“THAT” RUBY RED DRESS: MICHAEL KORS’ OLD HOLLYWOOD GLAMOUR

When the fashion week season starts, there’s no way to stop and think about you’ve seen on the catwalk. Things soon start merging with one another, in a blurred series that you soon forget. Thankfully, you sometimes catch a glimpse of something really special – a dress or an outfit – which literally stands out and remains in your memory to haunt you. This is what happened to me when I first saw a dress from Michael Kors fall/winter 2012 collection, which was presented in New York just a few hours ago. This one caught my attention because it’s the symbol of a certain Old Hollywood glamour which often characterizes the creations by the American designer.

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Author : Teresa Cannatà

02/16/2012
Category: / SCHOOL OF FASHION

SARAH BURTON’S JOURNEY THROUGH LINGERIE AT ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

I’ve recently had the chance to analyze the complex evolution of Alexander McQueen‘s work, just to realize his creative process, starting from sources of inspiration and the world he lived in, was absolutely incredible and unique. When he died, on February 11, 2011, he left a void which is not only creative, but above all cultural. In present times, with the world drowning into economic crisis, loss of beliefs and no future perspective, his absence is probably another reason of sadness and dejection. Despite this, the fashion house he founded in 2001 is still producing beautiful creations, through which his legacy lives on. Sarah Burton, appointed creative director in May 2010, has done her own thing, without even trying to compete with the memory of her predecessor.
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Author : Teresa Cannatà

01/23/2012
Category: / SCHOOL OF FASHION

FIRE AND SUGAR IN GIAMBATTISTA VALLI’S COUTURE


A new year has just started and probably you welcomed it by wearing something red. It’s a typically Italian tradition, but this primary colour has a symbolical meaning in many different cultures. Red means love, passion, fire, heroism (as exemplified by Private Henry Fleming in The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane), sin (think of Hester Prynne, the protagonist of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hathorne) and wedding (in Chinese culture).

From the point of view of fashion, red is surely a dramatic colour, able to give any outfit a twist. Valentino Garavani, the iconic Italian designer, created a unique shade of red for his most impressive creations and another Italian designer, Giambattista Valli, seems to be following his steps. Valentino’s obsession with this colour started after a journey to Spain (and a trip to the Opera House in Barcelona), but who knows where the same obsession started for Valli? The Roman designer presented his first haute couture show in Paris in July 2011 and included many red dresses in his collection, thus turning this colour yet again into something highly symbolical.
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Author : Teresa Cannatà

01/02/2012
Category: / SCHOOL OF FASHION

AUTOMATIC, SYSTEMATIC, HYDROMATIC: MIUCCIA PRADA BEHIND THE WHEEL


“I don’t want to make fancy clothes. I make ugly clothes from ugly materials. Simply bad taste.” Believe it or not, but in 1995 Miuccia Prada used these words to express the idea lying behind her collections. The use of strong words like “ugly” and “bad taste” may be interpreted as totally subjective, but they succeed in communicating the Italian designer’s concept of fashion – stern, feminine but severe, perfectly balanced, always looking at the past (the decades between the 50s and the 70s, in particular). Prada spring/summer 2012 collection reinforces many recurring elements of the brand’s style, with an apparently unconvincing – yet unbelievably chic – mixture of sweetness and toughness.
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Author : Teresa Cannatà

11/12/2011
Category: / SCHOOL OF FASHION

CHRISTOPHE LEMAIRE’S IMMACULATE COLLECTION AT HERMES


If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, some say, but it’s clear this saying is not always true when it comes to fashion. Despite the success they may achieve working for a maison, some designers decide to move on and to change the course of their careers. This is probably the case of Jean-Paul Gaultier, who left the role of artistic director of women’s ready-to-wear collections at Hermès last May, after 7 years, to focus on his own creative projects. Replacing such a talented designer is always difficult, but it was even more in the case of Hermès, whose luxuriously chic and sporty style was much revived by Gaultier. He was replaced by Christophe Lemaire, who had previously worked with Thierry Mugler, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Lacroix, and at Lacoste. Lemaire, who was raised in Africa, has given his own vision to the identity of the French brand, while keeping intact its main themes, travelling in particular.
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Author : Teresa Cannatà

