Category: Fashion

Five Pictures From Vincent Peters “Timeless Time” At Palazzo Reale In Milan

Emma Watson by Vincent Peters, London, 2012

As I have already mentioned in the article where I reviewed some Milan Fashion Week looks, one of the few moments free from work that I had in February was the afternoon that I visited the retrospective of German photographer Vincent Peters at Palazzo Reale. I was very excited to be able to see his work live, partly because in the preceding weeks I had read the enthusiastic opinions of friends and acquaintances who had already visited the retrospective. Vincent Peters is known for his fondness of black and white, which I personally love very much, in fact I often apply black and white to my own photos. He was perhaps one of the first to recognize how inspiration from the outside world influences the photographs he takes; he once said, “You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring into the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.”

His images always tell a story, which can be felt even from a single shot. Alessia Glaviano, the curator of the Timeless Time retrospective, said, “Each element that converges and condenses in each of his single shots forms a layer that never loses its own identity and distinction. And in the coming together of these singular layers, here is where each of Peters’ images comes to tell a story. [Vincent Peters] is one of the great masters of telling a story even through a single, individual image.”

A photographic style reminiscent of Italian neorealism is evident in the portraits Peters has taken of film personalities such as Emma Watson, Scarlett Johansson, Matthew McConaughey and others.

Rarely I have seen portraits that trigger a whole range of emotions in me; undoubtedly his photos are incredibly glamorous also because of the nature of the people photographed. I chose this series of images of Emma Watson as the opening of the article because Vincent Peters has photographed her several times over the years; all of those shots are wonderful and bring out the personality of Emma, an actress and activist who I also included in my article on inspiring women for International Women’s Day. Vincent Peters gives each of his subjects a depth that manages to reveal their inner selves. The dreamlike atmosphere of the images makes the subjects almost take on the characteristics of a deity, and we can perceive not only their charm and beauty but also a kind of fragility that shines through. The unforgettable elegance of every single picture can also be seen in his homage to Italy through the photos of the Ferrari Trento (sponsor of the event together with Boglioli Milano), symbol of Trentodoc bubbles for 120 years and part of the series of shots that close the retrospective.

A retrospective that I have truly enjoyed and of which I have gathered the five photos that I loved the most; they render better in person because of the size of the prints and it was difficult to capture them on camera because the halls were very crowded, but I hope you will appreciate the photos I have chosen, which constitute only a small part of Vincent Peters’ magic universe:

1) Adriana Lima, Monaco, 2017:

2) Scarlett Johansson, New York, 2017:

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My Favorite Looks From PFW Fall/Winter 2023/24

Image Credits: Shubhagata Sengupta

Although Paris Fashion Week has always been primarily about sophistication, recent editions have also seen an innovative spirit that challenges classic rules and aims to experiment with new forms of fashion, playing with materials, shapes and style combinations. This PFW edition was marked by several events and anecdotes, such as Pierre Cardin’s return with a futurist collection, the black tie as a must-have element for pretty much every Valentino look presented by Pierpaolo Piccioli, Stella McCartney’s classic dresses with images of horses showcased at a prestigious riding school (the show was also attended by horses, together with their renowned instructor Jean François Pignon, who uses a completely cruelty-free method in training, without touching them). Lanvin and his 18th-century and Renaissance inspirations for his collection of tailored suits in black and burgundy, alternating with embroidered evening gowns with sequins. Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garçons with her ample sculptural silhouettes. After last season’s famous “spray-on” dress, the designers at the helm of Coperni introduced a series of dog-robots on the runway that interacted with the models in what was an energy-filled fashion show. One of the most iconic moments occurred during Noir Kei Ninomiya’s “Noir in Bloom” fashion show, which explored new dimensions through a series of 3D creations, with clothes that looked like “molecular studies”(the outfit closing this fashion show really looked like a molecular explosion). I found many of the looks from Paris Fashion Week brilliant and innovative as well as elegant; below I have selected seven of my favorites:

Balmain FW 2023 / Vogue Runway. Image Credits: Filippo Fior / Gorunway.com

1) BALMAIN: for the Fall/Winter 2023 collection, Olivier Rousteing was inspired by the Pierre Balmain archives. “By celebrating where we come from, we clearly see where we are headed”, said the designer. Who, for this show, abandoned street-style to return to his roots, with more structured fashion reminiscent of the shows of yesteryear. The designer had the opportunity to explore Balmain’s most significant collections, based on excellent craftsmanship, and actualize that savoir-faire in this new collection. A collection made of shoulder-less silhouettes, severe skirts and rhinestone dresses, with jackets reminiscent of the style of the ’80s. Not only black and white, but also polka dots. And red, a color that was seen several times at the Milan shows last week. The outfits were a tribute to the genius of Pierre Balmain, as Rousteing stated: “In this collection I go back to the roots, the new style of Monsieur Balmain, and that to me is passion turning into luxury and quality. We are surrounded by fireworks and all this craziness—social media—but at the end of the day we go back to quality… to understand the future you must understand the past, and this collection is clearly an homage to the House that I am working for.” I love this black and white short tailleur and cape dress with matching red bag, classically shaped and complete with long black gloves that added a touch of old-world elegance.

