Gingham style, it takes after the much tuned and much danced song of Psy. In fact it would be an investment to inject some cloth items in gingham print for this 2014 summer season. It is an iconic pattern and it is a must have for any trendsetter to have in her wardrobe. I am thinking about a shift dress, pairing it with a linen blazer. It is ideal for dignified wearing at the Office or in the evenings, changing your pump shoes in high block wedge or heel shoes instead.
Gingham is a great classic, very fashionable this summer even in the man’s collections. Ralph Lauren has come up with man’s shirts in small gingham checks. It is going to be the ultimate summer look both with women and men. J Crew also came up with gingham shirts for men.
At ARK there is an array of clothing items that would fill your closet for this summer. Leggings, white or black pointed collared short dresses, skater dresses in pink and black. One can complement the dresses by wearing a jeans short jacket or a colourful cardigan. There is also the Tara boyfriend shirt in gingham chiffon print, which is fresh and sexy. One can also wear boots, short or long to make these skimpy dresses look boho, These dress items at ARK do not break the bank.
This classic pattern that is both fresh and chic, has survived over the years. It was famously worn by style icon First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, and spotted in all the fashion editorials of the 280’s and 90’s. This iconic pattern evokes a sense of history. Model Naomi Campbell had modelled it on fashion magazines. This summer designers like Kate Spade, Versace revamped and reinvented this classic print. Versace combined it with baroque print. You would not regret purchasing a couple of items in gingham print in your wardrobe.
If gingham is not your preferred print try the black and white floral daisy print dresses, or the ciri tartan peter pan collared dresses, also available fromARK.
Italy is recognized as being a worldwide trendsetter and leader in design, so much so that Italian architect Luigi Caccia is convinced that "Quite simply, we are the best" and that "We have more imagination, more culture, and are better mediators between the past and the future". One cannot deny it, that Italy today still exerts a vast influence on urban design, industrial design and fashion design worldwide and Italy's is fiercely vociferous about its’ iconic design, craftsmanship, food, ranging from cheeses, wine, pizza, pasta, ice-creams, sweets and more, has emerged into the common phrase "Made in Italy".
Some of the most famous Italian Fashion Brands
Our subject is all about the Italian fashion, which is amongst the world's most important fashion designs, such as those of France, USA, Great Britain and Japan. Since fashion has always been an important part of the culture of Italy, and its society. Italian designs became one of Europe's main trendsetters ever since the 11th–16th centuries, when artistic development in Italy was at its peak. Cities such as Venice, Milan,Florence and Vicenza started to produce luxury goods, hats, cosmetics,jewelry and rich fabrics. But Italy suffered a decline during the 17th–early 20th centuries, as Italian fashion lost its importance, and France became the main trendsetter of Europe. French fashion rose in popularity, ever since luxury dresses began to be designed for the courtiers of Louis XIV.
Italian fashion saw its come back during the 1951–53 fashion soirées held by Giovanni Battista Giorgini in Florence, the "Italian school" started to compete with the French haute couture, as labels such as Ferragamo and Gucci began to compete with Chanel and Dior. Currently, Milan, which is the centre of Italian fashion is considered the true fashion capitalof the world, according to the 2009 Global Language Monitor, and Romeranked 4th. Both these cities annually compete with other major international centres, such as Paris, New York, London and Tokyo.
Other Italian accessory and jewelry brands, such as Bulgari are amongst the most important in the world. Luxottica the Milanese company is currently the world's most successful eyewear company, boasting billions of revenue each year. Commercially, Italian Milan-based fashion design is far more successful than its Parisian rival. Armani is well known for its minimalism and sophisticated style, Versace for its extravagant and ultra-luxurious lines, Gucci for its symbolic chicness and style, Prada for its glitz and glamour, Valentino for its supreme elegance, Dolce & Gabbana for its fantasies’ and Sicilian influenced collections, Romeo Gigli for its romantic and creative ideas, Moschino for its cheap and chic collections, Roberto Cavalli for its animal print creations.
Dolce & Gabbana
When I was in Milan for a holiday way back years ago, I used to be impressed by the Japanese and Koreans queuing after the fashion boutiques of Miuccia Prada, and Gucci, waiting their turn to enter. Prada is considered as the innovator. It is only very rarely that a brand as well-known and powerful as Prada retains the cachet of a fashion insider's label. Prada has become a household name. If anyone was in any doubt about that, the title of the Hollywood blockbuster The Devil Wears Prada proves it. The fashion fraternity worships at the altar of Miuccia Prada, who changes her aesthetic and, indeed, her mind as often as most of us have dinner and has the rest of the fashion world running to keep up with her innovations. One can also notice that many high street fashion collections are an assimilations of Prada's ideas, and appear on other people's catwalks, seasons and even years down the line. Like Armani her clothes also inspired the film industry, as recently as the remake of the Great Catsby.
GUCCI
The ubiquity of strange and elaborate shoes, even stranger colours, the A-line and dirndl skirt and, this season in particular, lace are all thanks to this designer. Because her viewpoint is difficult to pin down, she is labelled "intellectual" but while her intelligence is clearly a force to be reckoned with, she has the instincts of a wildcat when it comes to predicting what people might like to wear six months down the line.
Prada
Prada
Giorgio Armani is the other great lifestyle designer and he is to Italy what Ralph Lauren is to the US. Armani revolutionised tailoring, loosening up the formal jacket to suit men and women of style who continue to wear his fluid, minimally-minded designs to this day. His name is also the one behind today's symbiotic relationship between film and fashion. Armani famously dressed Richard Gere in American Gigolo, and has long seen the virtue of placing the world's superstars in his front row. And who cannot remember another blockbuster The Untouchables, In return, no red carpet is complete without his designs. The current Armani poster girl is none other than my idol Cate Blanchett quite a coup, as every designer wants her. Cate does the SI ARMANI new perfume advert.