10/16/2011
Category: / SCHOOL OF FASHION

KAT BJELLAND WOULD LOVE IT: MEADHAM KIRCHHOFF’S KINDERWHORE REVIVAL

I’ve never liked winners, those who achieve success and are able to manage it with confidence.  Winners are boring, because their lives are the crowning achievement of their struggle to success; they get what they deserve, and that’s it. I’ve never liked winners because I’ve never been one, one might justly say, but there’s something attractive in stories of famous people’s failures: they prove celebrities (or extremely talented artists, for the time being) are just like anybody else. Being famous doesn’t mean being a winner, and the history of kinderwhore style includes perfect examples of this. The British designers Ed Meadham and Benjamin Kirchhoff have often expressed their admiration for Courtney Love, who is definitely the most famous symbol of that style: she’s not a winner but an undefeatable survivor, in opposition to the one who has unluckily been defeated by life, Kat Bjelland.
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Author : Teresa Cannatà

09/26/2011
Category: / SCHOOL OF FASHION

WELCOME TO SUNO’S CLUB TROPICANA


Juxtaposing different prints can be considered an art: creating a pleasant and not eye-hurting mix is a question of balance and sense of proportion, despite the careless attitude which seems to inspire this trend. It’s not a case that only a few designers have become famous thanks to their printed creations – just think of Emilio Pucci, or some Gucci patterns; think of the luxurious flower prints by Emanuel Ungaro, Miuccia Prada’s intellectual approach,  many collections by Kenzo inspired to traditional patterns from other countries, or the ever-interesting mix-and-match by Dries Van Noten. Put two or more wrong patterns together, add a touch of fur or some feathers and the Roberto-Cavalli-circa-2005 effect is just around the corner, so – as we said – balance and sense of proportions are really needed.

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Author : Teresa Cannatà

09/15/2011
Category: / SCHOOL OF FASHION

ARE YOU READY FOR A RAVE AT CHRISTOPHER KANE’S?

The primary goal of this column is very clear: starting from the thesis that in fashion nothing is destroyed and nothing (new) is created, I’ve tried to show you how fashion from the past is the starting point for the work of most of contemporary designers. In rare cases, something magic happens: though influenced by the past, a designer can start his own personal journey of research, focusing on his own idea of fashion. The magic sparks when he/she starts taking his/her own past work as inspiration: in this way, you can actually witness the evolution of his/her art. There’s no doubt that Christopher Kane is one of those rare cases: his resort 2012 collection presents elements from past collections, but at the same time it has a recurring theme, a sort of undercurrent which quietly flows in his work – acid colours.
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Author : Teresa Cannatà

08/18/2011
Category: / SCHOOL OF FASHION

IF MORTICIA ADDAMS WERE REAL, SHE WOULD WEAR ZAC POSEN

As a fan of literature and fashion, I’ve often thought about the possible favorite designers of fictional heroines. Have you ever wondered what a fictional heroine would wear if she were real? It’s quite obvious that Jane Eyre would wear Givenchy Haute Couture, that the Lisbon sisters would dress Chloè and Miu Miu head to toe, that Rosa, the Houdini Girl, would wear Meadham Kirchhoff. On the other hand, I’m sure that Morticia A. Addams, the fictional matriarch of the Addams family, created by the cartoonist Charles Addams in the 1930s, would wear any of the pieces of Zac Posen‘s Resort 2012 collection.
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Author : Teresa Cannatà

07/29/2011
Category: / SCHOOL OF FASHION

THE ROW’S UNIQUE MIX OF MASCULINE AND FEMININE

I’ve always been skeptical when it comes to fashion lines designed by celebrities, and I think I’ve got more than one reason to say so – think of the short-lived Sweetface by Jennifer Lopez or Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker (just to name a few). I totally get why a successful actress or singer is forced to become a brand, producing clothes, accessories and at least one perfume (without a namesake perfume you count less than zero in show business), but this doesn’t make her a fashion designer, thank God. I must admit I had to put my skepticism aside when it comes to Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen, the once golden twins of movies and tv show for teenagers, who have successfully launched two clothing lines – The Row and Elizabeth & James (named after their siblings) – and established themselves as veritable designers.
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Author : Teresa Cannatà

