Milano: New fashion hotel - Maison Moschino

Maison Moschino hotel.   The Maison Moschino hotel is located in the old neoclassical railway station on Viale Monte Grappa, 12 that opened in 1840 for the Milan-Monza route. The exterior facades were restructured to be faithful to the original structure, while the interior was completely interpreted in the Moschino style by Mochino’s creative director, Rossella Jardini and the Moschino’s creative team.

The Lobby. The hotel interior reflects Moschino’s distinctive style where the ordinary world is painted with a brush of surrealism. Divided into four floors, the 65 rooms and junior suites are all different. On the ground floor, the hall and the bar welcome guests into the hotel. The restaurant extends from the hall to the terrace, and the spa and the gym are located on the lower levels.

A detail.   The glass entrance welcomes guests with a big stainless steel heart.

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Milano: Prada Fall - Winter 2010/2011 collection

Photograph courtesy Prada

Prada Fall- Winter 2010/2011 collection - the grand finale.    The Prada collection for next winter was a re-visitation of classic clothes Miuccia Prada designed in the 1990’s.  The silhouette focused on the bust and the curves, a collection reminiscent of the 50’s and 60’s.

Photograph courtesy Prada

Prada.   Double cashmere cable knitwear in the bow belted sweater and flared skirt and lacy ruffles push-up the bust on the tweedy dress.

Note: the knee length thick socks, the knitted handbags and the pointed stilettos.

Photograph courtesy Prada

Accessories - a detail.   The make-up was very natural with bushy eyebrows and just pink lips.  The 60’s beehive is held in place by a cable knitted headband.
Note: the double knitted and mink collars on the coat.

Photograph courtesy Prada

Prada.   The eveningwear is encrusted with jet bead embroidery and the skirt is made out of patent leather.

Note: the over the knee tweed socks with the precious coat.

Photograph courtesy Prada

Accessories - a detail.   The bags are either knitted leather in a tweed effect or in Patent leather.   The bow stiletto sandals are worn with thick wool over the knee socks.
Note:  socks are next winter’s foremost accessory.

Photograph courtesy Prada

Prada.  A scooped neck long sleeve 50’s style printed dress belted just above the gathered waist is very flattering.
Note: most of the belt and shoe accessories have thin patent bows on them.

Photograph courtesy Prada

Accessories - a detail.   The pointy eyeglasses are futuristic and very 1960’s looking. Pin It

Milano: Nilufar Gallery - Walter Albini Book Launch

Nilufar Gallery: Walter Albini book launch.  “’Twenty- seven years old, sign of Pisces”: these are the first things Walter Albini tells you about himself, with a smile.”  This is how Italian Vogue presented Walter Albini in October 1967.   It was the beginning: the course of Albini’s life was soon to end in 1983, but in the designer’s personal and creative story we can find all the traits that have come to define the phenomenon of Made in Italy.  The book Walter Albini and His Time, All Power to The Imagination by Stefano Tonchi and Maria Luisa Frisa, published by Marsilio Mode and Fondazione Pitti Discovery, looks back to a period that saw the definitive eclipse of the haute couture atelier and the progressive emergence of fashion as a fundamental element in the representation of society.

Note: The cover was designed by video artist, Francesco Vezzoli.

Seen at the Walter Albini book launch at Nilufar. The Authors, Stefano Tonchi and Maria Luisa Frisa welcome Rosita Missoni a friend of the late Walter Albini.  Tonchi is the editor of T: The New York Times Style Magazine and Maria Luisa Frisa is a fashion curator and director of the graduate course in Fashion Design at the IAUV University in Venice.

Seen at the Walter Albini book launch at Nilufar.  Nilufar’s Nina Yashar and photographer, Mario Testino.

Seen at the Walter Albini book launch at Nilufar. American Vogue’s Anna Wintour talks to Walter Albini’s partner in business and in life, Paolo Rinaldi.

Seen at the Walter Albini book launch at Nilufar. Art dealer, Pasquale Leccese.

Seen at the Walter Albini book launch at Nilufar. Marina Prada.

Seen at the Walter Albini book launch at Nilufar. Cobbler, Gianvito Rossi.

Seen at the Walter Albini book launch at Nilufar.  Architect and interior designer Piero Pinto, designer, Rosita Missoni and Gaetano Marzotto, president of the Fondazione Pitti Discovery.

Seen at the Walter Albini book launch at Nilufar. Dealer, Claudio Loria and  design consultant, Uberta Zambelletti.

A double page spread.   A double page spread taken from the book,  Walter Albini and His Time, All Power to The Imagination of Walter Albini and Contessanally at the Hunt Ball at Villa d’Este during Ideacomo in 1980.

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Milaano: Gianfranco Ferre: – Fall-Winter 2010/2011 Collection.

Photograph courtesy Gianfranco Ferre

Gianfranco Ferre: – Fall-Winter 2010/2011 Collection.  The Gianfranco Ferré collection designed by Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi is imbued with a fresh vision reflecting an exquisitely contemporary essence: young, dynamic, super feminine. The easy-luxe spirit and philosophy of utter elegance inspiring the next winter season elect the woman as sole interpreter, in total freedom, of the Gianfranco Ferré style.

