Schiaparelli ... Haute Couture Fall 2014/5

WHOA! Let’s get this straight right from the get go. For his freshman outing at the brand, Marco Zanini presented this highly generic and not even mildly referenced collection which to my eye was … well... meh! To say that Suzy Muchless and I saw different collections is an understatement. This season he not only hit the DNA  button but he slammed it with a leaden hand and maybe he fell on it! Me thinks that the ES was a nice touch …once! The hats would have been fab if they were not on the head of EVERY model, but it was the heart that was most successfully played out albeit not every time!

This go round provided us with Elsa Schiaparelli circa the decade of the 40’s and is complete with supersized broad shoulders, chubbies and over exaggerated dressmaking. The clothes suffered really by being direct copies rather than inspired by or referenced to and that is an invitation to disaster. .. Not to mention we went a wee bit overboard with the very Schiaparelli inspired accessories. .. Ya think? Let’s call this a visual gluttony of sorts. What comes to mind is “what she couldn’t wear, she carried!”

I understand that the designer is still trying to gain his footing and put his imprimatur on the brand but hell, he didn’t have to do a 180. Honestly, it is a lot of overdone and over conceived clothes. Haute Couture is all about perfection in the details and the exquisite manufacture of a garment but my  eyes saw a lot of sloppily made pieces that really didn’t live up to the hype of the season. Please take note here that even if the clothes were flawlessly designed, poorly rendered pieces are ... well ... inexcusable!

Okay, so calming down here, I can say that there were some beautiful dresses albeit retro in feeling and some beautiful embellishments but overall this is much more of a costume wardrobe for a period movie than it is a collection of clothes for the so called modern 21^st century couture client. The happy medium, when it comes to the overall timbre of the collection has not yet been found … or at least I hope it hasn’t been found, so I remain hopeful. What strikes me is that when YSL did the 40s collection and everyone was up in arms over it, the clothes still retained a slick chic about them as was the case with Ungaro as well but that has not happened here save for maybe 5 pieces. Then if I really wrack my brain here I see an awful of what reminded me of Gaultier who might have been referencing Schiaparelli in his collections expect JPG did it better!

Well, all I can say is Bon Chance Marco! Better luck next time!

Atelier Versace Haute Couture fall 2014/15

What might have been certainly never happened.  What started out as a possible promise of a more refined and pared collection was just a tease. What Donatellamommamia did was mistake over constructed dresses for what might have passed as tasteful... at least chez Versace! After all she did proclaim “I am Versace!” To that I say poor Gianni!

Sorry to say that she is clearly deluded or had altered her drug regimen  when she thought the collection was an ode to the 50s. The only concept I was able to extrapolate from that was maybe it was the Donatellamommamia take on the “I Love Lucy” full skirt over tight pant costume that she so often wore. What I also managed to recall is that a lot of the clothes seem to look like what was envisioned as “space wear” for a movie set in the year 2020 with costumes conceived and designed in the 50’s.

So apart from the kilt double buckle closures and one legged pants or the pants cum dress scenario what’s left? To my eye just a load of dresses that are still aimed at Signoras Russian clients. There was no daywear here unless one wears satin and beads at 2 pm. There was an awful lot clothes that brought to mind Gaultier, Rolland and Vauthier. There were a lot of dresses that seem to combine incongruous elements which yielded some looks that resembled as if several dresses had been taken apart and reassembled into one.

What it boils down to is that the clothes are over constructed, over designed, over wrought and as usual pretty tacky. One has to start believing that tacky and cheap looking is the modus operandi no matter the season or collection as it consistently rears its head season after season. The silly accessories did nothing to alter that perception and the severe hair and makeup did nothing but reinforce the total over production.

Oddly there was no tailoring here which in my mid has always shown itself in all Versace collections and in its place was dressmaking of a sort. There is absolutely nothing soft about these clothes; everything is rather precise and … well... harsh! What comes to mind is objectified femininity. Even the fur pieces seem to look cheap and tawdry. My only guess is these clothes play well in the Middle East for the all lady parties which take place where the clothes cannot be worn in public. Personally... that sounds right to me.

Bottom line is simply that Ms. Versace lives in a world with mirrors that talk back to her and constantly ask “who is the fairest of them all?”  And we know what the answer is!

FARAONE MENNELLA .. meet and greet ..

It is a rare instance when I am invited to partake in a celebration of this magnitude but here I am with 2 of the most prodigious and prestigious jewelry designers of the 21^st century. There is something about their jewelry that makes me think of them as being a likely comparison to possibly Verdura in many ways. This weekend marks the anniversary of the haute joaillerie, alta gioielleria or in simple English the high jewelry segment of the burgeoning Faraone Mennella mini-empire. So if you are lucky enough to be in Capri this weekend,  this is the social highlight of the weekend and if you are not and stuck at home like me, then please jon me in the celebration right here.

In little more than a decade, these 2 wildly creative and ambitious men have built a business using their passion and talents as its foundation. They have followed their own path and carved (pun intended) themselves a substantial business by being independent thinkers as well as being blessed with some amazing skills that can only be acquired genetically. They have attracted the cognoscenti of  international retailers as well as collectors and consumers of fine jewelry. To say that I am impressed with their collective candor and creative skill set is an understatement as is that  I salute them for  their exceptional business savvy and prowess. I might add here that I have been a fan  of their jewelry since the inception, and now ... them as well.  I continue to remain a fan  given the diversity of their talents, their design ethic and their welcoming natures.