06/11/2011
Category: / SCHOOL OF FASHION

NOBODY DOES 80′S RUFFLES LIKE MOSCHINO

When you are a fashion nerd, visually obsessed with themes that recur in different collections and in the style of different designers, each season is like a brand new book to go through, to study and analyze. It’s possible I’ve got a thing for ruffles, even if I actually don’t own any ruffled piece of clothing; yet, I think it’s an economic embellishment: you only need a strip of frilled fabric, applied where a decoration is needed, and that’s it, most gain with the least pain.

Hannah McGibbon introduced this detail in some items of Chloé fall/winter 2011 collection, but this time I’d like to take you on a trip through the Moschino collection of the same season, where the use of the ruffles becomes flamboyant and dramatic, totally reminiscent of one of my personal style icons from the 80′s, Alexis Carrington, the most villain of the villains, the character played by Joan Collins in the tv series Dynasty.
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Author : Teresa Cannatà

05/23/2011
Category: / SCHOOL OF FASHION

HANNAH MACGIBBON’S RUFFLED SWANSONG AT CHLOE’

Being a child in the 70′s, I’ve always had a soft spot for designers paying homage to that decade, because their creations feel like home. The fashion house Chloé, founded by Gaby Aghion in 1955, has changed many faces – its past creative directors include Karl Lagerfeld, Martine Sitbon and Stella McCartney – but has always stayed true to a precise style. Effortless chic, femininity and girly details (the infamous scalloped hems) have often recurred in the collections of the last decade, thanks to the artistic sensibility of Phoebe Philo and of her successor, Hannah MacGibbon. The recent news of her departure from Chloé are kind of sad, because she succeeded in giving the idea of romanticism a new turn.
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Author : Teresa Cannatà

05/12/2011
Category: / SCHOOL OF FASHION

RICCARDO TISCI’S LOUD ROAR AT GIVENCHY

I’ve always admired Riccardo Tisci‘s unmistakable Gothic vibe, his obsession for dark mythological figures and legends, his passion for Japanese culture, tinged with a strong rock mood. Even if he leaves Givenchy for Dior, the incredible job he has done to revive the historical French maison will not be forgotten. I’ve appreciated most of his collections because I am on his same wavelenght when it comes to the imagery he refers to, but I must admit he’s able to infuse even the most commercial creations with an original touch. It’s the case of the fall/winter 2011 collection: though not revolutionary, it presents an interesting take on classical tailoring themes and traditional pieces, paying homage to some of his predecessors, such as Coco Chanel and Jean-Paul Gaultier.
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Author : Teresa Cannatà

04/26/2011
Category: / SCHOOL OF FASHION

RODARTE’S MULLEAVY SISTERS ARE STILL IN KANSAS

I’ve always thought art shouldn’t be divided into categories, but considered as a continuum of creative expressions. Music, painting, sculpture, cinema, fashion, literature are part of a complex flow of suggestions, images, words and sounds, which any artist can take his inspiration from. Kate and Laura Mulleavy, the designers behind Rodarte, have clearly drawn liberally on it since the beginning of their career.

