pictures from www.style.com

I couldn’t wait to see what Jonathan Saunders had to show for the Pollini autumn winter 09 show in Milan. In his second season for the Italian brand reknown for its footwear, he managed to show a collection with a very British feel to it. These clothes would some how of felt more at home at London Fashion Week but it was a refreshing change from the well cut neutral basics that seem to be the staple at Milan.

There was a bit of an equestrian theme with some riding boots and jackets and some references to the Baroque patterned silk scarves that were part of th Pollini heritage.  

There was another apearance of those thigh high suede boot legging type things that I spotted at a number of the shows. For the most part the hem lines were mid thigh and the clothes were fairly simple with strategically placed embellishments and flaps of material. There were some prints with neon colours used in quite an understated way. The collection was overall innovative but still very wearable. There were quite a few pieces of this collection that I would really love to have.

If you love the Italian brand Pollini, try this sleeveless V necked Jumper.

pictures from www.style.com

Yet  another collection from Milan Fashion week celebrating the beauty of well cut and luxurious basics in neutral colours. Max Mara showed a collection consisting almost entirely of neutrals. I don’t want to keep repeating myself but this Milan Fashion Week has been all about those investment buys that all of those ‘frugal fashion’, ‘look stylish on a budget’ recommend. Of course there are many of us whose budgets won’t stretch to these basics no matter how gorgeous and timeless they are.  

At Max Mara wool luxurious wool coats were the order of the day and I found myself wishing that I had one to throw on over almost any outfit and look stylish and chic as well as being warm and comfy. The whole collection was simple, minimalistic and very neutral in colour. It was also elegant and classic. I think there is definitely something to say for doing the basics very well.

For a casual take on the neutral Maxmara look, I love this Maxmara Weekend skirt.

pictures from www.style.com

I have not payed too much atention to recent Roberto Cavalli collections. They were just getting too flowery and overly romantic for my liking. The huge full maxi dresses were a difficult look for most people to pull off and in reality his designs were just a bit over the top.

But autumn winter 09 has seemingly signalled a turn around for Roberto Cavalli. His clothes were noticeably more wearable. He has clearly though about practicalities and what will sell in the current climate and came up with a new take on last years bad girl look that seemed to rule the catwalks. With close fitting  shapes and neutral silhouettes, it wasn’t really ground breaking but there was lots that I loved about it.

I loved the long suede boots that seemed to merge into leggings worn with what could be described as mini dresses or tunic tops. I loved the black and white paint brush printed top that draped so beautifully and looked amazing with the beige leggings and skinny belt. I loved the black pieces with studding.

Work that Roberto Cavalli style this summer in these Just Cavalli trousers.

picture from www.style.com

I loved the Dolce & Gabbana collection for autumn winter 09 at Milan Fashion Week. It was bold, striking and with a touch of humour. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana always design their clothes to have a that Dolce & Gabbana signature style about them. They are for sassy, confident girls who know what they want from life. This collection was no different. There were some thrities and forties references and lots of big shoulders, a look that has been around for a few seasons now including the summers mickey mouse shoulders.

The bold polka dots and animal prints certainly gave us something to look at but did you notice the glove shaped scarves and delicate coloured embelishments in places. The bright pink fur and Marilyn Monroe prints gave the collection a light hearted feel, something that may be a bit hard to come by for some at the moment.

Overall a collection for people who want to get noticed. A definite no no for shy retiring types.

If you are a confident and out going girl, kit yourself out with some signature Dolce & Gabbana animal print with this top.

pictures from www.style.com

If London Fashion Week was all about the new up and coming designers, Milan Fashion Week was about the bigger well established fashion brand names. Another noticable contrast was the beautifully cut basics at Milan (sometimes with a twist) compared with the bright colours and innovative styles. Perhaps the likes of Donatella Versace feel less need to prove their design abilities and make a name for themselves but are more driven in the current economic climate to design stylish and wearable clothes that will easily sell.

I think this is definitely what Donatella Versace has done with the day wear part of this collection. Classic trenches, shift dresses and skinny trousers all in black and gun metal greys but with plenty of sparkle and gloss. These are key items that  any girl would love to own and would be a permanent fixture in her wardrobe for years to come. The evening wear was another matter, these were show stopping gowns draped by a master. Great for those who can afford to buy them and have suitable functions to wear them to.

