(NEW YORK) Prada
More than any other designer, arguably, each season the fashion set collectively waits to see what Miuccia Prada’s out-of-the-box thinking will deliver. One thing is for sure: It’s almost always nothing like what everyone else is bringing to the table. For Spring, Miuccia brought us colorfully dyed fur coats designed with giant faces, but for Fall, the outerwear was all about shearling. The coats came in colorful combinations like mustard yellow leather with cherry red and white fur trim. There were black, royal purple, and gold leather versions of the topper, the latter of which will likely be the coat of choice for style stars and Prada-enthusiasts like besties Giovanna Battaglia and Anna Dello Russo. However, we can’t imagine Anna throwing on one of these shearlings quite as frequently as she wore last seasons wool coat with oversize mink fur cuffs (which she owned in more than one colorway, naturally). We imagine she’ll gravitate to the simple printed dresses with gold leather piping, or perhaps a brown Art Deco patterned trench with silver piping. Oversized suit jackets with fur lined pockets and lapels touched on menswear elements. In contrast, completely sheer chiffon dresses revealed printed panties, and V neck sweaters were styled as just barely there dresses. Par for the course chez Prada, it was a collection of contradictions that somehow always ends up breaking the mold.
Max Mara
On the list of the many items you never knew you needed, add a pea green skirt suit and a pair of golden crocodile booties, stat! Max Mara’s Fall showing toed the line between laced-up business staples and casual chic necessities, which is quite a great place to be. How so? An oversized black double-breasted vest was created in the label’s signature camelhair, while cozy mohair cardigans were paired with tweed pencil skirts. The mix of textures was rather brilliant as well, like a slick black PVC button-down shown underneath that classic camel coat. Other outerwear pieces to note included a plaid wool puffer with a fur trim and a sleeveless wool trench coat in a few shades of grey. With so many clothes to covet, there was also a precise matte red lip to obsess over. Which one will you go for first?
Just Cavalli
This season, Roberto Cavalli was all about his Italian roots—namely, the aesthetics of his home turf of Florence. Without feeling too precious, overly romantic, or touristy, Cavalli wove in Florence landmarks and motifs into prints that got splashed onto sheer blouses, sportier minis, slim trou, and short-hemmed frocks. Wide brush strokes in traffic cone orange and pops of lemon accented the wash of black and grey. Knits and tapestry prints mingled with leather, which, in shades of black and shiny gold, provided the sex appeal. (It is a Cavalli collection, after all.) He also toyed with undulating swoops in the hemline department, on both skirts and tops. The effect worked best on a bluesy-hued minidress. Thigh-high suede boots in Merlot, dark green, and sweet potato often got a generous helping of fringe, as did the slouchy bags (some trimmed in deep-hued fur). Saucy, as one would expect, but relatively covered-up, all things considered.