Horror movies (from the classics by Dario Argento to Japanese flicks), indie music, paper dolls, nature (they were raised in Aptos, California) and family life (their mother is an artist, and their father is a botanist) can be found in their past creations, but for the fall/winter 2011 collection they added something different: the time they spent in North Dakota and some cinematic cues (in particular, Days of Heaven, a movie set in a farm in the Panhandle, Texas, directed by Terrence Malick in 1978) thickened into a set of creations that seem to come from another time.
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Author : Teresa Cannatà

04/11/2011
Category: / SCHOOL OF FASHION

ALEXANDER WANG’S SPORTY LUXURY

The rising of a new star in the world of fashion is always exciting: besides the commercial success, it’s interesting to see how young designers present their vision of fashion, how they translate their aesthetic theory into clothes and accessories and – of course – how they pay homage to their predecessors. Alexander Wang cannot be considered a rising star – he launched his clothing line in 2007 and has received important international awards – but he’s currently one of the most creative American designers. His first fashion shows (and after-parties) have concurred in establishing a sort of hip aurea which surrounds Wang himself, his creations and his muses (Victoria Traina and Erin Wasson, for example), but he hasn’t rested on his laurels, and the fall/winter 2011 collection proves it.
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Author : Teresa Cannatà

03/15/2011
Category: / SCHOOL OF FASHION

TSUMORI CHISATO’S MIND-READING POWER

Nostalgia, intended as thinking of the past in idealized form, is a term which perfectly describes my attitude to fashion. Even though I admire the work of many young designers, I’m always referring to ideas and styles of the past, maybe because it’s true that in fashion nothing is destroyed or created, but just recycled. Take Tsumori Chisato spring/summer 2011 collection, for example: it’s a personal interpretation of shapes, cuts and patterns which come out of my memory book. I was born in 1974 and the designs of the Japanese artist appeal to my nostalgia for the second part of my native decade: they remind me of the clothes I used to wear  when I was at pre-school, and the clothes I used to see in Burda, a magazine of sewing patterns my cousins always bought.
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Author : Teresa Cannatà

03/04/2011
Category: / SCHOOL OF FASHION

ZANINI’S BEDROOM MOOD WORKS ITS MAGIC AT ROCHAS

There was a time when Hollywood divas were more self-conscious than today and knew they didn’t have to wear body-revealing outfits all the time to assert their feminity. Following the emancipation path started at the beginning of the 20th century by Coco Chanel, who first introduced loose pantsuits for women, movie stars like Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo and Joan Bennet wore their luxurious custom-made pajamas on set and in their everyday life, thus putting loungewear into a completely new dimension.

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Author : Teresa Cannatà

02/15/2011
Category: / SCHOOL OF FASHION

HALSTON’S POINTLESS REVIVAL

Don’t get me wrong: I’ve always welcomed the revival of old brands and admired the work of young designers who have done their best to make old maisons rise from their ashes. I’m looking forward to checking Nicola Formichetti’s first women’s collection for Thierry Mugler and I’ve appreciated what Christopher Kane has done at Versus (just to name the most recent examples), but I’m totally unimpressed by Marios Schwab’s stint at Halston. He’s not the problem, because he’s talented and has an original view of fashion and style; no, the problem is the project itself. I loved the fall 2008 collection by Marco Zanini, but his unbelievable dismissal led to a new direction, which made things clearer: Schwab became artistic director of Halston and Sarah Jessica Parker (God forbid) started working at the diffusion line Halston Heritage, soon become largely successful.

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Author : Teresa Cannatà

02/01/2011
Category: / SCHOOL OF FASHION

CARVEN’S SPORTY CHIC SUMMER

It takes a strong sense of style, talent and – why not? – guts to accept a mission like the one Guillame Henry was called to accomplish at Carven. After studying at the Institut Français de la Mode in Paris and after working at Givenchy and at Paule Ka, in 2009 he was appointed creative director of the Parisian maison created in 1945. Following the steps of the founder, Madame Carven, he has been designing fresh, spontaneous and affordable collections, perfectly summarizing his unique style.
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Author : Teresa Cannatà

01/10/2011
Category: / SCHOOL OF FASHION

CHARLES ANASTASE’S REBEL MELANCHOLIA

The arts have always had their icons and myths, symbolizing the artist himself or the solitude lying behind the artistic process. One of those is Pierrot,  a pale and innocent symbol of the alienated artist, who cannot fit in society, who is destined to be rejected by the object of his love (Columbine) forever and has the moon as his only friend. Originally a character of the 17th-century Commedia dell’Arte, Pierrot has largely inspired artists – from Albert Giraud, who wrote the cycle of poems Pierrot Lunaire in 1884, to Arnold Schönberg, who later turned the cycle into a melodrama; from Pablo Picasso to David Bowie, who was dressed like Pierrot on the cover of his 1980 album Scary Monsters.  A young designer who has found inspiration in this symbolic character is Charles Anastase, who included the large ruffled collar as recurring theme in his collections.