Paco Rabanne FW 2023 / Vogue Runway. Image Credits: Alessandro Luciani / Gorunway.com

2) PACO RABANNE: the Paco Rabanne FW 2023 fashion show had something very unique about it, due to the founder’s recent passing at the age of 88. The clothes that Julien Dossena showcased on the runway were a final tribute to the Spanish designer, who modernized fashion in the 1960s with his futuristically designed clothes. Dossena also thought to pay tribute to him by celebrating the designer’s friendship with Salvador Dalí, as seen in some of the dresses on the runway. He used some of Dalí’s surrealist paintings as prints for some of the designs, especially for the long gowns. The precious mini dresses, on the other hand, were designed by Rabanne himself and were reminiscent of the first ones made of metal plates from the 1960s. The Spanish designer was one of the first to launch metallic dresses, inspiring creatives of later generations. A futurist aesthetic appreciated by many prominent figures of the time such as Françoise Hardy and Audrey Hepburn, who would often wear his revolutionary creations. The soundtrack during the finale of the show consisted of Paco Rabanne’s voiceover narrating his creative process in couture and it was very moving. I really love the short metal dresses and also the cashmere and wool designs but I am choosing this blue outfit with the rocky landscape as my favorite because the surrealist print gowns on the runway were incredibly creative.

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My Favorite Looks From MFW Fall/Winter 2023

Image Credits: Cristina Gottardi

This edition of Milan Fashion Week had luxury brands focus heavily on sensuality, which was highlighted in many of the looks presented in the various Fall/Winter 2023 collections. A series of looks that harked back to past decades, such as the 1970s and the 1990s, in what seemed to be a return to true elegance and timeless glamour. Much reference was made to the minimal chic look of the 1990s, with petticoat dresses (think of Dolce & Gabbana’s “Sensuale” collection, a tribute to the figure of the femme fatale with its many lingerie pieces). A fashion week that witnessed Gucci’s first collection without Alessandro Michele at the helm of the brand, and the outfits were inspired by the revolutionary work done by Tom Ford in the 2000s.

Other events took place during MFW; a series of projects were presented at the Fashion Hub, such as Designers for the Planet, which hosted a number of emerging brands made in Italy that focus on sustainability in their creations. The documentary film “Milano: The Inside Story of Italian Fashion” directed by John Maggio was also screened. Dolce & Gabbana organized a vernissage in the Sala delle Cariatidi of Palazzo Reale called “Ciao, Kim!” and dedicated to American entrepreneur Kim Kardashian.

Giorgio Armani inaugurated at the Armani Silos “Guy Bourdin: Storyteller”, an exhibition dedicated to the French fashion photographer, which will be open to the public until the end of August.

Due to my many commitments related to the sales campaign I was unable to attend this fashion week in person so I didn’t get to see many industry friends but from what I have heard they were very pleased with the fashion events they attended. However, during my only afternoon off work I had the opportunity to visit a retrospective at Palazzo Reale dedicated to photographer Vincent Peters, which closed a couple of days ago. This was a wonderful visual experience and I will talk about it soon on the website. In the meantime, here are my seven favorite looks from this MFW edition:

Ermanno Scervino FW 2023 / Vogue Runway. Image Credits: Daniele Oberrauch / Gorunway.com

1) ERMANNO SCERVINO: Ermanno Scervino’s collection presented a harmonious palette, with colors that ranged from white, dark gray, light blue (in this case a shade of washed-out denim), lime and ruby red to close the show with a series of garments in black. The collection was inspired by the designer’s love of cinema, particularly the sensuality of Ava Gardner. Solid-color dresses designed for an hourglass figure, with masculine oversize shapes in jackets and coats. Coats that are big and soft, to be worn over miniskirts or leggings. The Tuscan brand’s press kit explained, “Fall 2023 is a linear collection, with impeccable shapes, as rigorous as a painter’s canvas where Ermanno Scervino designs precious workmanship, manipulates fabrics, drapes lambskin, carves jersey and knitwear.” I have really enjoyed the masculine-cut tailored jackets worn over loose-fitting pants, so I couldn’t help but choose this look in ruby red (red has been a very present color in the next Fall/Winter collections), which plays with transparencies in a fine way and is elegant in every aspect.

