LIFE: Fall Fashion Trends

SARONNO, Italy – OK, here’s the skinny on what’s hot in Italian fashion this fall and winter. My unscientific survey of the shops in Milano and Saronno showed several  trends – five actually.

 From the Max Mara Collection

Trend No. 1. First and foremost, pants are skinny. I don’t mean tapered, or slim, I mean skinny, and you don’t have to look far to find them, they are already in a store near you. But if you are not able to even fit your arm into them, let alone your leg, don’t despair, you have not been forgotten. 

From the Fall 2012 Plus Size Line of Elena Miro (really!)

Gone are the days when designers wouldn’t even think of producing anything in a size larger than 8 (that’s 42 Italian). They didn’t want ‘fat’ women wearing their clothes because that was not the image they wanted to project. I am not making this up. It was actual policy. Now things have changed and even Giorgio Armani is coming up with designs suitable for ‘larger’ ladies, and that my friends is progress. 

 Bottega Veneta

Trend No. 2. The hot fabric of the season is velvet. You will see it everywhere, for everything from handbags to hats and not just for special occasions. I hope you don’t have to decide between a velvet outfit from Bottega Veneta or one from Valentino, because both fashion houses are offering lush, spectacular, albeit a bit medievalish designs that win both of them this year’s Spinner of Dreams Award.

 Gothic Versace

Trend No. 3. Now this was a surprise. Black is back. Truth be told I didn’t realize it had gone away, at least not here in Italy. Not to say the designers didn’t make herculean attempts to lure the fashion buying public into outfits of strawberry pink and robin’s egg blue, but thinking back on my travels this summer, I can honestly say I don’t remember seeing even one strawberry pink or robin’s egg blue anything, not a tee shirt, not a sweater, niente. What I did see was a lot of beige, tan and white. Even on old ladies, especially on old ladies.

 Midnight Blue by Valentino

Trend No. 4. Black may be back but midnight blue is sure to be the color for the upcoming holidays. I know it’s only September, but us fashion mavens have to keep our eyes on what’s coming over the horizon, and trust me, it’s gonna be a blue, blue, very dark midnight blue Christmas. But for fall, to bring things back to the here and now, the color to watch is camel. It started trending last year and this year it’s out in full force. It’s fine with me. Camel is about as daring as I ever get with color anyway.

 What's Next?

Trend No. 5. Part 1 -Shoes. What I would like to know is just where do the shoe designers think we are going to go in platform ankle strap shoes? Is this some kind of a shoe joke that I just don’t get? Last year it was five and six inch heels, then, as if that wasn’t difficult enough, they added platforms. Now they’ve added ankle straps. If it gets any weirder we’re going to need sedan chairs and four muscle men to carry us around. Hmmmmm, actually that doesn’t sound so bad. 

 40's Redux by William Massimini

On the bright side, Italian shoe designer William Massimini is a shining star in the wonderful, wild world of women’s shoe designs. Yes, he’s also gone the 40’s route, but with subtle changes that bring his line right into the here and now. I sent him an email asking where his shoes are sold and as soon as I hear from him, I’ll let you know. 

 Two for One by Barbara of Milano

Trend No 5. Part 2 – Handbags. The good news is handbags are a little smaller. It had to happen. Handbags were reaching gigantic proportions and becoming impossible to carry. Here’s a great idea. Barbara of Milano has consistently offered reasonably sized bags for reasonable prices and for winter/fall 2012-2013 the company is offering a two strap solution on many of their bags. You can wear your Barbara bag on your arm and look cute, or you can wear it postman style and have your arms and hands free. Actually, the two strap solution is not a novelty for this brand, it’s one of their features and it is one of the reasons why the brand is so popular here. If you are in Milan, you'll find the brand at the Rinascente Department Store in Piazza Duomo.

LIFE: Milan’s Fashion Week

SARONNO, Italy - Last week was Fall Fashion Week in Milan. Tina Turner got a front row seat at Giorgio Armani’s  show and I got poked in the back at least a hundred times by the bony elbows of the paper thin models that invade the subway every time Milan sponsors a fashion event. Doesn't seem fair somehow.

Giorgio Armani's new longer look

A few years ago the Italian fashion industry, along with the French and Americans, made a big fuss about hiring more normal looking models instead of the anorexic models they usually hire. It was a semi-fake attempt to fool the public into thinking they were concerned about the image the anorexic models were presenting to impressionable young girls. If you ask me, the real reason was there were too many girls passing out before the runway shows– and yes, even dying – because they had starved themselves to sticks.

It is a little better now, but not by much.  At any rate there is no use focusing on the dark side of the fashion industry when there are so many bright sides to talk about. To begin with there is no denying that Giorgio Armani is still the king of Fashion. He shows it time and time again and this season was no different. His clothes were gorgeous, with lots of swing and sway. We saw it in his longer winter coats and also in the new cut of his trousers, slightly flared and ending just above the ankle. All the better to show off the embroidered booties and soft suede sandals he featured. His evening wear was a dream of silks and satins that melted into the skin, with velvet gowns that shimmed like jewels and chiffons that floated down the runway like clouds. 

One designer who has been around for a while but isn’t exactly a household name yet is Francesco Scognamiglio. He’s the go-to guy for Lady Gaga, Madonna and Rihanna when they want something special for a red carpet appearance or a video. He’s dressed Lady Gaga almost a dozen times and Madonna just called him for something special to wear to an event she’s been invited to in the spring.

 The dark side of Francesco Scognamiglio (photo: Telegraph UK)

While he does do a lot of ‘stand-out’ clothes, Scognamilglio's regular clothes are pretty normal and very good looking. For Fall/Winter 2011/2012 he showed pale beige sculpted pantsuits with moto-cross or bomber-jackets edged with fox collars and rippled, pleat details at the back. His shift dresses were low cut showing a lot of skin, and some of his mini-dresses were trimmed with fox hems – how extravagant!  How chic!

Many of the designers, like Prada, are still playing with fabric and texture mixing python-skins, sequins and fur, fake and real. It doesn’t always work but Prada fans are Prada fans and it doesn’t seem to matter what off-the-wall look Minuccia Prada comes up with, they will buy it.

Jil Sander went in the other direction and used elements of ski-wear mixed with vintage silk prints for a sporty couture look. Her hip belts, sashes and low slung pockets all draw your eye to the hip, which is fine if you don’t have any.

 One of Prada's signature looks

So from what we saw here in Milan it looks like the hot ticket colors for next fall and winter are going to be teal, jade, terracotta, mustard, amber and bronze. Tweeds are bigger than ever, over-the-knee boots will still be with us, handbags, instead of looking like travel cases, will shrink to a more normal size and if you have to carry a lot of stuff you can do it in a colorful tote that doesn’t pass itself off as a handbag. 

It will be interesting to see what looks and colors actually make it to the stores. They are already showing a lot of teal for spring here ,but for the rest of it, it all depends on what the advance sales look like. I'm sure I'll recover from my last pass through Milan long before fall comes around, and when I do I’ll gather my courage, get back on the train and head for the shops to see what's what. You will be the first to know.