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Author : Teresa Cannatà

01/06/2011
Category: / SCHOOL OF FASHION

MARIOS SCHWAB’S AUSTRIAN BACKGROUND

Post-modern culture is often associated to the ideas of plurality and difference, and this is so much true if applied to fashion. In recent years, many emerging designers have been hailed as ground-breaking without being such, but only a few – and Marios Schwab is among them – have really applied a post-modern approach to their creations. Born and raised in Athens in a Greek-Austrian family, Schwab attended the Annahof Schule in Salzburg, an experience which clearly made a great impression on his creativity.
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Author : Teresa Cannatà

12/30/2010
Category: / SCHOOL OF FASHION

ERDEM’S HOMAGE TO EDWARDIAN FASHION

I’ve always thought clothes – at least the ones designed by true artists – are the result of a cultural and technical process, and it’s extremely fascinating to try to imagine where and how this process started. For example, if we take some dresses from Erdem Moralioglu’s fall/winter 2010 collection, we realize the complexity of his vision. Romanticism and love for nature are elements of this collection, and the dress above clearly proves it. The pale lilac lace, the lenght and the ruffled bodice are also reminiscent of the Edwardian period and of the ultimate Gibson girl, Camille Clifford. Erdem fortunately gives a personal rendition of the past, imparting a relaxed mood to his creations (see that the focus on the waist-line and on the hourglass figure, so typical of Edwardian fashion, has disappeared).
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Author : Teresa Cannatà

12/14/2010
Category: / SCHOOL OF FASHION

MARK FAST’S KNITTED MEMORIES

 

Everybody owns at least one hand-knitted item of clothing – a sweater or a scarf – generally made by a grand-mother or an aunt. In most people’s minds, knitting (and its nobler relative, crocheting) is a thing of the past, which is, in part, true: in the 60s and 70s, designers such as Missoni, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac and Laura Biagiotti introduced revolutionary knitting techniques and experimented with eccentric textures and colour combinations. Moreover, one of the most iconic creations by Yves Saint Laurent – the disquieting cocoon-shaped wedding dress he designed in 1965, inspired by babushka dolls – was all knitted, but back then the hand-made mood was definitely trendy.

In recent times, a young Canadian designer, Mark Fast, has given new energy to knitting, designing sexy dresses featuring open-weave fabrics and unusual blends of wool, angora, silk with lycra and viscose. His F/W 2010 collection is characterized by skimpy dresses with sleek shapes – one of his trademarks – but with some exceptions: the dress above is one of those. The silk-viscose blend gives the fabric a peculiar shine and makes the antique rose colour pop.
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Author : Teresa Cannatà

12/08/2010
Category: / SCHOOL OF FASHION

ALTUZARRA’S FASCINATION WITH GOTHIC FICTION

If it’s true that clothes speak a secret language, some pieces from Joseph Altuzarra’s F/W 2010 speak more than a thousand words. The designer, born and raised in Paris, has gained invaluable technical knowledge thanks to his working experience at Givenchy with Riccardo Tisci and with the pattern-maker Nicolas Caito. Even if he experiments with cuts and shapes, his creations cannot be defined ground-breaking. As a young talent, he has perfectly learnt the lesson of the likes of Tom Ford; the result is a heavy homage to several Gucci collections – from the late 90s to the early 00s – for the extended use of black leather and the vampy mood, not to mention  specific dresses. As a fashion nerd, I would also add that the leather dress above is reminiscent of the infamous hook and eye dress by Zac Posen, part of the permanent collection at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
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Author : Teresa Cannatà

12/03/2010
Category: / SCHOOL OF FASHION