MFW Day 2: Prada, Moschino, Fendi and Pucci

MOSCHINO

Oh Jeremy Scott. Nobody has an imagination quite like him. Since he took the reigns at Moschino, every season keeps on getting better, bigger and more crazy. This evening he presented his latest show to a packed front row and a lot of eager fans. Taking inspiration from paper doll dress up games, he sent out models in daring mini dresses, polka dot blouses, sexy black trousers and even a trench coat which was half beige and the other half black. All models had little white cut outs on the back, as though they were real life dolls.

 It was so much fun, and clever at the same time. Irina Shayk closed the show in a volumous blue gown complete with black wig, (all the models wore little cropped wigs) while printed skirts and dresses featured illustrations of womens bodies clad in lingerie. Very strange but very cool!

PRADA

It's easy to see why Prada is still one of the biggest draws at Milan Fashion Week. Miuccia Prada is a trend setter, an inspiration to artists and designers alike and a very good business woman above anything else. I loved the geometric two pieces she showed this season, and the very prim and proper attitude of all her models. Hair slicked neatly to the side, shirts buttoned to the top with little cardigans and bags held obediently to their chest; everything was very uniformed and polished. Except for the feathers which appeared on bustier tops, shoes, dresses and even on the cuffs of jackets. I can guarantee this will be a 'thing' for next spring. The kimino references worked very well too in gold and pink. Lovely.

EMILIO PUCCI

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I was a huge fan of Peter Dundas at Pucci and still mourn the amazing collections he created for the fashion house. That's not to say that Massimo Giorgetti is bad, the current creative director at Pucci. He's just very different, and I don't like his style much. Putting that to one side, this season Pucci was bold in colour with lemon yellow, blue and orange all leaping off the catwalk with plenty of abstract black prints on mini dresses and blouses. There were splashes of colour everywhere towards the end of the show, in what reminded me a little of swashes of paint from a very creative paintbrush. Not my cup of tea, but people like it.

FENDI

Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Ventura Fendi make quite a power duo. After celebrating the fashion house's 90th anniversary earlier this year, Fendi still have reason to celebrate with another fantastic collection which was elegant, pretty and as always a bit wacky. Bella Hadid started off proceedings in a simple striped mini dress, followed by more stripes on shoes and dresses. Sheer fabrics were layered over delicate lingerie with a very prominent 'baby doll' feel. Even the models walked with their hair in cute, little bunches with a middle parting, but don't be fooled. These girls strode down the catwalk with metallic lipstick and a severe black flick of eye liner, giving no illusion that although she may look dainty, she is but fierce.

 

 I loved all the light colours and the use of florals which were modernised in silvery metallics. Gold was introduced towards the end of the show in soft, swirly movements on dresses and even on sunglasses and I did spot a fur stole with yellow stripes too (this is Fendi, so there has to be fur somewhere!) Overall, this was a sweet but strong collection which I liked immensely.



Fendi's Legends and Fairytales Spectacular

Suspended over the waters of the Trevi Fountain in the early hours of evening, 43 models walked angelically across a clear glass runway dressed head to toe in Fendi. From the venue and the clothes, the atmosphere and spellbinding magic of Rome; everything about this special 90th anniversary Fendi extravaganza was spectacular and extremely beautiful.

Of course, Fendi were not going to let their 90th anniversary slip past unnoticed, but nobody could have guessed what Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Fendi had in store for the fashion press for their one off couture show. After witnessing a handful of majestic couture shows in Paris this week, it would be hard to try and top the likes of Chanel, Dior and Elie Saab, whom fashion editors and guests alike were treated to. But Fendi gave it a good go, flying their guests out to Rome on private jets decked out in Fendi gear and then front row seats at the majestic Trevi Fountain show venue. Designed by Nicola Salvi in 1762, the Baroque fountain has stood proudly in the middle of Rome with links to Roman legends regarding the discovery of the pure water source by thirsty soldiers in 19BC. But it is most famous for appearing in the 1960 Fellini film La Dolce Vita, in which Anita Ekberg jumps into the waters of the fountain in a cascading black dress. In 2013, Fendi pledged 2.2 million euros to help refurbish the fountain with work completed in November of last year. No wonder the fashion house chose such a colossal location to celebrate their 90th birthday.

