Ready-to-Wear a/w 2019-2020
This season's main thought was awareness. You could hear it in Björk’s music for Cedric Charlier, in Giambattista Valli’s soundtrack and, of course, at Stella McCartney’s, where voices of several people called out her message. Awareness of the ecological critical situation and of women identity mingled into designs, they interlaced to offer us a down to earth fashion; less conceptual in the style, heavier in the messages portrayed. Structural lines allowed poetry to bloom, precious and feminine.
The British designer was overwhelmed by her guests. Oprah Winfrey, Lewis Hamilton and Janelle Monàe were just three of the stars that came to support her cause."I would love to dedicate a tree to everyone" told us Stella McCartney, and she offered all an oak tree grain. Some of the models were wearing SOS tattoos calling to help nature. Her big accomplish - the development of a perfectly leather-like vegetal material. You could be fooled.
But consciousness comes in different ways. Giambattista Valli, close to his muses, talks about living the moment and worked his prints like an impressionist, a life philosophy. His woman is free, free enough to be what she desires and we can see it in the tailored silhouettes mixed with his signature fairy-tale flounces dresses.
Today’s leader of stylish feminism is Maria Grazia Chiuri. At the head of Dior, she took all the house codes and walked in Christian Dior’s foot steps since the very beginning. With a brilliant hand she brought them into this new light of femininity. Thomaso Binga, militant artist since the 70s, prepared the scene design for the show promoting the slogan “Sisterhood Global” where the rigorous line inspired by the 50s, remembers the times this movement was born.
A more personal approach for Andreas Khronthaler who talks about reusing and reinterpretation of something that is already there. A lurking feeling of identity, the house of Vivienne has been from its fist days a defender of freedom, not feminist, much deeper and subtile than that. A true identity of existence that Andreas is embracing and makes it his own. Traditional African prints, archaic strong fabrics mixed with his glamorous neo-punk style, pumped up by all the Westwoodian codes, de-structured fabrics, corsets, nonchalant strength.
Lady Vivienne Westwood backstage & artists ready for the show
Vivid structure also for Issey Miyake with the dough dough shape-memory fabric. Construction also in colours, kinetic art impressing the retina with movement and contrast.
Structuralism, sculpturalism, words to define technics and lines but when it comes to Pier Paolo Piccioli they wont be satisfying. With him we can talk more of introvert hats, and poetic prints, aerial dresses and discreet gowns with metaphoric shapes. The Valentino collection is bold in colours and forms yet fluid in vibration.
fashion editor & journalist Cinzia Malvini and Pier Paolo Piccioli talking about poetry
If fashion is art and we would have to identify each style, the conceptual artist would be Thom Brawne. He has this cinematographic approach. Storyteller of a perfect tailoring knowhow, he stroke again with a certain counterpart feeling. Hermeticism and poetry cohabit in his performance world.
Thom Browne backstage - Stephen Jones magical hand & monocle - we love the wool interlace
In this fashion of in-temporal lines, where structure is reimposed, there is one master. Albert Kriemler has always remained true to himself, regardless the tendencies. His work on fabric technics development, fur-like wool and wool printing, horse crane weaving, they go along with his will to make luxurious, sustainable, long lasting ready-to-wear at Akris. He intentionally created an intimate set-up for the last fashion show, close-up for the public to discover in detail his “inventions”, yes, we can use this word for him.
fashion editor & journalist Cinzia Malvini and Albert Kriemler - backstage
It is with a sad feeling that we finish our coups-de-foudres strolls. The Chanel collection presented the last designs made by Karl Lagerfeld. After a moment of heavy silence the homage to the great mind of fashion continued as he would of liked it. A realistic scenography, out of time elegance, superposition of pattern woven wool, eternal style perfectly alined in this season’s tendencies.
all images by Marco Tassini for ©MasTassiniStudio