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Milan Day 4 - Finale

“I’m on a plane. I can’t complain.” Kurt Cobain once sang. Yeah Kurt? Well neither statement applies to me mate. Plane to Geneva was too scared of fog to take off, so I’m on a train and I could give complaining a go after making way to most rubbish of Milan’s airports 45k out in rush hour and back. But I won’t, partly cause its quite nice on the train in the first class dining wagon. (Cartier who host the Geneva watch fair don’t skimp, so I’m getting involved at the high level), and partly cause Milan wrapped itself up quite nicely. Fear has forced coherence in many designers, which I am digging. 

Today I found more coherence, even at D Squared. The ‘Canadian Brothers Grin’ didn’t get on my nerves as they frequently do. Their show was a straightforward blend of agro ice hockey reference, muscle bar garb, black tie and plenty of blood fetish. Some odd Italian Marilyn Manson style soap/pop star decked out like a bondage crow was escorted down the runway by Dan and Dino dressed as surgeons at the banging house finale. All that before 10am. All right on brand.  They do actually do a nice little tux, even if it’s on the same teeny weenie scale as Mr.Browne. Maybe there is a new collective of miniature North American designers poised to take over. The Midget Moda of America perhaps? 





Dsquared2


Talking of down scaling, presentations have become more relevant post credit crunch. Pieces not looks are what count. Also, press need to cop a feel if they’re gonna flog it effectively, (why I signed up in the first place).  Tom Ford and Brioni always do this. Other designers have been rejecting the expense of runway gigs and going for intimate, tactile ‘pressies’. Trussadi, Moschino and Marni all used this M.O.  Some brands only do presentations as they’re accessory specialists.  I had a chance to visit Valextra this afternoon, a low key luxury brand extraordinaire. Established in Milan in 1937, they’ve been making celestially conceived and executed luggage for the discerning international jet set ever since. Blimey their stuff is lovely, making Goyard and Hermes look obvious by comparison. Their ‘Costa’ piping appearing on the ‘sharp’ cut edges of these pieces is all there to tell you who you’re dealing with. This seasons Havana colour in vegetable dye, trimmed and stitched in green was enough to do time for. Which you’d have to at those price points, but still. I take my hat off to them.





Valextra       


Giorgio Armani staged a beret extravaganza. He took us through the full gamut of possible deployment. Sicilian references, (see Dolce), but here more like the burly farm workers ‘sensitive’, arty brother, in thick tailored velvet or hopsack jackets and coats with granddad shirts. Evening stances that verged on silly, and a military cadet look worked modern special forces-esque caban jackets with belted waists, in a palatable matt navy tech fabric and action boots. Giorgio himself finally came out, bereted up and tossed one off into the audience. It was quite a moment.





Armani


Talking of moments, my Sergio Rossi riding boots made their Italian debut today, along with poncho and puppy tooth check three piece Paul Smith suit. It went down ok, as I garnered as many photo ops as the scintillating Esther. I was aiming at Lord Gilbert Hartlip (Edward Fox in The Shooting Party), meets the man with no name, (Clint Eastwood), in The Good the Bad and the Ugly. I managed Rodney Trotter in To The Manor Born/The Good Life, but enjoyed it all the same.  Dressing as something you’re not can be what it’s all about. Iceberg devised a sort of Romany gypsy inspired contrivance, with loose stringy mohair knits under rugged tailoring and, Silk scarves, bowler hats and boots, making the whole thing free spirited. The sheer luxury-knit history of the house ensured a harmonious and desirable vista. I bloody loved it.







   Iceberg


To sum up; I might just do Stubbs’s best. Is that ok? And say that the seriousness of the eco-climate has flushed a lot of nonsense out of the system, even though I did some of that for you by not mentioning a bunch of shite. Anyway, am a bit drink now as it goes, so better sign off before I start swearing.

Pressies: Trussadi. Tom Ford. Valextra . Tods
Shows: Gucci. Burberry. Ferragamo. Iceberg.
Edgy? No. Go Paris if you want bloody edgy. 

Last one, er, Jil Sander or Pringle. Can’t decide.  Depends if you’re future or medieval skewed.  More possessing questions meanwhile as the girl in the restaurant car just asked me ‘Cake or cheese?’ Imagine answering that for your whole life. I’d rather loose an eye than forgo either one.

- Tom Stubbs
21-01-2010 12:44 # add your comment

   

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Contributors


JESSIE WEISS, WRITER
Jessica Weiss is the voice behind Germany’s biggest fashion blog LesMads. Since it’s conception in 2007, Berlin based LesMads has won the prestigious ‘Lead Award’ for Best Weblog 2010. Jessica will be bringing us the latest in style news and her hot picks from farfetch.com.


TOM STUBBS, WRITER
Tom Stubbs is a stylist and writer who works for Sunday Times Style, The Rake, The Quarterly, FT How To Spend It, and Finch’s Quarterly. He also writes his own blog www.styleanderror.co.uk. Stubbs is our menswear fashion week correspondent.


INDIGO CLARKE, WRITER
Writer Indigo Clarke is Fashion Features Editor for Lula Magazine UK, Editor at Large for Oyster Magazine AUS, Contributing Features Editor for Russh Magazine AUS, Correspondent for Harper’s Bazaar AUS and also writes features for AnOther Magazine UK, Plastique Magazine UK and The Melbourne Age Newspaper. Reporting from the big apple, Indigo brings us the front row news as our New York Fashion Week correspondent.

VIOLAINE BERNARD, WRITER
Violaine is Fashion Editor of new quarterly style magazine Velour, each season she brings us the latest activity from London Fashion Week.

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