If anything, the venue and beauty of the fountain somewhat eclipsed the clothes. Kendall Jenner, Lagerfeld's current favourite, opened the show in a blue coat dress with a pair of red boots, while Bella Hadid closed in an oversized, embellished coat. Nobody could doubt the craftsmanship that went into these exquisite pieces, but it would have been nice if there was more emphasis on the clothes rather than creating such an ornate spectacle - as lovely as it was. Fendi are famed for their fur, which featured prominently throughout the collection. I loved the fluffy white coat with large colour, and the other decorative styles with hand-stitched images of magical fairy tale kingdoms etched all over them. “I called the show Legends and Fairy Tales,” Lagerfeld explained to Vogue. “Because it’s a collection that doesn’t relate to everybody like ready-to-wear, this is very special for people who have a special kind of life.”

Blue was a key colour, mirroring the azul waters of the Trevi Fountain, with plenty of sheer dresses covered in all shades of the colour. One thing I wasn't too keen on were the shoes, or little Victorian booties to be more precise. For such delicate clothes, a beautiful shoe was needed. Instead Karl and Silvia opted for chunky boots covered in Baroque detailing and laces.

Hair and make-up was something out of a fairy tale too. Curly hair was pinned away from the face at the back of the head, with a central parting in the middle. While make up looked almost Elfish (I'm referencing The Lord of the Rings kind of Elfish here!) with glowing skin and carefully groomed eyebrows. As the lights dimmed marking the end of the show, Bella Hadid led her fellow models back across the catwalk where they all stood gazing out at the press assembled, looking eerily as though they were walking on water. I didn't think anything could possibly top Fendi's Great Wall of China show back in 2009, but this particular show will go down in history as one of the most magical ever.

MFW: Fendi, Cavalli, Prada, Pucci and more...

Prada

Everyone waits for Prada at Milan Fashion Week. What will Miuccia do next? well for fall 2016, she went all sailor girl on us with models wearing Navy-esque hats and matching blue coats. There was still plenty of grunge in the form of long leather coats, tie up booties, patterned tights and fur rimmed jackets. Coats were fastened with pretty laces at the front, while the pop of red lipstick and slick hair only added to the Prada appeal. Prada do ugly chic. And there's no denying that this show was extremely ugly, but in a good way. I loved the leather gloves and side satchel bags which swung on the hip, as well as the use of floral prints.

Moschino

Jeremy Scott sent a burning dress down the Moschino catwalk this evening. Yes, a burning dress with smoke billowing out of it. A statement maybe that the fashion industry is a burn out... Anyway, apart from that little spectacle this Moschino show was trashy, tacky and AMAZING! From the mini leather skirts and 80s style blouses to the heeled boots and logo-tastic belts, it was all out New York hipster. There was enough sex appeal in the form of shiny hats and boots yet also enough luxury high fashion, I can imagine some of those coats will cost well over £4000. Lipsticks, teddy bears and maximal effect.

Emilio Pucci

To think that when Peter Dundas was at Emilio Pucci it was so glamorous and red carpet ready. Now thanks to Massimo Giorgetti of MSGM fame, Pucci has become extremely modern and very sporty. Geometric sport shapes took center stage today, with splashes of abstract colour on dresses and bomber jackets. PUCCI was emblazoned onto shiny tops, v neck dresses were loose and unstructured while the use of reds, khakis and blue were used boldly. They were colours which shouldn't have gone together but they did, so well.

Fendi

Oh Fendi, you do make my heart sing. I absolutely loved this collection from Silvia Fendi and Karl Lagerfeld. I felt as though I could wear every single piece, and so many coats, boots and fur gilets are going to be on so many fashion editors must have lists for next season. It was big and beautiful, exactly what we love about Fendi, except maybe if you're anti-fur as there was a lot of it for fall 2016. Kendall Jenner opened the show (as Lagerfelds current muse) wearing a black and white stole attached to a navy coat, followed by a host of wonderful pieces. Blue was a key colour, toned down with navy and purified with baby blue shades on leather trousers and fluffy wool jumpers. 

Frills were everywhere, around necklines, on sleeves and even on handbags while the use of colour was bold and brilliant. Lagerfeld always references Fendi's past and their love of fur, so there was a lot of beautiful fur gilets, overcoats and accessories in this collection, adding a lot of glamour. The shoes were particularly interesting, worn with what looked like leather socks. They were extremely pretty and very frilly. A truly wonderful collection from the Italian masters.

