Now that New York and London Fashion Weeks are through, we’re on to the distinct stylings that come out of Milan. Forum members always look forward to the fun, irreverent, and whimsical looks that often come out of this Italian fashion capital, and they’ve wasted no time assessing the clothes as they hit the runways. Here are some of their picks for the highlights and disappointments out of Milan thus far.
The Hits: Francesco Scognamiglio, No. 21, Alberta Ferretti
Francesco Scognamiglio
“It reminds me of a more mature Valentino. I really like the dark edge to the collection.” [TianSoFine]
“I didn't think he could top his last collection but wow this is gorgeous. The palette, the fabrics, the shapes, I love everything.” [IsabelMarantBoy]
“Loved it! Very Dreamy with an edge.” [Minimoon27]
No. 21
“God I love him!! Again one of my favorite collections of the season. I love that he manages to offer a lot of different universes within the same collection and it feels coherent. He did lace perfectly and in a very modern way; I love the big silver sequins, the use of brocades and the Harlequin print.” [Wolkfolk]
“He always does the same thing and I still love him for it. The boxy shapes, the lace, the prints, it's all wonderful.” [IsabelMarantBoy]
“No. 21 has become one of my favorite new labels. Always puts out easy, chic, and modern clothes that have a touch of quirk and glamour to them. Another great collection.” [lelaid]
“I love the use of lace, the interesting cut on some of the skirts, the boxy tops, the play with texture, and his usual statement prints. Especially the blue and white at the beginning.” [Not Plain Jane]
Alberta Ferretti
“Simply beautiful, love the sea inspiration.” [Zhanna]
“I really enjoyed the softness, the pureness, and the femininity. Stunning sea inspired collection.” [Versace-Goddess]
"No one does delicate better than her. Hope to see some of these on the red carpet.” [Urban Stylin]
“Young designers should learn from her. She knows what her weaknesses are and she steers away from them, she knows what her strengths are and revolves her collections around them. That's why her collections are always so balanced – she knows exactly what she's doing and she experiments with what she can. It's a lovely collection… the daywear is absolutely sublime, especially the first few pieces, clearly referencing to pearls. And I am loving her cut-outs, they get better by the minute.” [StoneSkipper]
Read our review and see images of the Alberta Ferretti collection.
The Misses: Gucci, Prada, Max Mara
Gucci
“Terrible collection, in my opinion. Props, I guess, to Frida [Giannini] for trying something different, but unfortunately, it's a fail. My main issue is that there are just too many different directions and ideas within this collection – snakeskin, ruffles, psychedelic, hippie, minimalist, modern, retro, colors, Florida retirement wear, etc. And that's not to say that I dislike all of it, just that they just don't particularly work together. Another problem is that most of it is just so shapeless. It didn't even look good on models.” [MyNameIs]
“Good Lord, what a hot mess! That's probably one of the worst Gucci collections of the past few years... Between the ruffles that will make anyone look like some kind of abyssal creature, the ugly prints and some shapeless offers, there is nothing to like about this collection.” [Thefrenchy]
“This is just lazy, there's literally no idea here except for gigantic ruffles, solid colors and a vaguely 60s vibe, none of which is particularly fresh or exciting.” [Spike413]
Read our review and see images of the Gucci collection.
Prada
“Can't say I like anything about this; the color palette, the shoes...the list goes on. The flowers look like the sort of thing a small child would draw.” [*k.a.t.e*]
“Looking at the collection images again after watching the livestream I've realized what spoilt this (aside from those awful shoes)... the floral prints, if you take away those awful, childlike floral motifs the pieces are quite beautiful, the overall silhouettes, fabrics, structures are quite nice…The shoes were awful, the overall concept was quite genius but the final article was a disaster; those metallic camel-toe socks that screamed Martin Margiela were incredibly ugly and those flatform/geisha sandals were just hideous. I just cannot see how the footwear will be interpreted for the customer because they seem very impractical.” [Chanelcouture09]
“Horrible. And I'm tired of hearing 'what a genius Miuccia is' whatever she does. Sometimes, risk doesn't work, the shoes are awful and unworkable, the prints are tacky, cuts on the clothes are unflattering. I try to appreciate the collection because I am a fan of the brand but I just can't. Sorry, next!” [Zhanna]
Read our review and see images of the Prada collection.
Max Mara
“It feels like a winter collection, the pieces look so dark and heavy.” [chanelh]
“This is a mess. The makeup and styling looks bad too.” [disco54]
“I don't understand why they always repeat this color palette and theme. Utilitarianism and beige = Max Mara.” [GivenchyHomme]
“Milan seems to be really depressed, let's blame the Italian recession.” [Lena]
Read our review and see images of the Max Mara collection.
Images: IMAXtree
Via: Milan Fashion Week Spring 2013 Hits and Misses: Part 1 (Forum Buzz)