Photos: Showbit
Fresh off the runways of Milan are new fashion trends — from brightly printed coats to copious amount of checkered numbers — however, fashion week at the Italian city was also filled with tension and apprehension.
On one hand, it was the first for Fendi to release a collection sans Karl Lagerfeld (what would the future be for this fashion powerhouse?). On the other there is Gucci, trying their best to stay relevant after the outrage of the infamous “blackface” sweater.
In case you didn’t have the time to catch up with the fashion news, below are five important details that went down at the F/W’19 fashion shows in Milan.
1. Fendi paid tribute to the late Karl Lagerfeld
It was all about paying respect to Karl Lagerfeld at Fendi this season. Silvia Venturini Fendi, the Italian maison’s creative director for accessories and menswear, showcased the late fashion maven’s last designs at their F/W’19 show.
“He used to call me la petite fille triste (the sad little girl),” Silvia recalled to Vogue. But, there was no time for her to be swallowed in melancholy. Without Karl, she had to be the forefront for Fendi and showcase the brand in a positive light that resonates Karl’s voice and integrity.
True to form, the runway came with the display of Edwardian collars, the double F logo intarsia on shearling coats and the sharp tailoring, which were reminiscence of the German fashion designer’s creative direction during his tenure at the Italian label.
Furthermore, the show closed with a slice of film director Loic Prigent’s heartfelt documentary in memory of Karl, which took everyone back in time when Lagerfeld was sketching the outfit on his first day at Fendi.
ALSO READ: THE MOST AMAZING FASHION SHOWS THAT KARL LAGERFELD HAD PRESENTED AT CHANEL
2. Daniel Lee’s first Fall collection for Bottega Veneta
Yes, we are well aware that this year’s F/W’19 in Milan would have been Daniel Lee’s third collection at Bottega Veneta. However, it marks his debut for designing the label’s Fall collection.
The Céline alumnus (yes, he was the design director for the brand’s ready-to-wear collection back in the days when Phoebe Philo reigned) incorporated minimalist styles and tonal colour palettes with the Italian maison’s philosophy: Leather.
This makes us wonder: Was Daniel bringing remnants of the old Céline to Bottega Veneta? Or could he and Hedi Slimane be alike — creatives that are simply refreshing the styles of a storied maison with their personal design aesthetics?
3. Gucci wasn’t about Greek mythology
In fact, we aren’t exactly clear as to what Alessandro Michele was serving us with. The Italian powerhouse had recently suffered from social complications with their “blackface” sweater (for the uninitiated, it was a black sweater that features an elongated turtleneck that covered the model’s lower part of the face). And despite this fiasco, Alessandro brazenly showed us with a variety of BDSM inspired masks at Gucci’s F/W19 show.
“A mask is hollow but also full,” the 47-year-old designer told Vogue. To look at it with a positive, philosophical eye, perhaps he was addressing the backlashes by being inclusive. The mask, an accessory that displayed not all, but certain parts of the model’s face, translates to the idea of ambiguity.
Could he/she be a boy, or a girl? We can’t really tell. All we know is that this notion, the idea of embracing differing gender norms and being gender-unbiased, has been Alessandro’s “faith” ever since he took helm as the creative director at the maison in 2015.
ALSO READ: WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED OUT AT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK FALL/WINTER 2019
4. Moncler Genius gave us a remarkable second installment with Pierpaolo Piccioli
If you haven’t gotten over the avant garde realness during the inauguration of Moncler Genius and Pierpaolo Piccioli, you’re in for a treat.
For F/W’19, Pierpaolo served us, yet again, with an array of OTT ensembles for his second installment with Moncler Genius.
This time round, the creative director of Valentino has teamed up with Ethiopian-born model Liya Kebede and eight Ethiopian artists from Lemlem, Liya’s sustainable fashion label. The result of this three-way collaboration served us with the usual couture-worthy puffer gowns (which were similar to Pierpaolo’s first installment with Moncler Genius). However, the different lies in the subtle prints: The single-coloured numbers were disrupted by splashes of vibrant patterns.
“I don’t think that you can really do anything new today,” Pierpaolo told Vogue. “But you can create new harmonies — new points of view and perspectives.”
5. Versace bags are loved by many fashion icons
Photos: Versace
When it comes to a statement bag, it seems like Versace is the brand that’s highly sought after by many renown fashion superstars.
On the streets of Milan Fashion Week, American model Gigi Hadid was spotted carrying the brand’s fanny pack as a crossbody purse. Kaia Gerber, the daughter of Cindy Crawford, was toting around a red leather matelassé bag as a clutch. Italian beauty Vittoria Ceretti chose her arm candy to be in an icy shade of alabaster.
Could Versace be the brand that produces the hottest purse for this season?
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