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Main >> News Listing >> June 2004 >> Article ID 5308
 Xtina Energizes Dsquared Collection | Type: Internet Article |
| | Men's fashion: A colorful Prada serves sunny side up | Jun 30, 2004 | by Suzy Menkes
Summary:
How to energize a menswear collection? Christina Aguilera camped her way though the mock stag party set on a palm-filled hotel set, hyping up a basic Dsquared show by Caten twins Dean and Dan.
Read on for the whole article. |
MILAN It is 10 years since Prada made minimalism its mantra and played off that plainness against Gucci's baroque. With that same ultra-plain canvas daubed with naive color, Miuccia Prada showed how everything yet nothing has changed. A cantaloupe shirt, a coral sweater, an egg-yolk yellow cardigan and multi-hued alligator skins made this a sunny-side-up Prada collection.
.
Yet it is still fundamentally a house where linear, modern clothes are a blank backcloth to its instantly identifiable accessories. Nothing wrong with that. Prada defines how men dress today. The anonymous suits, functional and ergonomic, allow an expression of fantasy in accessories that stretch way beyond the necktie - even if Prada offered those with a peacock feather design that also swept across hats.
.
"I was inspired by Mexico to have fun with color," said Prada backstage, referring to a recent trip and to the primary shades that sang out - green shirt, yellow tie, red handkerchief - against a gray/beige suit. More whimsical color came on a sailing boat lapel pin, or on yacht motifs for beach bags or even on a shirt. (Sailing is, of course, her husband Patrizio Bertelli's passion.)
.
Since the idea of Prada showing its colors was sparky, why did the show seem slightly flat? Because there was none of the risk-taking of last year's granddad knit shorts or the earlier sexual frisson of clothes on schoolboy models. This was a fine collection for a grown man who will hitch up his multi-colored alligator belt or swing the matching brief case with joy.
.
How to energize a menswear collection? Christina Aguilera camped her way though the mock stag party set on a palm-filled hotel set, hyping up a basic Dsquared show by Caten twins Dean and Dan. The label, licensed to Renzo Russo of Diesel, has grown a business of E2 billion, or $2.4 billion, to E35 million in under three years. So what if the twins focus on jeans and don't have too much to say, except that sex makes the world go round? (Think cheeky T-shirt slogans, hard house music, multi belt loops apparently cut from lingerie and pants zippers outlined in red.)
.
The duo presented all that with such wit and high spirits that Aguilera in her swing-fringe minidress only reflected the fringe dangling from the butt of leather pants. The myriad jeans were still low enough to show floral pink and blue undershorts. But the look was smartened up, offering casual shorts with candy-colored blazers and tongued loafers as almost formal footwear.
.
Missoni's heritage of color and pattern fits the current vibe. But to Luca Missoni's credit, he pushes the boundaries of stripes and zigzag patterns. He wove them in with gingham checks, once again in baby pink and blue colors. Missoni menswear moved forward, taking in the calligraphy of contemporary British artist Gary Hume. On to the simplest sweaters, shorts and sea breeze clothes, Missoni traced stencils of flowers and played geome-tricks by breaking up the familiar lines. There was a whiff of Cuba in a tobacco brown panama and a blaze of hot red colors. A touch of modernity in plastic espadrilles showed Missoni surfing a new fashion wave.
.
The seesaw between smart and sporty continues to energize Milan menswear. Gianfranco Ferre, in a well focused collection, put his formal suits in two groups on the runway and made them sleek and modern. Denim and indigo blue jeans balanced the navy suits, while the rest of the collection played with a sporty lightness. Knitwear included a raffia cardigan with the same material used as embroidery on gauzy shirts. A play on mat and shiny fabrics showed Ferre working hard to freshen his look.
.
Neil Barrett made his collection super light, even hollowing out canvas shoes to make them soft as moccasins. The designer proved that smart clothes do not have to be formal. Fine effects came in the textures and the details. Shiny materials were used on the lapels and pockets of a jacket or stripes were added with duck tape.
.
As models in bright pink and lavender raincoats stepped under the gentle spray of water cooling the stifling city, Naoki Takizawa expressed the spirit of his Issey Miyake show: color, function and energy. He called it "Hip Hop Pants," referring to pockets strapped to the thighs or wrapped around the torso, giving just a touch of aggression to the dominant candy pink colors. The upbeat show included jackets woven with laced threads, strong prints and a finale of small swimpants taking a shower.
.
Antonio Marras also had an original spirit in his collection inspired by boxing - from its sweaty but noble past rather than its tank top present. Marras draws on his Sardinian roots, bringing charm to jersey shorts worn over pants in soft layers, topped off with a hat. Patches of handwork were also distinctive from this designer who can focus on an idea without forcing it.
.
Nicole Farhi was in the comfort zone and if her baggy pleated pants seemed familiar, jacket and pants in light cotton fabrics and pale colors had man appeal. Sea colors in shades of blue and green were the story, along with knits from chunky cardigans through striped cotton sweaters. Allessandro dell'Acqua, whose collection of fine separates does not really need to hit the runway, gives a sophisticated feel to his signature knits. Animal print patterns in "poison" green and purple were paired with pants fastened with sparkly belts.
.
The concept that a man's suit is a supple, rippling canvas that laps the male body luxuriously was behind Brioni's intelligent presentation. The label stands for such upscale standards that its new advertising campaign is simply a vision of a Dassault Falcon private jet. A display of all-white clothes, the better to see the elegant details, was followed by a ring of perfect three-piece suits. As Angeloni said: "That's the power – suits are power."
