Soft in all its splendor
I am not Tom Ford. That was the message when Frida Giannini presented her first full collection for Gucci this week, as the second designer to try her hand leading the mega-brand since the inimitable Ford left in 2003. Even the show venue at the Diana Majestic Hotel had been transformed. Instead of Ford’s love nest, with plush black banquettes and shag carpets, the space looked more like a woman’s wardrobe with wood paneling, shiny gold benches and mirrored walls.
Giannini, 32, joined Gucci as the handbag designer in 2002 and was appointed creative director of all accessories in 2004. She made her mark last spring reinterpreting the vintage “Flora” scarf pattern, a delicate wildflower print, on bags and shoes that were a retail hit. Following poor reviews of Alessandra Facchinetti’s complicated collections, in March Giannini was given women’s ready-to-wear to design as well.
She said the night before the show that she wanted to bring joy back to the label, appealing to the kind of woman who is unaware of her own sex appeal. The first looks that came out were tomboyish -- rock ‘n’ roll suits that were more Avril Lavigne than Ford devotee Rita Wilson. Short, shaped jackets with pinched shoulders were layered over pink-and-black rugby shirts and skinny pinstriped trousers, cropped to reveal pointy Beatle boots with horse-bit details.
The second act was a complete turnabout -- cutesy dresses in lighthearted floral prints, sliced open in front with butterfly sleeves and ruffled hems that ended mid-thigh. Blouses came in the same shape, worn with black satin Bermuda shorts and suede platform shoes. And the silhouette was repeated yet again on long and lean jewel-tone gowns with a 1940s feel, some so modest they even had sleeves. The inspiration? A photograph of the designer’s grandmother after World War II. “They couldn’t eat, but they had the perfect hair and clothes, which made them joyful,” Giannini said.
The collection was a major departure, and there were some fine ideas here. But as a whole, it lacked the gravitas to feed the image of such a powerful house. It was also striking how young the clothes looked, an interesting tactic for a brand that, for the last decade, has been associated with strong, self-assured, mature women. It could be just the thing to draw in starlets and new customers. Or not. It’s only Giannini’s first collection, and she is bound to develop more confidence. But one thing’s for sure, she’s not afraid to speak for herself. Only right now, it’s still unclear exactly what the new Gucci is trying to say.
As fashion week plods along here, most designers are continuing last season’s penchant for pretty. Perhaps it is the surfeit of dresses and skirts on the runways that made Giorgio Armani’s pantsuits a breath of fresh air. The designer, who for several seasons has gone out on bizarre tangents, reverted back to his roots, beginning his show with some classically beautiful jackets in gray crepe, one with a waterfall of fabric cascading down the right lapel, all paired with simple trousers. Rather than Armani’s more typical strict, linear aesthetic, the collection was softly rounded, with long chiffon tulip skirts and pants with ruffles on the outside of the leg instead of a tuxedo stripe.
Colors were equally delicate -- celery green, beige and gray. And gowns reflected Italian designers’ current penchant for pretty. They were long, graceful and red carpet ready, embroidered with flowers and butterflies and covered in shimmering diamantes. His only missteps were a couple of styles that were completely bare on top except for two vertical straps covering the breasts. Oh, and the headgear. Armani never met a hat he didn’t like, and this season’s were shaped like roses or insect exoskeletons.
Working in Missoni’s rich rainbow of patterns and stripes, Angela Missoni also emphasized a softer silhouette, opening her show with an easy cobalt duster coat worn over a baby doll dress finished with a flounce at the hem. The prints came into focus, blown up on chiffon Empire dresses, draped in ruches and ruffles and worn with Mary Janes for a 1960s look. Knit jackets came in wrap styles with bold 1940s shoulders, paired with pleated silk trousers. It all looked just right for Hollywood, where Missoni continues to make a push for celebrity dressing, with the help of twentysomething daughter and aspiring actress Margherita.
