Raf Simons

By Anna Battista Rather than designing the umpteenth collection with his signature pieces in reinvented fabrics, he should maybe channel his talent towards a new direction and maybe concentrate on reduced capsule collections of jackets and coats, after all, nobody can resist a good piece of outerwear that can last you forever, many of us can instead to without the umpteenth apron, top or pair of baggy trousers. Quite a few designers displayed for the next season what could be only defined as the “North Africa-meet-the West” syndrome, a not so rare obsession that ended up characterising many Spring/Summer 2010 collections.   [read the full post]

By Anna Battista Suede blouses and trousers had a relaxed silhouette; soft cardigans gently opened on jersey shirts; linen suits had a streamlined silhouette while cotton canvas trench coats were characterised by round shoulders. Fans of the art and fashion connection rejoiced at Jil Sander's show where Raf Simons filtered the classic lines of menswear through the art of Japanese artist Tsuguharu Foujita. The nomadic atmospheres explored by Ermenegildo Zegna came back at Missoni’s. The menswear collection perfectly counterbalanced the womenswear collection presented in February, though in this case we were spared the excessive layering style that in the womenswear case hid some of the most beautiful pieces.   [read the full post]

By Anna Battista Opera started in Italy towards the very end of the 1500s and from there it spread all over Europe and the rest of the world. The country has naturally got a strong operatic tradition, but it also boasts some of the best tailoring houses and even fashion designers who produced beautiful costumes for the opera. The design duo also showed in this collection their knowledge of fabrics, endowing their designs with a special tactile quality by combining in the same garment at least two or three types of fabrics.          Raf Simons showed how it's hard to beat down beautifully tailored double-faced cashmere coats, suits and sheath dresses in a palette that comprised white, ice, grey, navy and camel.   [read the full post]

By Anna Battista My Italian self would like to praise Riccardo Tisci’s collection, but my objective self is restraining me from doing so. Tisci’s  second menswear collection for Givenchy doesn’t seem to be too different from what he did previously and I honestly doubt that everyday mature men would really like to go around in shorts (though perfectly tailored), leggings (though in luxurious materials) and bandage shoes (though architecturally interesting).    Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos The hieratical atmosphere that haunted Rick Owens’ Spring/Summer 09 New York catwalks seemed to pervade also his menswear collection. Some of the models wore his signature veil-like headgear and black - in different shades, shapes...   [read the full post]

By Anna Battista Marni was among those fashion houses who, in times of crisis, opted for a presentation rather than for a proper catwalk. Yet the punk-meets-grunge-meets-glamour garments such as the T-shirt with a print of Kim Gordon’s artwork paired with a little cardigan and cashmere long johns (undoubtedly a trend come Autumn 09…) weren’t simply enough to hide the sparseness of Consuelo Castiglioni’s menswear collection.   The best collection presented on Saturday was undoubtedly Jil Sander’s. I’m not sure if Raf Simons studied the silhouettes of the men’s suits on Italian sartorial magazines from the late 60s, but the rounded shouldered silhouette of his jackets and coats reminded me of the hourglass jackets designed in 1966 by the historica...   [read the full post]

By Anna Battista Take the Autumn/Winter 2008-09 “The World to Come” collection with its sculpted knits, jersey separates and sophisticated yet practical sequinned dresses or the Spring/Summer 2009 collection with its adventurous robotic and erotic designs, with shiny and glossy fabrics in vivid nuances and appliquéd gems that form surreal faces and geometrical patterns on mini-dresses, sweats, leggings and hoodies. Just by looking at this collection - a mix of ready-to-wear, urban wear and modern art - it becomes easy to understand why the brand has become in just a few years extremely successfully and well-known not only in Europe but also in the rest of the world.     [read the full post]