Armani
Armani Perfume Ad feat Cate Blanchett
Italian fashion is indeed a celebration of influence, its designs and creations have influenced millions of people around the world, and many high street fashion designer is recreating and following closely on their heels. Indeed Italian Fashion is a celebration of influence!!
Summer is still with us here in Malta and Gozo, with temperatures as high as 27 degrees Celsius, and people are still seeking the beaches as the sea temperature is 25 degrees Celsius, with a UV index of 5 or 6. Most of us are looking forward for autumn and winter to kick start, to start wear our winter wear. But we have still weeks ahead of good sunny weather.
Yesterday I was tuned on Fashion TV and I happened to watch the Italian fashion designer one of my favourites. Alberta Ferretti Spring Summer 2014 collection is folkloric evoking Spanish, Peruvian and Southern Italian style, with femininity. The colours are very bold for Spring time with lively reds to oranges, apple green as well as a heavy presence of black and white. We have seen florals this season, but Ferretti includes bold stripes into the mix with horizontal and vertical arrangements. The dresses feature ruffles, floral prints and lots of lace and tulle.
Dresses are the real stars of Ferretti’s collection with some look consists of tops and skirts. The dresses are short, sleeveless long dresses with flowery decorations. The dresses play transparency with lace and tulle, very lively and elegant paisley prints and flowers. The evening dresses collection are very refined, in soft fabrics and with long working fluid skirt or sophisticated, with transparent straps and lace adorning the bustier or strapless.
The clothes come with top puffed sleeves, mesh transparent, top wear with applied flowers, colourful, long and short skirts with flounces in plain or stripped print. I have to admit that it is much different from any other collection that we have reported on. But I like it very much, looking back there is not one single outfit that I would not wear.
The Parisian, New Yorkers, Londoners, and the Milanese pavements have felt the elegant footfall of the world’s fashion press on the way to the bi-annual shows, just a couple of weeks ago in September.
This weekend on Fashion TV I came upon the John Rocha Spring Summer 2014 collection. In his collection John Rocha makes reference to ‘extraordinary forms’ and he really explains it all. It is literally sculptural, and architectural, I describe it as beautiful, and desperately sexy.
The dresses were striking from top to toe, voluminous skirts, which bloomed out from the waist, like a bell or a dome, were in turn worked in blooms of couched georgette and yarn blossoms, creating a couture-like impression, more so when topped with wide-brimmed hats formed from coiled acetate that jutted out in front of the models’ faces like high-fashion visors. I literally glowed over these fabulous hats. I also noticed that the dresses hemline were under the ankle.
What I loved most were his evening dresses, in fluid black lace with flowers picked out in gold which gives the aura of mysticism, and also the white outfits which can easily be dressed as day wear.
This was vintage Rocha sexy and sophisticated, but elegant and feminine always. What would l give to own a couple of the dresses and hats.
I admit I have not seen all spring summer 2014 collections, but if I had to choose from what I have seen, I would undoubtedly wear Burberry Prorsum and Dolce and Gabbana.
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana seem to be sleeping and dreaming on the sunny island of Sicily. Sicily’s sandy shores, blue ocean, and religious artifacts that have remained in their collections. With the difference that this time round it was the island Greek and Roman history, its almond trees and some traditional Sicilian dress that was one more fix he designers continue to send.
The gold coin was without a doubt the collections symbol. It did feature on platform heels, big boxer sized belts and headbands. It’s circular shape and embossed features formed an entire golden dress. Dresses were embossed and printed with coin images, giving it the polka dot motif.
The designers ventured away from the coin motif, and they shifted gears and got romantic. They used prints of blooming almond trees, bringing the flowering tree to life via appliqué petals that danced on top of dresses, tops, jackets and skirts. Dolce & Gabbana must explore further this motif of the almond trees, which combined nature and beauty.
There were also roman ruined amphitheater vintage photo prints in the show, with columns looking striking down the front of a shift dress. What I adore most and which seem to be permanent with Dolce & Gabbana creations, is the lace dress. They showed it in both the black slip dress and in shimmering gold option.
Regarding the Burberry Prorsum collection what I loved most is Bailey’s versatility and savvy way of inventing the Burberry’s iconic ingredients , while added his own touch to it, without much of a disturb. Celebrities like Alex Chung and Burberry campaign face Sienna Miller were among the traffic stopping crowds of guests and paparazzi waiting to flash their cameras on celebrities.
As I have said before I just adore lace from underwear to outer wear. The iconic trench coat, this time spun into sugary pastels, worn over delicate see-through lace. The colours were dusty pinks, eggshell and milky blues, Burberry’s new subject focused on turning the old into new, including crochet skirts worn over granny panties. As the collection moved on the lace gave way to polka dots and stripes, and later to shapes, sprinkled or fixed together by crystals blooming into giant colourful brooches. Transparent waterproof cape was worn over a lacy pencil skirt, both showered in jewels, depicting Bailey’s talent further more for successfully mixing materials and ideas. Another striking feature were the accessories like sandals and sheepskin clutches worn crunched or folded. It was a very striking collection. I really want to own a few pieces of the collection, but bad luck for me as they are very pricey over my budget.
Having said that, it is good to watch fashion shows, and although most of us cannot afford not even a single piece without going bankrupt at least it is good to have an idea what to buy, from high street fashion shops that try to emulate these big designers collections.
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