Dolce & Gabbana Spring/Summer 2012

In spite of the boot-shaped country’s bleak economic situation and the closure of the D&G range we want to shout La Bella Italia when seeing the spring/summer 2012 collection by Dolce & Gabbana. The designer duo were definitely showing patriotism on Sunday as they sent models down the catwalk wearing earrings in the shape of pasta and prints depicting tomatoes and peppers, but look at the beauty.

Reminiscent of the Carnivale, the runway was lit up by multicoloured fairy lights as the models cascaded down in gorgeous summer wear that brought your mind to the Riviera and Capri in the 50′s and Italian screen goddess Sophia Loren.

Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson – who has lent her famous silhouette for several D&G ads – happily posed for the cameras in a beautiful nude coloured dress prior to the show.

Photos: Press Association

Fendi Spring/Summer 2012

Once again Karl Lagerfeld has sprinkled his magic dust over Fashion Week again, as today’s Fendi show proved to be a kitsch 60s sportswear delight as the designer sent his models down a runway, backdropped by a giant set of baking scales, sporting teased beehives and retro-inspired mini-dresses and jackets.

Only Karl Lagerfeld could take something so completely overused a fashion reference as the 1960s and recreate it in a fresh, modern way – dark, crisp mens’ tweeds and playful coloured sunglasses brought the look up to date, while the leather Fendi satchels and flats gave it that much-needed quirkiness that will appeal to girls like Alexa Chung.

To us, the new Fendi collection was obviously 1960s, but a luxurious, wealthy European 1960s in which every beautiful girl drives a white scooter and lunches in Milan every day. The main palette of crisp whites, blacks and greys in stiff silhouettes gave it a classic feel, but clever Lagerfeld stopped things from becoming too mature with coloured leather sandals and gleaming gold details on the buttons and cuffs.

Eventually sporty, playful sun-dresses and separates made way for eveningwear, which was a sleek, shimmering selection of black dresses and jumpsuits which glittered with incredibly pretty silver embellishments, sequin collars and iridescent fringing that gleamed as the garments moved. Absolutely stunning.

You can absolutely tell that Karl Lagerfeld is behind this collection, even without his trademark tweeds and textiles that we always see on the Chanel runways – the sharp silhouettes, the flirty and kitsch set-up of the baking scales behind the catwalk, the giant oversized eyewear – all pure Lagerfeld. I wonder what he’ll have to show us in Paris?

Alberta Ferretti Spring/Summer 2012

Sexy was definitely on the menu yesterday at Milan Fashion Week as the fashion house Alberta Ferretti showed us their latest offering of panelled cocktail dresses, skirts and trench coats.

We couldn’t help noticing that, like Gucci’s show before Ferretti’s, there was a bit of a 1920s vibe going on in the drop-waisted, free-flowing dresses that we saw in virginal white, juicy coral and tropical colours and smoky greys and blacks.

Unlike the sleek, shiny finish on the garments at the Gucci show, however, the new Alberta Ferretti had a more summery laid-bck vibe to it, with pajama-style lounge trousers and tropical prints in the place of more austere tailored styles.

There’s a definite new hair and make-up trend that we saw on the show that we think could be a big look for next summer – damp, mussy hair and bright, neutral makeup tones for a look that made each model look like she’d just come straight out of a beach somewhere gorgeous in Rio, then headed off to a party in her new Alberta Ferretti dress.

All in all, it’s a chic, thoughtful collection with an assortment of crochet and tropical prints that make us want to book a flight to the Bahamas right now. Very simple and understated European glamour – we love.

Gucci Spring/Summer 2012

Mamma mia, forget all about London Fashion Week now as we’ve moved further across Europe to one of the ultimate big-daddy fashion capitals of the world: Milan. Expect drama, expect glamour, and hopefully expect a diva tantrum or two along the way as well.

Proceedings are certainly kicking off in style in Milan as one of the first designers to show there is Gucci, one of the biggest names in Milan Fashion Week and definitely one of the most fabulous. Creative director Frida Giannini listed her inspirations for the new collection as 20s actress Louise Brooks, Man Ray photographs and vintage architecture. All of these art-deco inspirations were immediately apparent in the sleek, shiny lines and dynamic silhouettes of the designs.

It was a highly aesthetically pleasing event, as liquid-looking metallic prints and bold black and green lines zig-zagged across tuxedo jackets for a hard, bold take on menswear redesigned as womenswear. Opulent monochrome pieces, with hints of jewel tones here and there in emerald-green inserts and gold accessories immediately made us see the inspiration of the roaring twenties, when fashion became feminist – all these women looked liberated, fabulous and like they were heading to a cocktail party at the top of a skyscraper in Manhattan.

We have to say we were most excited about the flapper-style cocktail dresses which came out onto the runway with incredible monochrome patterns with extremely delicate gold fringing – absolutely incredible.

Gucci don’t need to be worried about anyone creating a collection that is more polished and luxurious than this – they’ve got this one in the bag. But then again, they always do.

Milan Fashion Week: Missoni Fall 2011 Collection

Missoni did what it does best for its Fall 2011 collection at Milan Fashion Week, combining boho looks with its statement  chunky knit creations.

