Thomas Maier dove even further back than the current trend of the sixties and seventies, to the era of the late thirties and early forties, his ladies plucked from the lush cabins on the Orient Express. A critically acclaimed collection that paid homage to the dress (which graced right below the knee) – there were no pants and just one coat among the 33 looks.
The devil is in the details, or in this case the modernity of the collection was in the details: panels of snake-skin were set into the skirts, collages of flower prints with bodices folded and pintucked, edges of glossy strips of snake-skin lined with matte studs, gleaming jet lozenges descending into dense clusters at the hems, dresses with a trellis of jet beads evaporating towards the hems and cocktail dresses consisting of myriad softly color-shaded rouleaux strips. All heavenly, and all showcasing the exceptional workmanship of his ateliers.
The color palette was a stark contrast to the vibrant colors most of his fellow Milanese designers embraced, the unusual spring hues – soft caramel, vanilla, dusty blue, gray, charcoal, rust and peach – were reminiscent of days where the sun fades early and leaves grace the grounds (not to mention the sheer black hose the models donned). “
“It’s about making women feel confident,” Maier said backstage, with his program notes declaring “ the designs are for women who’d rather not be summed up in a word or two”. I’m positive I’m not the only woman who would like one of everything!!
Fashion week has moved on to Paris. I leave you with a few more of my favorite looks from Milan.
1st Group of Photos – Bottega Veneta Spring/Summer 2013
2nd Group – clockwise from top left: Prada, Prada, Emilio Pucci, Gucci, Missoni, Jil Sander, Roberto Cavalli, Dolce & Gabbana.
