Milano: Fashion Week - VOGUE.IT party

Vogue.it party.  A symbolic red carpet complete with LED ticker tape greeted guests for the Vogue.it party at the Villa Reale.  The party to celebrate Italian Vogue’s entrance to the WWW was hosted by the mayor of Milan, Letizia Moratti and Vogue’s editor in chief, Franca Sozzani.

Seen at the Vogue.it party. Giorgio Armani, Alain Elkann and Franca Sozzani.

Seen at the Vogue.it party. Jonathan Newhouse and Alberta Ferretti.

Seen at the Vogue.it party. Mario Bellini.

Seen at the Vogue.it party. The storyboard for Vogue.it’s website, crowned Daphne Guinness at its iconic muse.

Seen at the Vogue.it party. Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi with Michela Piva and Cristina Derosas.

Seen at the Vogue.it party.  Miuccia Prada.

Seen at the Vogue.it party. A neo-classical statue of a gentleman in uniform.

Seen at the Vogue.it party. Courtney Love and Roberto Cavalli.

Seen at the Vogue.it party. Alessia Glaviano and Michele Lupi.

Seen at the Vogue.it party.  Allegra Beck Versace.

Seen at the Vogue.it party.  Gianpaolo Grandi, Grazia D’Annunzio, Paola Grandi and Luca Stoppini.

Seen at the Vogue.it party. Beatrice Carbone and Roberto Bolle.

Seen at the Vogue.it party. Pixie Geldorf and Courtney Love.

Seen at the Vogue.it party. Paola Lanfranchi, Daniela Magnani and Mariella Veronesi.

Seen at the Vogue.it party. Afef Jnifen.

Seen at the Vogue.it party. Roberto Peregalli and Laura Rimini.

Seen at the Vogue.it party. Umit Benan Sahin.

Seen at the Vogue.it party.  Allegra Bossi Pucci, Osanna Visconti di Modrone, Domitilla Clavarino and Morena Zabeni.

 The invitation to the Vogue.it party.  A shocking pink Swatch watch was included in the invitation, with an invitation to wear it to enter the world of Vogue.it.

Milano:Missoni Autumn - Winter 2010/2011 collection

Missoni.  A radiant Angela Missoni after the winter collection is interviewed in the cloisters of the Statale University where the show was held for the second time. “The Missoni Autumn Winter collection unleashes the natural and multicultural appeal of women, fierce like Masai warriors.    Women who wear wrapped, folded, draped, pieced with metallic pins sumptuous pieces of handcrafted knitwear.   Unique patchworks of floral patterns and geometric motives. Shiny pins and tinkling chromed metal rings layered around their necks, wrists and ankles.  They are urban women travelling the world that seem to know how to freely put together primitivism and 20th century visual art.  Africa meets Scotland, folk meets punk. The love to rediscover and to reinterpret the appeal of tribal capes, exotic sarongs, traditional ponchos and kilts.”

Backstage. On the left, Cardigan dress in hand knit wool, natural melange, and trousers in chevron tweed, mud tones.  On the right, dress cape in loom patchwork in camel.

Seen backstage at Missoni.   Margherita Maccapani Missoni in between her friends, Tatiana Santo Domingo and Eugenie Niarchos.  Margherita designed the new collection of sunglasses in vibrant colours with geometric shapes and mirror lenses, as well as the jewellery for the collection.

The accessories.  Chromed metal rings are layered around necks and wrists.

Backstage.  On the left, a dress in jacquard knit patchwork in cherry and pink over black lace trousers.

Note.   The metal ring necklaces over the double ribbed collars.

Knitted accessories.  Even the bags are patchwork knits with leather details.

Knitted accessories.   High heel knitted booties with spur effects resemble socks, are worn over black tights with pale beige seems going up the back of the leg.

Seen at the Missoni show. The gracious octogenarian, Mrs Joan Burstein whose Browns boutique in London’s South Molton Street celebrates forty years in business, talks to Rosita Missoni. Browns were the first to import Missoni to the U.K. quite a few decades ago.

Seen at the Missoni show.  Solar, Shala Monrogue is an editor at Pop Magazine.

Backstage.   The make-up and hair where done in the auditorium of the Statale University where the Missoni show was held.

The make-up.  The legendary, Lucia Pieroni designed the make-up using M.A.C. cosmetics.  “Natural but a little bit punky.  Blackcurrant lipstick and tiny smoky eyes.” She describes.