.
Suzy Menkes is the fashion editor of the International Herald Tribune. MILAN It is 10 years since Prada made minimalism its mantra and played off that plainness against Gucci's baroque. With that same ultra-plain canvas daubed with naive color, Miuccia Prada showed how everything yet nothing has changed. A cantaloupe shirt, a coral sweater, an egg-yolk yellow cardigan and multi-hued alligator skins made this a sunny-side-up Prada collection.
.
Yet it is still fundamentally a house where linear, modern clothes are a blank backcloth to its instantly identifiable accessories. Nothing wrong with that. Prada defines how men dress today. The anonymous suits, functional and ergonomic, allow an expression of fantasy in accessories that stretch way beyond the necktie - even if Prada offered those with a peacock feather design that also swept across hats.
.
"I was inspired by Mexico to have fun with color," said Prada backstage, referring to a recent trip and to the primary shades that sang out - green shirt, yellow tie, red handkerchief - against a gray/beige suit. More whimsical color came on a sailing boat lapel pin, or on yacht motifs for beach bags or even on a shirt. (Sailing is, of course, her husband Patrizio Bertelli's passion.)
.
Since the idea of Prada showing its colors was sparky, why did the show seem slightly flat? Because there was none of the risk-taking of last year's granddad knit shorts or the earlier sexual frisson of clothes on schoolboy models. This was a fine collection for a grown man who will hitch up his multi-colored alligator belt or swing the matching brief case with joy.
.
How to energize a menswear collection? Christina Aguilera camped her way though the mock stag party set on a palm-filled hotel set, hyping up a basic Dsquared show by Caten twins Dean and Dan. The label, licensed to Renzo Russo of Diesel, has grown a business of E2 billion, or $2.4 billion, to E35 million in under three years. So what if the twins focus on jeans and don't have too much to say, except that sex makes the world go round? (Think cheeky T-shirt slogans, hard house music, multi belt loops apparently cut from lingerie and pants zippers outlined in red.)
.
The duo presented all that with such wit and high spirits that Aguilera in her swing-fringe minidress only reflected the fringe dangling from the butt of leather pants. The myriad jeans were still low enough to show floral pink and blue undershorts. But the look was smartened up, offering casual shorts with candy-colored blazers and tongued loafers as almost formal footwear.
.
Missoni's heritage of color and pattern fits the current vibe. But to Luca Missoni's credit, he pushes the boundaries of stripes and zigzag patterns. He wove them in with gingham checks, once again in baby pink and blue colors. Missoni menswear moved forward, taking in the calligraphy of contemporary British artist Gary Hume. On to the simplest sweaters, shorts and sea breeze clothes, Missoni traced stencils of flowers and played geome-tricks by breaking up the familiar lines. There was a whiff of Cuba in a tobacco brown panama and a blaze of hot red colors. A touch of modernity in plastic espadrilles showed Missoni surfing a new fashion wave.
.
The seesaw between smart and sporty continues to energize Milan menswear. Gianfranco Ferre, in a well focused collection, put his formal suits in two groups on the runway and made them sleek and modern. Denim and indigo blue jeans balanced the navy suits, while the rest of the collection played with a sporty lightness. Knitwear included a raffia cardigan with the same material used as embroidery on gauzy shirts. A play on mat and shiny fabrics showed Ferre working hard to freshen his look.
.
Neil Barrett made his collection super light, even hollowing out canvas shoes to make them soft as moccasins. The designer proved that smart clothes do not have to be formal. Fine effects came in the textures and the details. Shiny materials were used on the lapels and pockets of a jacket or stripes were added with duck tape.
.
As models in bright pink and lavender raincoats stepped under the gentle spray of water cooling the stifling city, Naoki Takizawa expressed the spirit of his Issey Miyake show: color, function and energy. He called it "Hip Hop Pants," referring to pockets strapped to the thighs or wrapped around the torso, giving just a touch of aggression to the dominant candy pink colors. The upbeat show included jackets woven with laced threads, strong prints and a finale of small swimpants taking a shower.
.
Antonio Marras also had an original spirit in his collection inspired by boxing - from its sweaty but noble past rather than its tank top present. Marras draws on his Sardinian roots, bringing charm to jersey shorts worn over pants in soft layers, topped off with a hat. Patches of handwork were also distinctive from this designer who can focus on an idea without forcing it.
.
Nicole Farhi was in the comfort zone and if her baggy pleated pants seemed familiar, jacket and pants in light cotton fabrics and pale colors had man appeal. Sea colors in shades of blue and green were the story, along with knits from chunky cardigans through striped cotton sweaters. Allessandro dell'Acqua, whose collection of fine separates does not really need to hit the runway, gives a sophisticated feel to his signature knits. Animal print patterns in "poison" green and purple were paired with pants fastened with sparkly belts.
.
The concept that a man's suit is a supple, rippling canvas that laps the male body luxuriously was behind Brioni's intelligent presentation. The label stands for such upscale standards that its new advertising campaign is simply a vision of a Dassault Falcon private jet. A display of all-white clothes, the better to see the elegant details, was followed by a ring of perfect three-piece suits. As Angeloni said: "That's the power – suits are power."
. |
 Source: Internation Herald Tribune | |
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