The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
MILAN, Italy — There is an element of déjà vu that comes with any Dsquared2 show. You already know what is going to happen. The mess with the seating and the dubious celebrities are always a given. So are the clothes, one way or another: a crystal-clear theme is made evident from outfit number one, and from there on it is explored ad nauseam until the end of the proceedings. Fact is, sometimes the Dsquared themes are interesting clashes of references, other times they are rather banal and predictable.
This season was a case of the latter. The mood was Western Americana: cowboys, natives and their gals, either urban or not, preferably in punky lace-up boots and high heels. We have seen this kind of stuff infinite times, but it takes genius and an inventive mind to turn it into something fresh. Rifat Ozbek did a stunning Native American collection in the early 90s, Number Nine a baroque cowboy galore more recently. The Caten twins, instead, went quite literal, adding their own decisive proclivity for sexyness to the whole. That's it. On the catwalk, materialized the familiar DSquared2 vision — imposing outerwear, embellished jackets, body-conscious pants — with a country western makeover. It will sell, that's for sure, but the time is ripe to give this label a refresh.
Pierpaolo Piccioli at Valentino and Kim Jones at Fendi have very different visions for Rome’s most famous fashion houses
Couture week delivered a dizzying mix of the surreal and clothes actually meant to be worn by clients, writes Angelo Flaccavento.
After years on the fringes of the industry, the Hong Kong-born designer opens up about his first-ever show, set to close Paris couture week on Thursday: ‘Fear is the inspiration.’
Haider Ackermann’s guest designership for Jean Paul Gaultier’s couture line finally brings the dramatic creative uplift this season has been missing.