Antonio Marras Fall 2010 Milan

A journey through textural landscapes, layer upon layer of luxe materials, embellishments and accessories, Marras' collection is definitely a favorite of the season thus far. His work always oozes such a rich sensibility but with so much depth and the right amount of a quirk factor that it is almost impossible not to covet his pieces and to be in awe of the overall styling and presence. The styling is just utter perfection; the contrast of fabrics, silhouettes and accessories are perfect enhancements to a beautiful collection.

Jil Sander Fall 2009

Milan’s fashion week kicked off and as usual it’s slim pickings, but at least it means we’re one step closer to Paris. :p

I am pretty happy with this Jil Sander collection overall, despite a few mishaps (most of, not shown in above collage) which are all too reminiscent of Raf’s FW09 menswear and obviously that is not a good thing. The odd cuts and neon patches aren’t doing it, Raf… give it up, man.

Anyways on to the positives, because, to be fair… there are indeed many! I see a lot of classic Jil here; many of the signature silhouettes and classic, sleek cuts that the brand was made famous for. A lot of the looks I pictured above are just the ones I liked the most and are not representative of the collection entirely but I think there are enough great looks to make the collection a really good one overall.

The fact that it is very no frills is appealing to me. It seems stripped of trends and gimmicks and lets the simplicity speak for itself. When Raf wants to go minimal, he can do it so well, so I wish he’d ditch these gimmicks he’s had going for a few years now and stick to classic and refined pieces because I think that’s where his strength lies currently. It seems like he’s sort of rebelling against that truth sometimes with the extras he adds on… when indeed he’s just detracting from the beauty that already exists in the minimalism.

Always a fan of longer jackets with a fitted trouser, I am definitely loving the proportions on most of the looks. The colors are amazing as well and I adore how he styles navy blue with black, because yes, that combo does work, and it works beautifully. The plays on different silhouettes is really cute as well, particularly the shorter black dress. Long skirts are always a win with me but gawd, the dashes of color on the linings underneath really ruin the asymmetrical skirts for me here… loving the cuts and length on them, though.

Jil Sander Spring 2009

By far the only collection from Milan worth drooling over… or writing about, for that matter. No surprises there, as MFW is always an endless barrage of tackiness. Raf delivered a stellar collection, in every aspect. Lacking in gimmicks and abundant in integrity, these clothes are simply gorgeous. Sure, it may not be the most exciting presentation in the world, but these are clothes a modern woman would want to wear… coupled with the fact that it’s a collection which is admirably suited to Jil’s original aesthetic. The monochromatic palette and the minimalist, yet powerful vibe make these clothes near perfect. The shoes are nothing short of incredible, which is also not a surprise, but they must be talked about. They are absolutely gorgeous; strong but so lovely in the same token… surely a must-have for all the fellow shoe-loving ladies out there. Overall I thought this collection was probably one of Raf’s best for Jil and that is indeed saying a lot. While I loved the ethereal feel that last spring’s collection had, it was very trendy all the same… however, this one if simply timeless.

Alexander McQueen Menswear Spring 2009

It’s that time of the year already! Menswear fashion week is upon us… well, Milan’s anyhow. I am eagerly awaiting Paris’ as always but I was pleasantly surprised with McQueen’s Milan showing yesterday. I wasn’t sure what to expect after last year’s collection, which was a veritable train wreck of polar bears, wild west hobo-ness, tartan and to top it all off, literally, greasy looking ancient Roman style hairdo’s. I am not sure if my attraction to this collection has more to do with relief than actually loving it, but either way, it’s definitely got many high points for me.

I think it’s very similar to Prada menswear of last season, in using the nude tones very prominently. However, where as Miuccia used the nude as entire pieces, McQueen seems to use it here to play up and distort the silhouette a bit and as more of an accent to create interesting shapes. The gradient effects are also wonderful, I love the men’s and women’s looks which have it; really interesting line patterns. I also adore the use of metallics. They are used as accents and I think the fluidity or smoke-like patterns they seem to flow in are really nice as well as the lining of the blazers with a bold metallic.

It’s as close as we’ve gotten in a while to a streamlined, wearable and most importantly: appealing collection since about S/S07 from McQueen. I don’t love everything but I think he surely deserves some credit for this one.

Antonio Marras Menswear Spring 2009

What a gorgeous and thoughtful collection; there is so much to admire. Kicking things off was an array of great blazers and spectacular pants styled to perfection with great vests, waistcoats, ties and tops which are perfectly layered. The cut on the trousers is fantastic… just the right amount of taper, but also just roomy enough to look comfortable and move with ease. The details of this collection are surprising and amazing, if you look hard enough. I’d love to see individual pieces – there seem to be so many! They are all individual yet the collection is really cohesive. Things like the floral vest worn under a blazer, as shown in the photo above, are really lovely to me; I love to see bits of flora mixed with predominantly masculine pieces.

The button down shirts at the end of the show are another story entirely, and a beautiful one at that. If I were a man, I’d probably buy about 5 of them. They remind me of minimalist collages except done on fabric. The construction of, execution and overall effect are something to be admired alone… then you take in account how individual these button downs are and it takes them to another level. The carefully placed ruching and colors as well as the compositions as a whole make these tops so very interesting.

Overall this collection is just wonderful, for me. This is the type of things I like to see in menswear; unusual, yet wearable beauty. The details are staggering here… from the divine floral headpiece to the stitching, to the precise mixture of pastels and neutrals amidst the colorful floral accents… this is a definite highlight of this week in Milan for me.