A review of Giorgio Armani, Salvatore Ferragamo, Missoni, and Dolce and Gabbana Spring 2014 collections.
Milan Fashion Week came to a close yesterday with Giorgio Armani being one of the biggest shows of the day and easiest to relate to. The thing about Armani is that he has set his signature looks very high. There is something so confident and serene about his couture cuts you can tell right away who made that dress. He knows who he is and that is all that matters to succeed. While others may find his show a bit boring (or the same continuation), I’m always intrigued to see his palette of colors like subtle pale blues, pinks, and grays he showed for his new collection. Trust me, you can’t find those types of luxury colors anywhere.
What’s more interesting is that he manages to use the same classical types of fabrics – silk, viscose, chiffon, pique, velvet and wool – and inject into them couture-cuts that are a plus; so delicate it seems they’re worth a fortune. I’ve always been a believer that a woman’s greatest investment should be owning a great pair of Armani trousers or suits, because these designs will never fail to make a great impression. Where he experiments as a designer though are in his prints which sometimes fail to do the work. Some made a nice impression like a digital floral jacket matched with a ghostly faded printed skirt. In all, we saw some of the same classical looks we’ve been familiar with but minimally modernized in some sort of ways.
Salvatore Ferragamo will be a brand to watch for next season. Creative director, Massimiliano Giornetti, has had his ups and downs over the past few seasons, but I actually saw potential in his new spring 2014 women’s collection. For those of you who are not familiar with this prestigious label, Ferragamo was one of the most iconic names in Hollywood designing shoes for stars like Marilyn Monroe and others. And that has been the goal for Giornetti, keeping the essence of refined glamour.
He began his show with relaxed creamy striped suits and cropped trousers paired with snakeskin bra tops, sleeveless suit dresses, and others suits cut in half to appear between a cropped top and mini skirt over pants (all detailed with small belt straps). His most talked about pieces were his skirts pleated only halfway at the sides. Some girls may love them and others may not, but his leather numbers felt buttery soft; I personally thought the first few without wraps around looked nicer. He didn’t include much of dresses this season as for he opted to go for skirts and appealing knitwear, but he did include three halter dresses, which I thought his metallic ones, like a gold pleated dress, was casual-luxe. And he may have not imbued a great glamour vibe, but where he did outdo himself was in outerwear – trenchcoats, sleek leather hoodies, blousons, and biker jackets - like his intricate snakeskin jackets that will be a dream for the edgy generation of young girls and women.
Missoni has been one of those luxury knitwear labels I have been fond of for the past few years. But recently, the family run business seems to be taking things to another direction. Their new collection felt awkward in some ways – birds printed on knitwear, quirky fringed dresses, nature prints – that lost the spirit of the Missoni zigzag signature codes. There were some pretty pieces like their knitwear cardigans and color-block skirts and tops that were fresh. Knitwear is there supreme niche, and we’d love to see more their visible high-tech knits making a strong return soon as were present in their men’s spring 2014 collection.
At Dolce and Gabbana there was a beautiful treasure hunt going on. Applique of floral and Greek coin dresses, gold laser-cut dresses, intricate prints of ancient ruins, lustrous embroidered dresses, souvenir accessories, and much more to indulge on. We know designers, Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce, have had a hard time lately with the business of their brand, but they’ve managed to show that they deserve to be doing what they do best……………designing to create beautiful clothes and represent Italy in an honorable manner. Most Italians would be proud to have Dolce and Gabbana be a representation of what true Italian fashion is all about. I don’t know about you, but it kind of is a joy to see these designers come up with creative ideas that are marketable yet a personal collection that speaks about their beliefs and history.
There was so much more to choose from then just the previous descriptions: sheer polka dot blouses and dresses; lacquered skirts and dresses in forest green, burgundy, and red; jacquard coats; soft furry skirts and tops; swimsuit pieces. Their fur numbers were the only thing I wasn’t fond of, but from there on, the hours of thoughts and craftsmanship that was put into this collection paid off. These were clothes that were made to empower the balance between a delicate and powerful woman. And hopefully aid in balancing the company even more. If feels like a family when you purchase something from this brand.