Backstage. A model relaxes playing with her iphone, careful not to ruin her make-up and false nails before getting dressed for the runway.
Contessanally tip.  Click on the photo to enlarge it and to view the make-up.

The Missoni wristband.    Access backstage, or should I say to the auditorium, was by an orange Missoni wristband.

The make-up.  Extra long false white nails were applied.

Seen at the Missoni show - the art crowd.  Art critic, Mariuccia Casadio, critic and art blogger, Michela Moro Journo (www.leiweb.it/arte/) and dealer, Pas Leccese.

The cloisters. The cloisters of the Statale University, a smoker’s heaven.

Seen at the Missoni show.  Photographer, Mario Testino and Tatiana Santo Domingo.

The hair.  Paul Hanlon checks the models hair before they go out onto the runway.  “I used spray mousse to give an undercut look, it’s boyish and sexy, as if I had used dad’s pomade.” He said.

Backstage.   Sitting at one of the desks of  the auditorium of the Statale University, Tai Missoni waves “Hello” as he passes the time reading the newspaper before the show.

Milano: Antonio marras fall - Winter 2010/2011 collection

Antonio Marras:  Fall- Winter 2010/2011 collection - the grand finale.  Old window frames were the backdrop for the Antonio Marras winter collection.   “It is through windows, in small towns that the world is seen.”   The Sardinian designer, Antonio Marras explains.

Contessanally tip.  Click any photo to enlarge it.

The storyboard.   Marra’s starting point in designing a collection is always a book, music, art or a film.

The story.  For this collection he was inspired by the real Sardinian female bandit, Paska Devaddis, who lived at the turn of the last century and for love of a man, was always on the run. The legendary virago and Amazonian virgin proudly rode her horse into town defying the law. “What I want to underline is the contrast between Paska’s gentle sweetness and the brute force typical of the balantes, between innate femininity and imposed masculine rigor, romanticism and rusticity, and embellishment and austerity.”

The coats and furs.   The coats and furs are all unique pieces reconstructed from original vintage pieces.

The story. “Paska, now forced into a vagabond life without a place to call home, wears everything she owns in layers.  She wears her only treasures: a cape, an oversized sweater, a pleated skirt, a vest and gloves.”

The make-up.  The make-up was designed by Lisa Butler for M.A.C.

The make-up artist.    Lisa Butler describes the make-up “It’s dishevelled and aristocratic a lead I took from the clothes.  The lips are dark, a feeling of the 1940’s and the brows are not too groomed.   I have aged models up a bit, post Second World War partisan look.”

Finishing touch.  Lisa Butler checks the make-up before the show begins.

The story. “Paska, the proud horsewoman riding through the countryside, forests and ravines, wears lovely dresses made of Chantilly lace and precious devore fabrics.  These dresses are hidden beneath long enveloping capes that cover the body and protect it from the cold and danger.”

Hair and Make-up.   A close-up of the hair and make-up.

The story.   “She wears men’s coats patched with fur inserts needed to face the cold nights sleeping in the rough.  Her cast-off coats have been disassembled and sewn back together to fit a slim petit woman.”

The hair stylist # 1.    Eugenie Soleimani chats to Patricia Marras, his inspiration for the hair for this collection during the runway rehearsals.

A detail.  Have you ever seen so many types of hairgrips?

The hair stylist # 2.   Eugenie Soleimani at work “The hair is very masculine and very romantic at the same time. Very Organic and lady like.  A bit like a modern Teddy boy.” he describes.

The shoes # 1.  Sensible flats with thick rubber soles.

Note: the thick wool and lurex stocking have a thick seam running up the back.

The shoes #2. High heeled lace-ups are fitted with leather spats on top.

“This morning, at around five o’clock,
I saw a woman on horseback heading
towards Funtana ‘e litu.
She was wearing a man’s coat. She was tall and beautiful:
But that is not important.
She was armed, and when she saw me, she spurred on her horse and hid.
Simone, do you think that was Paska Devaddis,
The woman with the Orgosolo bandits?
Do you know her?” 

from Marianna Sirca by Grazia Deledda

Backstage.   Antonio Marras observers everything that is going on backstage and giving press and TV interviews at the same time.

The story – the ending.  After dying of tuberculosis and privation due to her vagabond life, the bandits, her lifelong companions, dressed her in the bridal gown that she never had the chance to wear and brought her back to town.