Fall Winter 2005-2006 Milan Day 4 and 5

Blumarine - This collection gives me a new appreciation for nude fabrics.

Understated prettiness that's not too precious. Sofa printed mini-dresses and romantic layering...I see a trend.



D&G - Love the gold runway. And dear god, I love miniskirts.

I'm just sort of tired of their fake-punk club gear - that's *heavily* influenced by all of Vivienne Westwood's career. But maybe this is all that's expected of this label?

Gucci - So covered up, but still so sexy.

Some def cheese, but still the standard, cold, dominatrix you've grown to love - now with rhinestones!


Jil Sander - Severly sad. Ditto Fendi.

MaxMara - Ooooh, let's go to Gstaad! Very Audrey Hepburn in 'Charade'.

Not so crazy about those cinched pouf skirts though.

Missoni - Italian jetset. I like the cropped trousers, loud jackets, and ribbon sandals (for fall?!).

Weird florals and asymetrical halter tops, not so sure of...

Miu Miu - A dream wardrobe for spending the semester abroad.

These clothes were made for libraries and house parties at the prof's. Alternately, perfect for a young, Italian widow.


Moschino - Ugh. A little too cheap Desperately Seeking Susan.

Roberto Cavalli - Just as you expected, though I abs love the blue china prints:


Versace - Impressive. It makes you wonder who's designing now...or has Donatella had a change of attitude after rehab? Less sex, more restraint, actually new ideas instead of endlessly recycling her brother's? A perfectly modern coat and boots:


A few embarrassingly cheesy dresses, so we're not confused as to which show we're viewing. I sort of miss the colors and prints though. How comfortable and easily sexy and pulled together does this look:

I want to look like that for the entire winter.

Fall Winter 2005-2006 Milan Day 1, 2, and 3

Bottega Veneta - Hitchcock-prim suits and peacoats, an occasional Gucci-bondage accent. I pray crushed velvet really doesnt catch on. That said, I will still take any offerings of BV handbags.

Emporio Armani - 109 photos? Umm no. I do like the pleated jacket:


Marni - So very Prada, though a little less dorky. A few truly hideous prints.

Anna Molinari - More Hitchockian looks, but this time with sexy bondage boots. The orange plaids are so appealing.

So completely not a fan of lacey leopard though, or actually any of the rest of this...random rows of lace...

Burberry Prorsum - Dark and dull, but the military jackets are nice. I like how tight and bound they appear. I feel I've seen this show a million times before.

Alberta Ferretti - Wow. Fantastic. Elegant like Oscar, but cool and romantic like how Anna Molinari usually is.





Emilio Pucci - Sexy, 70s YSL, so light...modernizing Pucci from its usual 60s style.




Giorgio Armani - 101 photos??? Blah. Go look for yourself.

Prada - Hmmm. Dark blah colors, doilies as pockets, kind of staid but 50s suits...I'm not totally sold, but some of the simple individual pieces are difficult to deny. Like the perfect tank dress - pieced together to give a clean look and hide most flaws:

Too many coats and too many coats that didnt excite me. Or maybe I just cant see the details, what with all that black!

Menichetti - I like their whole no-nonsense, business-cool look. Nothing earth-shattering, but nice layers, nice thick-almost padded jackets, nice tuxedo shirts.


A little like Helmut Lang but pretty and less concept-y. Wearable and relaxed - making the ladylike looks seem less like costumes, with just enough tailoring to keep it elegant. Woah, but what the hell is up with how the designer looks?!

Pollini-Rifat Ozbek - The dorky, almost homeless, mix of fabrics and layers reminds me so much of AnnMarie!

So busy and wrong, in less-confident hands, these would be a joke. Instead, these looks are a good inspiration for more mixing...more mixing that doesnt work, but with the right tights, does.

Fall Winter 2005-2006 London Day 3 and 4

Aquascutum - Details are difficult to make out, but I love what I see. Thick, stiff cottons, mixed with bows and tulle make ideal work clothes. If you like to dress conservatively, these are nice ways to branch out without going too far.

Fantastic, but not too polished.

Betty Jackson - Perhaps a bit too hippy for me, but the tailored, pseudo-preppy looks are actually nice.


Eley Kishimoto - I like: metallic plaids, belted jackets, drum major shirts. I dont like: sloppy, baggy dresses, these particular empire-waist dresses - partly because they bore me and partly because I cant imagine the figure they'd flatter and partly because that look always segues into Stevie Nicks (ick).

Eley Kishimoto Ellesse - Oooooh, what a much cooler little sister (isnt that always the case?? ;-) ). I'm def going to latch onto knickers (short pants, not panties) with dark tights.

And ski bunny Bond girl and eccentric sportswear is *always* a good direction. I'm going to say no to a nylon onesie though.


Gardem - Layering and draping with a body-shaping silhouette. A romantic mix of hard and soft.



Giles - Ladylike, but not prim or boring. Very I Love Lucy to me, with a sly dominatrix hidden just below. Very sexy, very classy, very modern





Jessica Ogden - Raggedy Ann chic, with some Holly Hobby prints - it somehow works.

Slim harem pants may be difficult to pull off, but if you can, make them bright and dorky.



Peter Jensen - A little Brothers Grimm scary. The bunny faces will give me nightmares, but I love those boots.



Nicole Farhi - Sweet, mature, romantic. Very nice.



Robert Cary-Williams - Slight scary/City of the Lost Children. A sort of modern medieval.

Fall Winter 2005-2006 London Day 2

Ashish - Cliff Huxtable sweaters, 80s-style leggings, poodle skirts, oh my! Crushed velvet tracksuits, could this be any more awful?? Oh wait, by putting them all together:


Clements Ribeiro - Flowers, tweeds, black...very boho bland. Not one ounce of fun.

Jenny Packham - Whisper-thin dresses (though with a vintage/hard edge) + bold tights will be an easy cool look to mimic.


Ruffled skirts are at the top of my list, plus maybe a pair of pastel or rhinestoned (or both) flats (gasp!!).

What time period would you say this is? The scarves make me think 20s, the hats 30s, the gowns 40s...whatever it is, it's just lovely. The last five looks or so are a little incongruous and disappointing to end on...

Jonathan Saunders - I feel this is very Claude Montana...hardly something I'm itching for the revival of. The prints seem very dated...very boring over all. Does that one dress really have a chiffon car-wash hem??? And not just on one dress! Aaak!

Paul Smith Woman - Colorful layering, as per usual. I like the slip dresses over henleys, the swingy 3/4-sleeve jackets, capes, 70s sofa prints. Love it all, as per usual.

The suits seem a bit off, but I'll forgive him, the Ralph Lauren for eccentric Brits.

Temperley - Pucci prints, snug 60s dresses, mini dresses over trousers, short sailor pants

...the colors and styles are gorgeous and effortlessly modern. 40s GLAMOUR



A bit more promising today, no?