Style director Adrian Clark and fashion stylist Barnaby Ash report back on the opening weekend of Milan fashion week.
The first weekend of Milan's Spring Summer 2013 kicked off with Jil Sander's first collection with Jil herself back at the helm after departing from the label in 2004. Although the collection wasn't the most thrilling, it's good to see her back.
Later on in the day, Dolce (pictured far left) showed a heart-warming collection of Sicilian puppet show-inspired prints on a charmingly street cast set of models. The line consisted of impressively lightweight fabrics - a fine execution of what Dolce do best.
On the other hand, Versace (pictured centre right) was in a world of its own, playing far beyond what we believed to be its strengths, as it stunned then delighted the audience with its cheekily-inspired take on Rocky meets Mr. T meets Elvis, with a strong Las Vegas influence. The show left us speechless; Versace, we salute you.
Prada's ever mysterious concoctions left us a little cold this season (pictured centre left), presenting a futuristic and almost clinical take on a fourth dimension, where there were no boundaries between formalwear and sportswear. That being said Prada will always remain a thrilling prospect, whether we liked it or not.
Other inspiring moments included Trussardi's handsome and impressively concocted take on a summer vacation, Zegna's beautiful realisation of modern Italian luxury, Calvin Klein's play on American classics and Westwood's handsome art house take on the English picnic. Finally, Burberry showed metallic leathers with beautiful ethnic prints, two ingredients that did not sit well side by side, which made for a rather confused collection.
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Grooming tip:
The breezy, super lightweight luxury fabrics that Bottega Veneta embraced for its West Coast-inspired spring collection called for a natural, sun-kissed look (pictured far right). Sea-salt textured hair was groomed yet had a shine-free and tousled wind-swept feel. To add volume while retaining definition, without weighing hair down, try L’Oreal Paris Studio Line’s Matt & Messy Sea Salt Spray; £3.56 for 150ml which offers a non-greasy matt-lustre texture without the heaviness associated with more gel-like hairstyling aids. To achieve the Californian tan that each of the models sported try L’Oreal Paris Men Expert’s Hydra-Energetic Flash Bronzer; £9.99 for 50ml which gives an instant healthy “sunny weekend” effect, that can be layered for more intensity. An Instant result and ultra-natural.