If you love the stylish Versace look, you will love this top by Gianni Versace

pictures from www.style.com

Prada is always one of the shows that I usually rush to look at from Milan Fashion Week. It is almost always a show that is talked about in some way or another. For autumn winter 09, it showed none of the brightly coloured prints of many of the designers form London Fashion Week. It featured brown boiled wool coats, jackets and dresses as well as knitted cardigans and long thigh length leather boots and cardigans, again all in exactly the same brown. There were also some dresses and jackets in dark velvets and autumnal hues. The silhouette and overall look had a definite feel of the forties about it.

At first this collection struck me as a bit boring. But on second look, I have changed my mind. The collection was inspired by outdoor living and conjures up images of Madonna on her country estate. But there was as always with Prada, a bit more to it than that. Here and there, there were small flashes of bright red. A clutch bag or a  glimse of red underwear.

Except for the thigh high wader  and fisherman references, I actually quite liked this collection. Very appropriate for the current economic conditions, it featured the sorts of key investment buys that all the magazines are encouraging us to look for.

If you love Prada for well cut basics, try this Prada shirt for the spring and summer.

In my last post I was just a little bit negative about Milan fashion week and this was just an overall feeling I got about it. There were of course some good bits and as promised, in my much more positive mindset today, I have managed to find them. Enjoy!

I love this dress for Bottega Veneta- it may be slightly sack like but I love the colour, the way it hangs and the sophistication it oozes

I love  the colourfulness of this Marni outfir and the kind of mish mash look that Marni does so well.

Jil Sanders  has a reputation for minimalism and this sleek and elegant outfit is almost that with some great texture to add a bit of interest.

To quote style.com , ‘there is no one who can turn up the thermostat of subversive sexual provocation quite as high as Mrs. Prada.’ I couldn’t have said it better myself, her collections just get better and better.

pictures from www.style.com

If you only ever wear jeans and T shirt then get some Milan style by wearing a Prada T Shirt.

When scouting the pages of www.style.com to see what lovley stuff I could post about from Milan fashion week. I was struck more by what I didn’t like than what I did like. This is quite unusual for me as I am usually a glass half full kind of girl. But I just couldn’t really spot anything that made me think wow, I would really love to have that.

Probably the biggest yuk from Milan fashion week was this outfit from Alberta Ferretti. Usually a  designer who I love  for her feminine and flattering clothes. What was she thinking when she designed this. If it makes a stick thin model look like a weeble, what will it do for the rest of us?

And from  Etro, a disappointingley mediocre collection. Is it me? Are my expectations just getting too high? I can’t really imagine anyone looking good in this shapeless trouser suit ina  completely nondescript colour.

And last but certainly not least in the yuk stakes, this dress from Blumarine. Again very non descript and actually I would have expected better from Anna Molinari. Who actually would this dress suit because it certainly didn’t do anything for the model? That said the rest of the collection wasn’t bad, again just kind of middle of the road.

 I promise in my next post I will find something good to say about Milan fashion week. Perhaps I am just suffering from a  little bit of fashion week fatigue.

However it is not all bad news- Something great from Italy is this Pellevera Italian Leather Handbag.

Pictures from Elleuk.com 

Prada, one of the biggest and well known fashions labels, is key in setting the agenda for the whole of the fashion world. Miucca Prada has proved yet again, that there is a very good reason why Prada is arguably the most sought after brand in fashion. The Milan fashion show was predictable in it its unpredictability. The show was a stark contrast to Spring Summer 08, where the outfits were ethereal and fanciful. For autumn winter 08, Miucca showed a much more grown up collection in handcrafted lace. Apparently, 600 metres of it were imported from Switzerland.

The majority of the clothes were in black with a few other colours such as cream, blue and beige. In each of the different colours the lace took on a different feeling. The black was definitely seductive, but the other colours had more pretty and demure feels about them. All of the calf length lace dresses were simple designs with varying underlying fabrics and garments to add some interest. Many of the outfits featured a lace pelmet around the waist. If previous Prada collections are anything to go by, lace looks to be  a key trend for autumn winter 2008.

This beautiful pure silk knee length lace dress by Aftershock would be a great way to wear this trend if you can’t quite afford the Prada price tags.