Tomas Maier put the focus on the waist at Bottega Veneta. Cotton sundresses and pleated skirts with bold vertical paint strokes on the front were circled with wide silver-embellished belts. Polo shirts with the house’s now signature butterfly embroidered on the chest were clever, as were men’s jeans with woven intrecciato back pockets. But strapless gowns with lace tracing the top of the bustier and inset around the skirt were not luxurious enough to justify what are sure to be exorbitant prices (that is, if they ever get made).
This collection continues to feel like filler designed to bring attention to the leather goods business. But does it really need it? The best pieces were fitted nappa leather intrecciato jackets and heavily worked bags in exotic skins with tortoise shell hardware and flashes of velvet -- all of which went by so fast on the runway it was impossible to enjoy them. The house is on its way to becoming profitable soon, with sales steadily climbing, and it’s not because of the clothes or the runway shows. Though it was nice to see the models smiling for a change.
Leather goods company Tod’s did it right, hosting an installation/party to celebrate illustrator and New Yorker fashion editor Michael Roberts’ charming new book of fashiony paper cutouts, “Michael Roberts: The Snippy World.” The rubber-soled sandals and pebble-soled moccasins could be seen up close, displayed against witty wallpaper for which Roberts re-imagined the signature loafer as a sports car.
Christopher Bailey has certainly created an image for the high-end Burberry Prorsum label apart from the signature plaid. For spring, he again looked to England, to photographs of Princess Margaret from the early 1960s. And the collection was just as stale, with the kind of vintage-inspired satin coats with rounded collars and brass buttons, schoolmarm cardigan sweaters, brocade pleated skirts and high-waist cocktail frocks with grosgrain bow belts that are already in Banana Republic.
At Moschino, one always has a sense of deja vu -- the Madonna music, the mostly black-and-white palette, the girlish details. And this season was no exception. Designer Rosella Jardini knows her dresses sell, so she offered them in spades: 1950s styles with trompe l’oeil pearls, chain-link lockets or ruffles snaking around the full skirts; a prim 1960s shift with buttons, bow ties and pearl necklaces in the back instead of the front; and a 1980s polka-dot confection with a paillette petticoat peeking out from under the skirt. Naughty neon patent leather platform shoes and heart-shaped sunglasses added a Lolita touch.
Until Raf Simmons takes over in February, Jil Sander is being designed by a group of assistants. And it showed. The collection was a choppy mix of styles -- straight-line blouses with multicolored ribbon plackets that resembled Guevara shirts, silver, daisy-chain ponchos and white cotton dresses with multiple pockets that evoked Nurse Ratched. Clearly, this was just a place holder awaiting the arrival of a steadying hand.
Amid all the chatter this week about the uncertain future of Italian fashion, it should be pointed out that DSquared’s Dean and Dan Caten are two designers who have been able to break through. Their label may still have limited distribution, but their campy stage shows have drawn a cult following (and a deep-pocketed backer, the Italian Diesel Group), playing particularly well in Milan against the mostly staid presentations that characterize fashion week here.
For spring, they hosted a barn-burning hoedown that could have been inspired by celebrity pal Jessica Simpson’s recent role as Daisy Duke. The action began with a male model being shot out of a hay loft, while on the other side of the stage, a cowboy tended to a live horse and pony show.
Thus far, DSquared has been known primarily for jeans (their signature low-slung, peg leg styles always look fabulous). But this season, they made a push into real clothes with tiered prairie skirts in buttery leather, fringed leather jackets with native beading, Liberty floral dresses with puffed sleeves and denim trim, and even a ladylike suit with lassos turned into bow-shaped details. The Catens’ cowgirls wore ruffled leather aprons or tooled leather corset belts and over-the-knee cowboy boots, and carried feed bag-shaped purses embellished with spurs.
There were even a few gowns, one woven out of brown rope, another with a horseshoe anchoring the halter neck. Let’s hope it’s a lucky charm and more than just a fistful of these clothes land in stores.
