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Designers have an array of influences on the runway
The Blugirl Fall/Winter 2005-2006 fashion show had no specific theme and no favorite style Italy in last week.
BY DANIELA PETROFF
The Associated Press
MILAN, Italy,Feb.24 -- The current round of preview showings for the winter 2005-2006, resembles an open air market. It's all about pick and choose with designers displaying their talents in a myriad of styles.
A model walks the runway at the Blugirl Fall/Winter 2005/2006 fashion collection in Milan, Italy last week. (AP Photo? Luca Bruno)
There are few common threads among the collections, no seasonal color palette, no favorite fabric, no single look.
At times, as at Armani, there is a real departure from trademark style. For next winter the designer is off on a Parisian tangent of mini skirts, enticing bustiers, and culottes a far cry from the tailored style that put him and the "moda Milanese" on the international fashion map a quarter century ago.
"It's time to let go of a mummified, self-satisfied style," said Mariuccia Mandelli of Krizia, one of the cornerstones of the Milan fashion factory. Her show Wednesday featured an androgynous look with crisp white masculine shirts paired with loose tweed trousers. She also offered lots of oversized knits, one of the few trends in these collections.
A possible identity crisis at Gucci has a lot to do with a young and talented designer forced to follow in the footsteps of fashion hero Tom Ford.
Alessandra Facchinetti, Gucci's womenswear stylist since Ford left the company last spring, has no problem confirming Ford's sexy vision which catapulted the staid leather brand to fashion stardom in the 1990s. But she wants to do it her way.
"I want to explore the intimate side of femininity, not only the hard side," she said after her much-applauded show Wednesday.
The show began with a mean military jacket, belted below the waist and paired with determined black boots, but quickly evolved into a soft sexy look. Wide blouson jackets chastening lacy see-through tops were worn over tight-fitting pants and accompanied by towering heels. The latest Gucci bag has a boxy shape and comes in crocodile.
Exploration into the more intimate side of the female psyche came in the evening wear in draped silk jersey and enticing netting, often with a peekaboo cutout effect at the breast.
Dolce and Gabbana showed their D&G second line aimed at the younger set Wednesday, and opted for a simple message: fashion is fun. Peddle pusher jeans sprayed with metallic paint, fluffy furry jackets, frilly baby doll dresses, fur-trimmed mini skirts, flouncy chiffon tops and towering heels all combined for a very contemporary Barbie doll wardrobe.
Story Produced by: Medha Raval