It is quite an honor for me to  have been able to catch up with these 2 men who have constructed this “world” via their creative oputput. In a stroke of luck and with some great planning, Amedeo and Roberto were gracious enough to afford me some of their precious time during their very busy summer schedule and below is the product of their generosity.

JF-Why did you select Capri as a location and when do you open?

FM-Capri was for both of us, our family summer home growing up in Naples; when you grow up surrounded by such beauty, your sensibility as an artist or a designer gets influenced without you even realizing. It was obvious and organic for us to have Capri as our source of inspiration and DNA of the brand. 

We opened Faraone Mennella, our high jewelry collection, 3 years ago and since then we celebrate Summer and our new collection, during the July 4 weekend with a chic event at the La Fontelina beach club for our VIP clients and friends! It's a moment of celebration and happiness and also our way to thank everyone for their support with a party at "home”. This year, it is a double celebration as we are also opening the AMEDEO boutique, our second after NYC: AMEDEO is our modern cameo brand, in the tradition of my family heritage (manufacturing Cameos since 1857) but reinvented in a fashionable and edgy way! The brand is getting more and more famous worldwide and opening in Capri is as emotional as a homecoming! 

JF-Do you design specific items or groupings exclusive to the Capri location?

FM-Yes we do: each year Faraone Mennella launches in Capri a new collection inspired by the island and exclusively sold in our Capri boutique: this year we launched the "Lunette" and "Gocce" collections and also continue to introduce new "Pesciolini”, our silver and diamond little fishes in bracelets and charms: our tribute to Capri and already the most sought after "memento" of the summer, to take home! 

JF-How long have you designed jewelry as a team and what prompted you to start the company? A little history here:

FM-We are childhood friends and come from the same small town of Torre del Greco near Napoli, by the footstep of Vesuvius. But the idea of working together only came many years later in NYC, after Roberto graduated from Parsons School of Design. Thanks to Patricia Field and Sarah Jessica Parker who used our jewelry in the now legendary series, Sex & The City, in 2001 we could launch our first collection and immediately and have the most prestigious distribution in shops like BergdorfGoodman, Neiman Marcus, and Saks 5th Avenue etc.

Our career took off pretty quickly, with milestone collaborations with Swarovski, Carolina Herrera, Audemars Piguet; we truly worked hard to build a brand, to show the world the magnificence of Italian craftsmanship and style in fine jewelry. Today, after 12 years we are proud to have 6 boutiques, incredible distribution and the most chic clients in the world!

JF-Generally speaking, what would you say is your raison d’etre in terms of design? Any style mentors or idols?

FM-Our success and longevity ("young designers" can enjoy success for a short time, due to the newness of their offering, but after that you need to show you are brand there to stay) is mostly due to Roberto's and my stubbornness in not following trends and stay consistent with our inspiration , style and DNA! What makes us proud is to see our clients who can accessorize pieces bought at Bergdorf’s 10 years ago, with the newest ones: they all go together as we don't betray our own style and clients!

JF-When in Capri, how much time do you spend in the store dealing with clients?  As a rule do you find your clients helpful in determining new styles or style direction?

FM-Both of us love to be in the store: the ultimate satisfaction for a designer is to work with the end consumer, styling the jewelry or just explaining the way it’s made and the gemstones! They want us there, they want to meet and discuss the jewelry with us and we love to do it: our shops are like salons of the 1950s in Rome

Andrew Gn .. Resort 2015

Well, well, I guess if you wait long enough you get to see it all and such was the case for the resort collection of Andrew Gn. What I was waiting for was a collection that was long of color, long on looks that look “couture-ish,”  and OH MY... reality sets in... It is well merchandised and designed to sell! The only collection that comes to mind as a just comparison is Giambattista Valli who seems to share a mindset as well as an esthetic.

Well,  As anyone who follows Mr. Gn, you come to expect his trademarks which are extremely well conceived and rendered clothes, exquisite delicate details, shape, the polish and soigne usually associated with the haute couture. This season is no different. He gives us a riot of color possibilities, beautiful clean edges, a variety of shapes and he has invited us all to his garden party! And in the tradition of resorts gone by . .. he offers a healthy dose of spectator looks done a la Gn!

There are a variety of shapes which suggest a variety of clients but make no mistake that for the most part. A waistline is essential. While most of collection is silhouette conscious, one must be keenly aware that he has included shapes that are quite figure friendly as well. Some of the shapes are familiar and some are just astoundingly beautiful in their simplicity. One silhouette which looks fresh is that Enfanta shape that shows up a few times in both long and short.

What is quite different about this collection is that Mr. Gn has deftly played colors against each other, employs a large print palette and shows a great array of options for any particular look. He has certainly played out asymmetry with a deft hand and in many possibilities. There is an apple green suede draped jacket that is just heaven and the floral appliques are what one would imagine if they had just floated onto the garments. In essence, what I am trying to say is that Gn has an incredibly light touch no matter the style.

I cannot imagine what this man would be capable of if given the tools to create Haute Couture but in the meantime, this is head and shoulders above the ocean of sameness that continues within fashion.