LANVIN

Sfilata Straordinaria. Una collezione che merita di essere vista e rivista; e analizzata con attenzione. Uno stesso uomo, due anime. La sfilata é come “spezzata” in due zone circoscritte da contorni molto nitidi: la prima parte é più elegante e decostruita, décontracte come direbbero i francesi, dove i cappotti e i soprabiti sono realizzati con tagli asimmetrici incredibili, accompagnati da lunghissime sciarpe in lana spessa e grossa. La seconda parte, invece, fa rivivere gli anni ’80, con stampe colore flash/geometriche su fondo scuro, in modo particolare sulle cravatte e sulle camicie; chi rammenta la Punch di Stefano Ottina, ritroverà in questi dettagli di Lanvin, quello stesso movimento stilistico. Molti i capispalla in pelle, nera o fucsia: sono già tendenza. Un esempio di creatività e di libertà di pensiero applicate alla Moda di rara eccellenza.

Y-3

Moda Tech/Sport. La grande differenza di oggi rispetto allo sportswear-techno introdotto negli anni ’90, è che la commistione tra i due generi – adesso – è un’amalgama finemente sintonizzata; in sintesi, i tessuti performanti che derivano dall’abbigliamento sport, si fondono con le stoffe e il look diventa più moda, più dolce e più elegante. Bella collezione, firmata da Yohij Yamamoto per Adidas.

PAUL SMITH

Paul Smith ripesca un trend dimenticato da un bel pezzo: l’etnico. Lo interpreta a modo suo, naturalmente. La collezione riprende – su alcuni capi e accessori – i motivi dei tappeti dell’Africa del nord e del medio Oriente. Non é un esercizio di stile didascalico, ovvio: Sir Smith propone un etnico-rock, ravvivando le tinte calde dei paletot e delle mantelle, con camicie, maglie e calzature decorate da paillettes e lurex. Le catene, lunghe e piene di ciondoli, rimandano ai bijoux in voga negli anni ’70: ne venderà a palate. Una collezione Speciale, Completa. Di grande impatto.

SAINT LAURENT PARIS

Negli anni ’90 Slimane aveva disegnato poche ma indimenticabili collezioni per Yves Saint Laurent Homme, siamo in pochi a ricordarcene: era una moda sublime, elegantissima, totalmente innovativa. Assolutamente up to date per l’epoca. Slimane, però, resta anche per questa stagione “aggrappato” alla cifra stilistica del “suo” Dior Homme. Anche stavolta, grande aspettativa e budget importanti: invito costosissimo, location e show faraonici. Nessuna novità nella collezione, creata sullo stereotipo maschile caro allo stilista: jeans in pelle o tessuto aderentissimi, chiodo in nappa e le immancabili sciarpe street-style in lana scozzese. Una zona della sfilata, però, si differenzia per tagli e volumi; è evidentemente ispirata al movimento “zazou”; braghe corte e larghe e giacche e cappotti oversize. Molto interessanti anche i tweed e alcune stampe neo-op.

 An elegance made of multicoloured stripes. Paul Smith: a style icon. His clothes: a perfect mix of refinement and irony that fully represents English style and culture. Paul Smith’s fashion seduces people successfully thanks to a varied system of acute and smart intuitions that involve his whole world, from clothing to accessories up to fragrances: a 360 degrees conception in which all the elements are mixed with extreme coherence and complete harmony. The stores also sell vintage pieces, such as toys, design objects and books. They’re laboratories of ideas that tell his passions: sport, music, women, collecting, art and, obviously, fashion. Paul Smith has expressed his brilliance til the 80s and he became well-known in Italy in the following decade, testing – one of the first – colour and art in fashion; his “stripes”, his fluid shapes, the rock hints, corrupt the collections without excluding the codes of elegance, ennobled by fine fabrics and intentionally classic and sartorial cuts. But there’s always an eccentric detail that distinguishes his idea of tradition: in the picture, the model wears a classic double-breasted suit, but its pattern is slightly asymmetric. And the shirt: the contrasting stripe along the buttons looks like a tie. Rather, it has to be worn without the tie. A total look Paul Smith in this picture by Gianluca Fontana (above) and (below) a still life picture of cufflinks with the typical motif with coloured stripes.

New Sartorial.  Fashion merge with classic, and tailoring update itself. This is the new revolution of menswear, the only one real trend that has resisted since several seasons ago. Fashion is the new mean of a centuries-old tradition, that is the bespoke; boutiques have cocoon-like lounges ready to receive the most demanding customers, the ones that until some years ago “went to the tailor”. The essence doesn’t change, it’s just a matter of habit: tailor make his experience available and designers help him to renovate, revise the cuts and suit’s fitting. The concept has been sanctioned by Dolce & Gabbana, that presented in London – birthblace of bespoke – a cruise collection composed by very classic suits of tailoring finish. Without provocation purposes but, actually, with a great respect, they have mixed the gentle and polite touch of the best british tradition and italian knowledge, taste and flair.  Anderson & Sheppard’s team in the picture by Ben Baker for Fortune Magazine (2008).

Paul Smith, one of the most farsighted creative talents in fashion, has always trusted in colours. Ages before others. Picture by Giorgio Scola.

Alfie (and the pleasures of Bacchus). Alcoholic drinks’ adv pictures are charming; the subject is often a man wearing clothes so elegant to be the envy of Alfie (you can choose the first Alfie interpreted by Michael Caine or the remake one by Jude Law). The man in question is self-confident, serious, calm, done up. Spirits manufacturers clearly “represent” the alcohol addicteds before the bender: flawless appearance, persuasive and resolute gaze. No references to crushing effects on metabolism, organs and psyche. The popular adage “A glass of wine a day keeps the doctor away” is unfounded, while the fact that alcohol hurts everything is demonstrated. I dare an advice: alcohol campaigns should be accompanied by the same phrase that we read on packs of cigarettes: “dangerous for the health, consult your doctor”. On the right, the artist Geoffrey Holder in a vodka adv campaign (1958).