Pastel colours took over the traditional dull burnt oranges and blacks often associated with Autumn collections, giving us a spring feel. However, the maxi dresses, layered skirts with long knits and jackets bought us back into the winter months.
There were also a cute range of Luxe flowing trousers not to mention accessories such as round glasses, knit berets and python shoes.
Fur also made an appearance in puffa style jackets in bright yellows and blues, while floral prints once again gave a nod to spring.
Our favourite of the collection? We’re sorry to say that it falls on the simple cute bobble hats.

Milan Fashion Week: D&G Fall 2011 Collection

It was a case of “nick your OH’s clothes”, for Dolce & Gabbana’s fall 2011 collection, which incorporated 80s style with sexy silhouettes.
Gorgeous star prints, sequined leggings and cute blazers formed the basis of what clearly was the women’s collection as did the sexy slinky floral print dresses.

However as the male models marched down the runway and the collection wore on, there seemed to be a mix between the two. Women wore men’s Oxfords and men’s blazers, giving us a kooky 80s look, which would sit quite fittingly on the likes of an early Madonna.

We want, want, want.

Milan Fashion Week: Georgio Armani Fall 2011

With London Fashion week and the Oscars and events flying about we fashion ladies have had a busy time on our hands.

As a result we’re ashamed to say we’ve slipped when it came to the designer delights of Milan Fashion Week. However, we’re going to be making amends and will therefore be doing a little special off all the highlights of the week.

First up in our mini series is Georgio Armani who closed the week yesterday. Although the collection kept mainly to black, this didn’t stop the range giving a nod to the boudoir trend.

Feathers, fringing and embroidery formed key looks on luxe fabrics such as silks and soft satins sashayed down the catwalk, giving a hint of the flapper look.

There were also colours of golds and silvers which formed dresses as well as the long bell skirt, which had also made an appearance in the designer’s SS2010 collection.

Add to that the stunning, almost gothic style ball gowns and you’ve got a collection that will surely appear on a celebrity or two at this year’s red carpet events.

Carrying on from our top 10 fashion moments of 2010, I’m looking at some of the highlights of the various Fashion Weeks that have happened this year. From Alexander McQueen’s first runway show under the direction of Sarah Burton, to the oil-slick punk aesthetic at Balenciaga and classic Parisian style at Chanel, each show has been a joy to cover. But when I got down to it and racked my brains for all the collections I’ve pored over in the last year, I’ve found that the five collections in the gallery below have been particularly special. Check them out below. If you have any other collections this year that you think especially deserve a mention, have your say and leave us a comment below.

5. Christian Dior SS2011

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Everything about this collection was just somuch fun. John Galliano breathed new life into the 1950s sexpot pin-up style of dress, with bright cherry and blue colours, neon makeup and cheeky sailor hats. If this is how everyone is going to look on the beaches next year (and we hope they do) then it's going to be a very silly, fun summer.

Jil Sander SS2011

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Germany-based fashion label Jil Sander may not be famous for frivolity or jolliness in their designs, being especially famous for extreme minimalism and extreme tailoring, but they showed everybody in Milan that they’re ready to have a bit off fun next S/S, too.

It was a fun, modern show, as the models stomped down the catwalk with slicked-back hair and bubblegum coloured lips. While in the past, the brand has favoured very neutral, minimalist shades like stone, cream and grey, creative director Raf Simons’ seems to have opted for statement block colours of shocking pink, orange and electric blue, florals and geometric stripes. The classic Jil Sander shapes were still there, however – teeny and fitted on top, with explosions of volume in the form of maxi skirts and wide-legged trousers.

If you thought maxi-skirts looked dowdy before you saw this collection, you won’t anymore. Jil Sander’s SS2011 collection is going to be the most fun way to work volume, length and colour next Spring.

Versus SS2011

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Christopher Kane’s SS2011 collection, shown at LFW  last week, was always going to be a hard act to follow. But the Brit designer has outdone himself in the S/S clothes for Donatella Versace’s diffusion line Versus, which graced catwalks at Milan Fashion Week.

Everyone’s favourite fashion Glaswegian is a big fan of slightly perverse, little-girly Lolita styling, as we saw last Spring in the form of lots of babydoll dresses in gingham, with some very high side-splits that were practically knicker-flashing. It’s no surprise then that the Versus show this week saw models sent down the catwalk looking like they were getting fitted for their summer boarding school uniforms. The catwalk was decorated to look like a school playground – it even had swings. Mr. Kane is a very cheeky man.

He’s graduated from little-girl gingham to Catholic-school plaid for Versus’ SS2011 collection, as shown in the little flirty-skirted dresses that we’ve come to know and love from the designer. Just pop on some knee socks and a straw boater and hey ho, the perfect playtime outfit. Worked into the plaid fabrics were cute tiny floral prints that helped the collection progress to a more summery atmosphere, while flashes of bold pinstripes kept the “head girl” look going strong. My personal favourite from the collection was the separates outfit (picture 9 of 12 in the gallery) which showed off some adorable floral capris, a matching cardi complete with a vivid pink school badge and – this is Christopher Kane we’re talking about – an incredibly sheer black blouse worn underneath for more than a cheeky flash of skin.

Donatella, you made a good choice when you asked Christopher to design for you. Keep Versus coming at us – we can’t wait to see AW2011.