(by Elisa Cecchi)
Fashion this fall is all about
the celebration of individual style.
No single trend is dominating collections, which beat to an
inspiring diversity of tunes.
Indeed, the upcoming season is not about one single decade
or a specific silhouette.
Rather, it's about designers measuring up to their own
agenda, with their own vocabulary.
If a prevailing mood must be found, it's a romantic one, a
celebration of womanhood that is more feminine than sexy,
whether it's expressed through a Victoriana theme, lurex,
patchwork or a resurrection of the 1980s.
The Victorian mood is a striking note seen across a few
collections.
Valentino's floor-sweeping lace dresses played up the
romance and elegance of the era while the collection debuted by
Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy gave it an edgy spin by mixing it
with Californian street culture.
Victoriana also struck a note at Alberta Ferretti, Altuzarra
and Alexander McQueen, among others.
Meanwhile, as echoes of the 1970s are still playing up, the
1980s and 1990s are also back in style.
A sophisticated rendition of 1980s-style bold power dressing
was spelled out at brands including Balmain, Bottega Veneta,
Louis Vuitton and Saint Laurent.
And the celebration of bygone years also embraced the 1990s
as a key accessory from the decade acquired cult status this
fall, mainly thanks to Céline - the slip dress.
This multi-use wardrobe staple of yore was designed in a
wide variety of ways at brands including Jil Sander and Prabal
Gurung.
Fur, a noticeable trend in the accessories sector, was also
seen on clothes with fox, mink and lambskin, among others,
patch-worked into everything, from dresses at Marni and Michael
Kors, to coats at Prada.
Patchwork in general was a theme - yet another echo of the
1970s - seen at Acne Studios, Chloe, Etro, Peter Pilotto and
Valentino.
And the vintage feel it exudes translated into fabrics in
general, with a widespread inclination to look at the world of
interiors.
Patterns usually seen on living room couches rather than
clothes, from chic brocades to ethnic motifs, inspired fashion
houses including Burberry Prorsum, Chanel, Isabel Marant and
Mary Katrantzou.
Also in the world of fabrics, a typical fall-ready material,
velvet, was an inspiration at Emilio Pucci, Dries Van Noten,
Lanvin and Sonia Rykiel.
A number of designers gave a shiny touch to their
collections with lurex, including rising star Marco De Vincenzo.
Shine in general starred at Christian Dior and Nina Ricci,
among others.
And the bling factor was played up by the eastern influence
seen at a number of fashion houses with heaps of gold at Louis
Vuitton, Oscar de la Renta and Tom Ford, as well as dragons
stretching their claws at Valentino.
Meanwhile key clothing staples this fall include two
classics for both women's and men's wear - the suit and the
white shirt.
In a season in which the gender boundary is blurring even
further, the pant suit is making a major comeback, as seen at
Bottega Veneta, Stella McCartney and Louis Vuitton.
So is the wardrobe essential par excellence, the white
shirt, featuring in a wide variety of designs, from the
Victorian-frilled collars at Altuzarra to the bow ties at Chanel
and the minimalism at Céline.
And when temperatures plunge, the statement coat this
fall-winter will be extremely long with hemlines almost down to
the floor at Chanel, Chloe, Christian Dior and Marni, among
others, requiring height - or high heels.
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