MaxMara
What do you think of when you hear MaxMara? Nine times out of ten, it is their classic camel coat. This season however, it was hard to spot one. There were coats, plenty of them in long duster and mid length styles, as MaxMara updated their look this season, using racy body suits and sheer fishnet tights to create a sense of sex appeal. The black gloves and lipstick only added to the vampy look, which was very 1920s cabaret. Large stripes were featured on pockets, fur stoles and mohair jumpers, while polished, sophistication of MaxMara was still very much present.

Roberto Cavalli
Peter Dundas worked his magic once again for Roberto Cavalli, with an electrifying show. Since leaving Emilio Pucci, Dundas has been making waves for Cavalli with his glamorous, jet set style; perfect for all those Milanese fashioninstas (sorry to use that expression!) It was very 70s, with bohemian layering, floaty chiffon maxi dresses, scarves draped casually around the neck and flared trousers. Models looked sexy in satin gowns and velvet suiting, lace paneled dresses and sheer body suiting dripping in beige jewels. I loved the smoky eye make up and snakeskin boots.

Alberta Ferreti
Set on a dimly lit catwalk with a forest backdrop, this Alberta Feretti show was delicate and hauntingly beautifully. As always,there were lots of stunning silk dresses in soft burgundy and beige yet this season the classic slip dress was given a sexy revival in satin fabrics. Satin was used a lot throughout, on a bold red dress, white fur jumpsuit and even a matching green pyjama top and bottom. But really it was the attention to detail which made this collection stand out. Metallic coats looked as though they were made with Italian love, beading on sheer dresses were exquisite while the simple make up and clipped back hair only added to the purity of this show. A nice break from all the va-va voom glamour.

My Lust List

Boxing Day sales have begun, 50% off signs are constantly popping up in every shop window and we are all spending more money than we would probably wish! I admit that this year I have taken things a little bit more easy in regard to going crazy bargain shopping. A few bits from Zara, a pair of jeans from J Brand, a dressing gown and that's about it really. But, if money was no object I would be splashing the cash in designer boutiques. Prada, Gucci, Fendi, Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Dior... the list is endless!  So here is my exclusive lust list, featuring my top 5 items I can only dream of sitting snugly in my wardrobe. 

A Fabulous Fendi coat

Okay, so let's not talk about the price just yet! Instead let's focus on the beautiful coat itself. If you're anti-fur then I suggest you skip straight onto the next item on my list, as this coat contains mink, shadow-fox, marble-fox, silver-fox, raccoon and goat fur. The patchwork detailing is so wonderfully put together and all the varying colours of the natural fur sit so well against each other. For me, this coat is the glam statement piece that lifts any outfit. Wearing it with boots and jeans is a great option or throwing it on in the evenings over a silk dress and sandals would look just as amazing. This particular coat has been fashion editors go to piece all season, featuring in numerous magazines worldwide, most recently in Vogue Japan under the watchful eyes of Anna Dello Russo. Fendi is famous for its fur, and this particular coat comes with a rather hefty price tag, £20,850 to be exact. Good news though, it has been reduced to only £12,510 on Matches.com! Somehow I can't justify spending all that money just yet.

A Givenchy leather jacket 

Ricardo Tisci is one of my favourite designers of all time. This year he celebrated 10 wonderful years at Givenchy under his creative direction, and the future looks increasingly bright for this visionary designer. But what I would really like from Givenchy is one of their iconic leather jackets, in a beautiful soft green colour. You really can't go wrong with Givenchy, and this jacket is a serious investment pieces. Imagine the soft nappa leather against your skin, paired with an amazing pair of blue jeans and black boots... just heaven! And of course, this being Givenchy the jacket doesn't come cheap, with Net-a-Porter selling it for £3450. Well, I'm down, what about you? 

The Philip Lim Ora boots 

It's fair to say that these boots are the shoe of the season. As soon as they appeared in the Autumn/winter 2015 catwalk show, Philip Lim's customers were literally queueing in line to purchase a pair of Oras. So what's the appeal? Well first of all, these boots aren't just your average winter riding boot. They are longer at the front and shorter at the back which is massive tick straight away, they come in a variety of amazing shades, they make your legs look longer and slimmer and they generally just look so sexy on. Kim Kardashian, Rita Ora and Chrissy Teigan can't get enough of them and neither can I! Unfortunately they are now all sold out in the UK, which is not surprising really, but I think it's pretty safe to say that after the popularity of this style Philip Lim will be sure to bring out something similar in his new collection. Well, he better! 

