Fashion Blog - Times Online - WBLG

Armani lets it all hang out

For his mainline, Giorgio Armami presented an essay in relaxed chic. The silhouette was supple and easy and the focus was on wide trousers and loose jackets. The collection had a casual ease. Armani took the stuffiness out of pinstripes by making them in seersucker and made shawl collared waistcoats in supple shirting fabric. A handkerchief in the breast pocket replaced the formality of the tie, which was dispensed with altogether even for the evening section. The overall mood was loose and easy. It was Armani at his most unbuttoned - Claudia Croft

D&G gets tough

Denim is for whimps. So say D&G, which showed tough-guy leathers instead. The show opened with a pair of studded a zip-strewn, leather biker trousers and in keeping with the biker theme, there was plenty of metal hardwear in the collection. Jacket lapels and the outside seams on trouser legs were decorated with rows of metal plate and what denim there was, bristled with studs and chains. These were not the kind of clothes that will get you through the security checks at Heathrow in a hurry but they will get you noticed. Masculine, but with a playful edge this was a strong new direction for D&G - Claudia Croft

Cavalli gets distracted

Roberto Cavalli decided to use his fashion show as a prelude to a lavish party thrown to celebrate … well actually there was no official reason for the bash so we just have to assume it was to celebrate MrCavalli’s all-round, glitzy fabulousness. The setting was an enormous warehouse decked out to look like a nightclub complete with velvet banquettes and a mirrored floor. As Milan’s party crowd, all conker brown tans, big hair and cleavage (men and women), mixed and mingled a rumour went round that Pete Doherty would make an appearance. The wild rocker is the new face of Cavalli’s menswear. The evening was shaping up nicely. Then the show started. Skinny leather track pants, billowing cagoules, nylon shorts laden with exaggerated pockets, zipped up suede blousons were just some of the offerings. Cavalli usually has an overarching theme which ties his lavish wild and glamourous take on fashion together, but this show lacked a unifying message. It was a bit grungy, a bit sporty and a bit rock and roll. All the attention appeared to have been spent on the party and not the collection which didn’t quite live up to the elaborate build up. Oh and Pete Doherty didn’t turn up - Claudia Croft

Taffeta shorts and gold tuxes at Bottega Veneta

Bottega Veneta has a mission statement, “When your own initials are enough,” which is fashion long hand for no logos. BV specialises in the kind of understated luxury that only the initiated can recognise. So what to make of it, when a model strides down the catwalk carrying white a crocodile briefcase? Croc, as everyone knows, is one of the most expensive skins available. White crocodile is even more expensive. Perhaps total understatement is going out of fashion. The clothes were less shouty than the accessories; the rumpled suits looked great and designer Tomas Maier made a bold statement with eveningwear, ditching the traditional tuxedo in favour of shimmering bronze suits which were worn with checked shirts instead of dinner shirts. Maier knows his customer’s take on luxury is a very modern one. Tradition doesn’t mean too much to them (if it did they’d wear Hermes). Instead they are happy to make up their own rules. Within that context a gold tux and check shirt or indeed a pair of tailored shorts made not from cotton but blue taffeta makes a lot of sense - Claudia Croft

View the Bottega Veneta catwalk video

Prada has a quiet moment

After last season’s radical show, which included shaggy romper suits and yellow patent shoes, Miuccia Prada presented a more gentle vision of menswear for spring summer 2008.  There were some radical moments – the knitted mesh trousers that opened the show, the floral patterned silk jump suit or the emerald green velvet sandals for instance – but by Prada’s standards this is pretty mild. The main message was one of proportion. Prada introduced a longer line for knits, tunics and shirts, some of which fell to just above the knees. She tweaked the trousers too, introducing a retro looking kick flare. There were some great clothes especially the elegant shawl collared suit jackets but this wasn’t a season in which Prada roared - Claudia Croft

Gucci fails to ignite

Frida Giannini based her collection on the slick movie stars of the golden era of Italian cinema. It was a pretty literal interpretation of the look made famous by Marcello Mastroianni - all slick checked suits, patterned polo shirts and narrow trousers. It is a well-rehearsed look for Giannini who seems to present a variation of the classic Italian movie star theme every menswear outing. She didn’t bring anything new to the story except a level of modern lux and some shiny silver shoes. It was slick and colourful but lacked the wow factor of a truly directional collection - Claudia Croft