Giorgio Armani FW 2023 / Vogue Runway. Image Credits: Daniele Oberrauch / Gorunway.com

2) GIORGIO ARMANI: when talking about minimal chic in terms of fashion and design one cannot help but think of Armani, because minimalism has always distinguished the Italian House’s identity and aesthetic. The layered collection presented at Teatro Armani was titled Cipria (face powder in Italian) and was an homage to women’s beauty rituals; the model who closed the show walked the runway while touching up her face with powder). The sartorial garments were inspired by the Orient, which has always influenced the Armani universe (I have already talked about this on the website in my Armani Silos article, where I mentioned the designer’s collaboration with Japanese architect Tadao Andō). The colors in the collection were soft; the many beige garments that opened the show were true sartorial masterpieces, and many of the models were wearing black berets. The color pink was present in a number of garments, confirming itself as a trend for the upcoming fall/winter season as well. One of the first looks featured a faux-fur coat with a beautiful animalier effect, something rarely seen in an Armani collection. The homage to layering fashion, born in the 2000s, was rediscovered in a series of layered outfits that looked elegant and refined, especially in the color combinations. I love this layered look for its wonderful shades of beige and the cut of the coat, with those touches of black giving harmony to the whole ensemble.

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My Favorite Looks from LFW Fall/Winter 2023/24

Image Credits: Ole Witt

A day before London Fashion Week started, the Vivienne Westwood memorial service took place at London’s Southwark Cathedral, where plenty of known faces paid homage to the legendary British designer and environmental activist who passed last December at the age of 81.

Although some collections were showcased exclusively online, many fashion shows took place at different venues in the British capital in this post-pandemic recovery period (like JW Anderson’s structured wardrobe of “talking” t-shirts, with the designer presenting a collection perfectly balanced between past and future). This fashion week also marked the debut of designer Daniel Lee (who recently left Bottega Veneta) for Burberry, and after seeing a preview of the new logo (which I personally prefer to the previous one launched by Riccardo Tisci, that I found too similar to Balenciaga), I was very excited to see Daniel Lee’s new work for the house.

At the same time, Moncler’s fashion event called “Art of Genius 2023” took place in London; the Italian luxury brand presented a collaboration with American designer Rick Owens and the evolution of Genius into a co-creation platform that blends different sectors. I really enjoyed the collections of established British designers such as Simone Rocha and Christopher Kane, which I have included in my seven favorite looks from London Fashion Week rounded up below:

Simone Rocha Fall 2023 / Vogue Runway. Image Credits: Isidore Montag / Gorunway.com

1) SIMONE ROCHA: for the FW 2023 collection, Simone Rocha was inspired by Lughnasa, the Irish harvest festival that aimed to offer thanks for the summer harvest. The designer stated: “I started looking into the rituals of relationships, because I wanted to continue to show women and men together: how they correspond. [My time working with Moncler] made me much more appreciative of the technicality of garments.”

There were in fact many technical details in this collection that make you really appreciate the uniqueness of each outfit. The men’s outfits, introduced by the designer during last season, were mixed with the women’s ones, and they have been very successful, as Simone Rocha explained to Vogue: “We have men buying it, we have women buying it, and that’s been really natural.” The collection was thus a tribute to Mother Earth, complete with an orchestra playing Gaelic compositions during the show. The wardrobe ranged from deconstructed gowns with a combination of different fabrics and an array of leather and tailored garments; I particularly liked this solid-colored lurex suit with embroidery on the chest, a look that I find gothic and romantic at the same time.

Burberry Fall 2023 / Vogue Runway. Image Credits: Filippo Fior / Gorunway.com

2) BURBERRY: Daniel Lee’s runway show for Burberry was one of the most anticipated events of London Fashion Week because it marked his debut as the House’s creative director. I think it went brilliantly because the designer, fresh from his great success at Bottega Veneta, took time to study Burberry’s archives and included a return to the brand’s origins in the FW 2023 collection (think of the reappearance of the equestrian knight that was the Burberry Prorsum logo). I first wore a Burberry trench coat when I was 15 years old, back in the days when Christopher Bailey was still at the helm of the House, so the show also had a sense of going back to basics for me and it felt nostalgic in the best possible way. In presenting a series of menswear and womenswear looks, Daniel Lee combined his own British personality with the key elements that have always distinguished the brand, such as the iconic trench coat, tartan in its different shades of color and faux fur maxi collars. The typical Burberry check was interpreted in various colors, from yellow to purple. Unforgettable and very original were also the hot water boules used as clutch bags. I really loved every single look presented by Daniel Lee on the runway but since blue is my favorite color I could only choose this outfit that cleverly mixed white and blue and brought back the equestrian knight.

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