A Classic Celine handbag 

No serious wardrobe is complete without a Celine handbag. It's classic, sophisticated, timeless and oh so beautiful. It has long been one of the hottest and most practical designer handbags to own, with Sienna Miller, Olivia Palmero and Diane Kruger all fans of the style. It has been copied to death by the high street unfortunately, but this is bag that is Celine through and through. I would say go for classic black, but I like this bag in forest green and burgundy, and let's not get carried away with the two tone style. And the price is not too bad, bearing in mind this bag never goes on sale. £1461 is just a snip compared to the Fendi coat... 

  

A Geeky Gucci blouse 

I was a huge fan of Frida Giannini, the previous creative director of Gucci and was completely against their new head of womenswear Allesandro Michelle. However, I have warmed to the Autumn/winter 2015 collection so much that I would buy every single piece if I could! I love the lovely printed silk blouses in particular. 70s mixed with geek chic, cool but still stylish, these flouncy blouses looked amazing with knife pleated skirts and chunky loafers. Zara have really tried to capture the essence of Gucci with their current collection, mixing the rich greens, beiges and baby pinks together to create a sample of the brand. But for me, nothing beats the real thing and that Gucci blouse is high on my list of fashionable desires.

MFW - Prada, Fendi, MaxMara, Pucci and Moschino!

Moschino
You've got to love Jeremy Scott! One season it was McDonald's mania, the next Barbie girl heaven, then the Looney Tunes came to town, and now for spring 2016, Moschino have gone all road sign crazy. From the amazing catwalk which featured fluorescent cones, stop signs, arrows, construction sight posts and much more, to the 'caution' emblazoned dresses and the brightly coloured outfits, which matched those seen on the highway code. Orange and yellow neon dresses were outrageously fun as were the hard hats usually worn by builders, but given a glam twist with netting covering the eyes. And then came the car wash! Bubbles and all. It was such a good show, full of loud and proud prints, pop art references and comical irony at the crazy world that is fashion.

  
Prada
You never know with Miuucia Prada. She is the queen of ugly fashion (in a good way) and her trend setting catwalk shows are always the pinnacle of Milan Fashion Week. This show was no different. It was classic Prada, all boxy jackets with the big buttons, statement earrings which were so long they sat on the models' shoulders, skirt and coat combos and of course classic dresses embellished with jewels and funky fur pieces. There was plenty of stripes in clashing colours while shapes tended to be very feminine. Prada is one of those designers whose clothes really should not go together but do. And only Miuccia can achieve that. Another great Prada collection.

 MaxMara
I was surprised with this collection from Italian giants MaxMara. It was so cool, young and fun compared to the serious 1950's mood seen at their last show. I loved all the stripes, the cool quiffs the girls rocked with their hair, the bright eye make-up and the overall relaxed Milano vibe of the collection. Being MaxMara there were some coats for spring/summer, but these tended to be quite light and airy white, waist cinched in and large lapels adding detail. I have to say I do prefer the more lady like glam of last season, but this was something cool and different.

Emilio Pucci
I miss Peter Dundas, the previous creative director of Pucci who is now at Roberto Cavalli. But fashion is an industry which is always changing so I guess I'll just have to get used to this new generation of Pucci. It's fair to say that this shift is very, very different to the romantic, gypsy spirit of Dundas. Sleek, modern lines were everywhere in this collection, with stripes being a firm fixture, something that Prada and MaxMara also focused on for spring 16. Materials were loose and flowed beautifully while the layering and draping of the fabric was light and lovely. Colour combinations were exciting, with bottle green, navy blue, white and bright orange all twisted together well as were the geek sheek sunglasses in an array of colours.

Fendi 
Stylish, sophisticated, glamourous and so Italian, I loved this Fendi show starting with the first shocking pink look worn by Edie Campbell. It was beautifully constructed and very chic, with puffy white cotton shirts tucked into sleek midi skirts and khaki coloured fur coats baring the legs. It was soft with all the lovely light colours but also had a toughness to it, with hard black leather looks shown towards the end of the collection. The styling was incredible, you could clearly imagine yourself in each and every outfit, while the funky sandals were definitely on most peoples 'want it now' list.