Surf's up at Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen took his starting point from an iconic LeRoy Grannis 1961 photograph of a man surfing in a black suit and white shirt. From that he extrapolated a look that fused retro beach bum in faded baggy board shorts with rebel rockabillies in wide-shouldered drape jackets and tapered drainpipe trousers. American retro classics such as the baseball jacket and collegiate cardi were revived alongside plaid suiting and bowling shoes. The result was a good looking commercial collection, but given that this era of Americana has been well picked over by designers many times before, McQueen could have put more of his signature spin on the look. A baseball jacket did feature lavish embroidery, a surfer's rash vest came embroidered with flowers, and drape jackets had with oversized white and beige polkadots. However, McQueen’s arch romanticism, his eye for lavish detail and his theatrical flair were at a minimum - Claudia Croft

Vivienne Westwood bucks the trend for all things slim

When all around her are showing skinny silhouettes, you almost expect Vivienne Westwood to go for something different. And she did, with a collection of loose, easy, cottony clothes. The result of her bucking the trend for all things slim was one of the best collections of the week. Westwood’s man, in his beautifully proportioned baggy trousers and loose tailored jackets, projected an effortless summer look - Claudia Croft

Neil Barrett is "just interesting enough"

You might think it a little snippy to describe Neil Barrett's collection as "just interesting enough" but that is no bad thing in menswear. This isn’t a world where seismic trends shift the landscape every season. It works at a much slower evolutionary pace than womenswear. Barrett’s clothes are fashionable without scaring the horses, and that’s what many men, including his celebrity customers Brad Pitt and Jake Gyllenhaal, want. His trousers are cut just above the ankle nodding to the short trews trend, but in a wearable way. His tees, silky and well cut, go just beyond the basic without straying into the gimmicky, and if you are looking for a signature piece Barrett has it – the waistcoat, worn with everything from jeans to shorts to suits. Nothing too terrifying about that - Claudia Croft

Versace channels Kraftwerk

Donatella Versace has drafted in a new designer to give her menswear a contemporary spin. Alexandre Plokhov used to design the underground American label Cloak, which won plaudits for its edgy style until it closed last year. Now as head of menswear at Versace, he ushered in a new skinny tailored silhouette. Lean black suits were worn with high-necked red shirts or T-shirts for a look that channelled the German band Kraftwerk. His version of electro-goth glamour doesn't fight too hard with the House’s rock and roll image, but you get the feeling this designer prefers designing winter collections, not summer ones, and one thing was missing in his parade of slim suits - the throbbing, unbuttoned, macho sexiness of traditional Versace man - Claudia Croft

Yes, this really is Burberry Prorsum

Christopher Bailey’s obsession with English aristos is well on the wane. His style is moving from one based on nostalgia to a far more experimental stance. It was clear from the start that Bailey is in the mood to challenge convention. He took the ultimate Burberry icon, the trench and made it in hunting pink wool jersey, cut slim on the body, sharp on the shoulder and cinched with a nylon strap at the waist. He laced the collection with surfer references, using neoprene for tailored jackets and coats; he even trimmed his shoes with it. Other unconventional ideas included sequin T-shirts in angry yellow or bright blue, under suiting. Some pieced did stand out as trying far too hard to be different (the gold admiralty themed lurex knits at the end looked like Michael Jackson costumes) but Bailey is taking Burberry into new territory. Gone is the polite deference to the heritage of the brand and the gentle, nostalgic idea of simply putting a contemporary spin on old favourites. Bailey is new era of post-deference. It could be an interesting place - Claudia Croft

Dolce and Gabbana go "nu-rave"

Dolce and Gabbana have conquered menswear with their signature silhouette. Strong on the shoulder, nipped in at the waist, slim on the leg, it is the tailoring equivalent of the swimmer's body. If you want a great suit, this is the label to go to and to emphasise that point, the show started and finished with a parade of lean, impeccable black suits which followed their signature silhouette. The innovation came in the many different fabrics used, from fantastic glazed linen to black brocade and luxurious matt, ultra-lightweight wool. When it came to more casual looks Dolce and Gabbana were in the mood to experiment. Combats and hoodies were studded with LED’s for the ultimate in raver chic and linen trousers and jackets were stiffened with metal thread to create a sculpted yet crumpled look - Claudia Croft

Milan Fashion Week: Jil Sander's sheer shirts

Jil Sander provided the first buzzword of the collections: transparency. Designer Raf Simons’ big statement was the sheer shirt. Before you cry gigolo, Simonds layered his over plain white shirts or tees. The look was more studious than studly. He also showed sheer nylon jackets, although thankfully did not pair these with sheer trousers. Layering, if not done carefully, can look cluttered and messy, but Simonds, an edgy minimalist by trade, has a disciplined eye and the effect here was fresh, light and understated - Claudia Croft