Glynis Traill-Nash reports on Oscars fashions, John Galliano’s demise, Milan Fashion Week and the new autumn fashions at Myer and David Jones.
Oscar gets chic and sexy
This year’s Oscars didn’t disappoint on the frock front, with enough embellishment to keep bower birds in a frenzy.
One mini-trend that did emerge, however, was the cap sleeve, a remarkably demure take on evening glamour. Cate Blanchett made a spectacular return to the red carpet, in Givenchy Haute Couture, and she joined Amy Adams (in L’Wren Scott) and Michelle Williams (in Chanel Houte Couture) in this particular feature. These styles have a number of advantages (not that any of these women need them). Firstly, it widens the eyeline across the shoulders, thus making hips appear smaller. Secondly, the higher neckline covers the décolletage, making it a rather chic take on sexy – a perfect combination.
Galliano gets the flick
The big newsmaker of the past week has, unfortunately, been John Galliano and his shocking racist and anti-Semitic outbursts at his local Paris bar La Perle. LVMH has dropped him as designer for Christian Dior, and the show was cancelled at Paris Fashion Week in favour of small presentation for editors and buyers. At this point the future of his own label, also majority owned by LVMH, is in question. Galliano made a statement last week, in which he tried to explain some of the mitigating circumstances, but also adding: “I must take responsibility for the circumstances in which I found myself and for allowing myself to be seen to be behaving in the worst possible light. I only have myself to blame and I know that I must face up to my own failures and that I must work hard to gain people’s understanding and compassion. To start this process I am seeking help and all I can hope for in time is to address the personal failure which led to these circumstances and try and earn people’s forgiveness.” There is no word yet on who will replace the designer at Dior.
And they’re off!
Last week Myer and David Jones both unveiled their autumn racing fashions in chic morning presentations. The races are certainly the ideal place to embrace this current retro ladylike trend (thank you, Mad Men), especially as gloves are a key accessory. Think knee-length dresses with full skirts, or pussy-bow blouses tucked into pencil skirts. Hats should be made from luxe winter fabrics including velvet, felt and lace—no straw allowed. While clutches are always a great accessory, remember that you’ll be standing for most of the day and juggling champagne and form guides, so perhaps a bag with a chain handle that you can slip over your shoulder would be a better option unless you’re a good juggler. A thicker heel is also advisable, if you want to avoid sinking into the grass.
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Fashion, Italian style
Week three of the international shows took us to Milan, where the big guns gave us a lesson in luxury, obtuse and traditional. All eyes were on Miuccia Prada and what she might come up with for her main Prada collection. It was unique in the extreme in its take on the 1960s. There were paillette-covered dresses and skirts, as well as sequinned tunic dresses with tufts of fake fur running down the sleeves.
Tagging along on the 1970s bandwagon was Gucci, hedging its bets between all-out glamour with bold chiffon maxidresses and matching furs, and an uptown, layered look with felt fedoras, furs, pencil skirts and boots.
The move towards odd colour combinations also showed at Gucci (lavender, purple, yellow, burnt orange), as well as at Marni (peach and forrest green) and Fendi (indigo, burnt orange, tobacco).
Marni dropped the kooky for a more grown-up appeal with matching print skirt-and-top ensembles and fur-trimmed gloves.
Giorgio Armani is clearly getting a little nostalgic, with a black-and-white tunic dress featuring a young portrait of the designer, which punctuated an otherwise feminine collection.
Dolce & Gabbana played manstyle against the feminine, with severe boxy blazers and simple trousers and shirts following gorgeous embellished pieces and floaty chiffon maxidresses, sometimes combining the two.
MaxMara went the minimalist route, with clean shapes in black, beige and nude.
Roberto Cavalli, at the opposite extreme, sent out a typically exuberant collection that was a little baroque ’n roll.
