top and the heavy embellishment beginning mid-thigh. I enjoyed those ‘eighties granny’s-itchy-cardigan texture coats… it’s so typical of Marni to take something typically associated with being extremely dated and turning it into something people would crave.” [Crying Diamonds]
“Loved this collection, the fold-over dresses and the zip-up tops. Fantastic.” [Desi]
“The styling was, surprisingly, crisp. I like that [Consuelo Castiglioni] leaps ahead a decade and references the 60s more so than the 50s, through the use of knee lengths, drop waists, and pop art prints.” [Not Plain Jane]
Read our review and see images of the Marni collection.
“[Miuccia Prada] did what I thought was impossible: took a very literal reference, and used it in a way that doesn’t come across at all as kitschy. The way she contrasted her prints and her shapes was great as well. Such a stereotypically masculine subject (hot rods, man) paired with these sort of traditional-looking housewifey shapes was absolutely brilliant. I love how she mixed typical gender roles in such an unpredictable, wearable way … Literally the only collection I’ve LOVED this season.” [SnowWhiteDrift]
“This is the Prada I truly love. Thanks Miucca for making it so easy to digest. No need to see it three or four times to see how good it is. I love how cinematic the whole show was … There’s once again this idea of being a little flirty and provocative but doing it in a very understated way. Under a big coat, a big jacket, hidden behind conservative accessories or hair and make-up. Really Brilliant.” [Wolkfolk]
“Miuccia reigns as the queen of fashion innovation in my eyes. I love how she took multiple elements of the 50s – the florals, long fitted-coats, cars/diner inspiration, the full skirts, etc. and combined them into a cohesive collection. I’m not crazy about how literal some of the pieces are – the actual car prints, and I wish they would have held back a bit (just a bit) on the shoes. Instead, I am more inspired by the way she took the shapes and waves of the car bumpers and incorporated them onto the fabrics … The colors, fabrics, and textures are exquisite as usual. It’s all quite brilliant and wearable, the more I study it, the more I adore it.” [HeatherAnne]
Read our review and see images of the Prada collection.
“[Alessandro Dell’Acqua is] my absolute favorite in Milan at the moment, every collection since he came back is amazing. It’s always uber feminine, very elegant, extremely sharp. I love the fact that it’s so sexy and the girls look really desirable but it’s not in your face… He’s got that very beautiful subtle and sexy elegance. And of course there are the amazing fabrics, the little details, the prints, the accessories, the little experimentations on essentials… It’s really easy but definitely not boring. Refinement without pretention.” [Wolkfolk]
“Alessandro is by far one of the few designers I’m never let down by, always so excellent and always so underrated.” [saann]
“This is what fashion should be. Refined, elegant, sensual, and desirable, ready for retail. Everything is made with sophistication, with the final customer in mind.” [StoneSkipper]
THE MISSES:
“I am so bringing up this collection next time someone says Karl [Lagerfeld] is a genius who never puts a foot wrong.” [fashionista-ta]
“Personally, I like Fendi when it’s simple and clean. This isn’t.” [iluvjeisa]
“I usually LOVE Fendi bags… but these I don’t get. The sunglasses are cool. But the whole collection is a ‘miss’ to me.” [RedandNavy]
Read our review and see images of the Fendi collection.
“Honestly, I’ve never seen a worse Pucci collection. The prints, the fabrics, the shapes, the gypsy feeling, the tacky bride in the end – no comment. And don’t get me started on the hair tied with some ugly huge ribbon. Everything was so tasteless, cheap and random.” [dodencebt]
“This feels kind of lazy, quite honestly. I mean it’s not that [Peter] Dundas has ever stretched for inspirations that are out of the box, but in general he does do some fun things with tried and true themes. This just feels last minute, like there was no thought involved beyond ‘gypsy,’ no effort put in beyond remaking the basics – cropped peasant blouse, full tiered skirt, crochet, handkerchief hems. Even the prints, which I have to say Dundas has managed to do great things with for his runway collections, feel completely unimaginative, and on top of that they don’t really feel like Pucci prints.” [Spike413]
“I usually enjoy Emilio Pucci collections, but this season’s left me very disappointed. The opening looks are so ugly! There is too much going on here – various prints, jewelry, lengths, themes… It looks like one big mess.” [BibiRose]
Read our review and see images of the Emilio Pucci collection.
“It is Hawaii at its worst, with all the grass skirt references, the gaudy florals, and the leis. The reference is so blatant it’s disturbing! I am surprised there is no volcano involved.” [Not Plain Jane]
“This is truly the tackiest show I’ve ever seen, it’s so bad I can’t even…” [Psylocke]
“Some of the black and white pieces were alright, but overall, I hated it. The shoes and bags were the worst part of it for me.” [msalicia]
“This is so God-awful!” [strange gait]
Images: IMAXTREE
