Marie Claire News

Saturday 30 August

 


Milan Fashion Week: Day Six

Pucci autumn/winter 2008 Mitchell Sams

'This season, the Dsquared2 woman wears a skirt,' proudly proclaimed the notes at yesterday's first show of the day. It turns out she isn't the only one.

After a few back-to-back seasons with dresses stealing the spotlight, autumn/winter 2008 is shaping up to be the season of the separate.

However, that doesn't mean every skirt on offer looks the same. While at Dsquared2 they were tight and sexy, worn with high patent heels and silk pussy-bow blouses, at MaxMara they were cut a little shorter, but with more material, allowing the fabric to be bunched forwards into a rose-shaped knot.

Despite these variations, for those of you who already have a wardrobe full of knee-length pencil skirts from last time round, the key difference for next season won't necessarily be in the shape, but in the fabric. Tactile materials – felt, marabou, scalloped satin and the like – make the trend look new and interesting again.

Of course, every trend deserves a second opinion and at Versace last night it was all about the dress.

Presented in a kaleidoscope of rich rainbow shapes, gowns came in all manner of different hem lengths, from bottom-skimmingly short to floor-gracingly long. The innovation though, and what marked them out from previous Versace collections, was the displaced silhouettes. Thick, weighty pleats, voluminous shapes and body-sculpting bands of material ensured everything looked fresh and modern, while new prints, created by the Dutch-born artist Tim Roeloffs, were a quirky addition to some of the pieces. If at least one of these dresses doesn't make it on to the Oscar red carpet on Sunday night I'll hang up my new Versace 15cm-heel patent sandals.

For those of you who do look forward to skirts being resurrected again, but aren't quite sure what to wear with them, another basic to have emerged from the cutting room this week is the humble roll-neck, which was used to great effect at both MaxMara and Pucci yesterday, worn in a range of colours and fabrics, from ribbed wool to sheer silk. Pack your V-necks away in mothballs and look forward to a trend that's easy-to-wear and practical to boot.

Another key trend, which we've mentioned before but again stomped onto nearly every catwalk yesterday, is the ankle boot. Cut a little higher than this winter's shoe boot, but often still with a lace-up front, next season's can be worn with everything from ski pants to evening gowns. They appeared in patent leather at Pucci and at Fendi yesterday, were seen in a mixture of suede and satin. Earlier in the week Marni showed the boots in soft, matte leather.

If ankle boots aren't your thing, Fendi revealed thigh-high suede versions, while at Gucci on Wednesday, classic riding boots were worn just-over-the-knee and accessorised with leather fringing.

The shopping list for the coming season keeps getting longer…

Friday 22 February 2008


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i think the fashion week was really interesting.the bunch rose skirt seemed really nice.the ankle boots are not exactly the best news ever but the lace up front is redeeming the actual idea of the ankle boot.
Comment by becca on February 25 19:51

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