Photograph courtesy Gianfranco Ferre

The Fabrics and silhouettes. Volumes, fabrics and colors allude to the purity of shape. Silhouettes are slim. Jackets, with mannish cut shoulders, never seem too severe or constructed. Pants are lean at the top and softly open around the ankles; knee-length skirts feature-seducing slits. Sartorial skills become functional in creating material contrasts and heightening the sense of aesthetic cleanliness.

Photograph courtesy Gianfranco Ferre

The materials. From practical day items to the sophisticated allure of eveningwear, materials move clearly in the direction of an imperative femininity.  Mannish double weave grisailles, rich cashmere meltons and silk maroquins are all expressly woven to capture a soft luscious feel. Leather, in special fine thin form or in its original thickness, is always interpreted as a quick, dynamic and supple texture.

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Milano: Fornasetti and Bitossi - Variations on a Theme

Spazio Fornasetti – Variations on a Theme exhibition.  The large and heterogeneous family of Fornasetti vases by Bitossi Ceramiche are on show at the Spazio Fornasetti on the elegant Corso Matteotti (until April 3rd). All are offspring’s of Piero and Barnaba Fornasetti and born from the same idea: a chalk mould of a vase designed by Piero in the 50's, which never made it's way into production, and was later found in the cellar by his son Barnaba. This 'theme' has been used for the copious ‘Variations’, which appear to be endless in numbers.  There are subtle changes made to every single decoration or form, as if all the members of this family had a natural inclination to disguise an elegant veiled humour.

A detail. One of the surreal Fornasetti vases from the Variations on a Theme Collection for Bitossi Ceramiche.

The installation.  Some of the vases form part of the installation with the tailored-surrealist dresses designed by Liborio Capizzi reusing classic Fornasetti wallpapers, fabrics and ties.   Liborio Capizzi, a visionary artist and designer, was Gianfranco Ferrè’s right-hand man for sixteen years, as head designer for his women’s ready-to-wear collections.  His creative career has ranged from art to fashion and from music to theatre, crossing over quite distinct yet interrelated artistic fields that are bound by a sense of beauty and elegance.

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Milano: Marni Fall - Winter 2010/2011 Collection

Marni Fall – Winter 2010/2011 Collection.  Defining a twisted and elegant mood the Marni Fall – Winter 2010/2011 Collection is severe and precise. Measured and more austere in character in cuts and proportions, lengths and volumes, textures and combinations.  The volumes are moulded into fabric.  Exposed constructions are emphasized inside out; double and fused darts gain aesthetic importance. The colours are dense matte and uneasy.

Seen backstage at Marni.  Design director, Consuelo Castiglione.

Note: Consuelo’s jewellery; essential hand-made necklaces, sculptural assemblies of shimmering metal cabochons.  Eclectically designed chains fused and decorated with layers of enamelled metal drops and horn discs. 

Backstage at Marni.  Models are fooling around trying to wink, keeping one eye shut for I-D Magazine.

Backstage at Marni. Hair stylist, Paul Hanlon was inspired for the hairstyle by old 1950’s mannequins in shop windows, “Though a bit more chic and done-up.” He explains, “It’s as if they have gone to a hair salon, had their hair done and then got into a convertible and the wind blew out the hair.” He concludes.  

Backstage at Marni. The make-up was designed by Tom Pecheux, which he described, “It’s a mix of masculine and feminine.  The masculine; is the strong brow and kohl eyes.  The feminine; the way to apply the colour, it’s monochrome, like a deep lake that you can jump into.  The lips are copper-red and well drawn, very ladylike and heart shaped, the colour has been erased a bit, especially at the corners.”

 Seen backstage at Marni.  Photographing the old-fashion way for New York Magazine, photographer, Andreas Laszlo Konrath.

A detail.  The gloves are leather and crochet driving gloves, long or short.

Note.  How the transparent nylon socks appear above the peep toe boots.

The shoes.    A vast repertory of shoe details.  Classy wooden wedge clogs or calfskin platforms and boots with high heels in perforated leather.

The accessories.   The most important item of next season’s accessories are the socks.  Marni’s are tone on tone with transparent nylon bands.

Seen at Marni.  Globetrotting P.R., Karla Otto, has just added L.A. to her stable of offices.

The handbags.   Handbags come in a range of fabrics, leather and perforated pigskin with chromed metal frames and rounded resin handles.

Seen at Marni.   Matteo Marzotto and Carolina Castiglione.

Seen at Marni.   U.S.A.’sVanity Fair’s fashion director, photographer and artist, Michael Roberts and the New York Times fashion editor, Cathy Horyn.

Seen at Marni.  The most exciting fashion blogger of the moment, the very talented photographer, Tommy Ton, you can see his photos on Jak and Jil and Style.com.

Marni.   The grand Finale.

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Milano: Luca Rossire - Vanitas exhibition

 

At Home restaurant the Vanitas exhibition.   Eclectic designer and winner of the prestigious design prize, Compasso D’Oro, Luca Rossire’s exhibition of outrageous hats at the Home restaurant was inspired during a party by Federico Fellini's film Giulietta degli Spiriti. The talented Swiss designer, interior decorator and trend forecaster, can turn any found object into a remarkable sculpture, set décor or interior design.

Luca Rossiere can be contacted at: lucarossire@yahoo.com

 

 

 

The Hats.   The exhibition of Luca Rossire’s hats at the Home restaurant (until march 24th) is called Vanitas.  Here objects found on trips; a doll, a plant fragment, an insect or a Venetian mask all inspired his extravagant imagination.  The hats are just the starting point of a possible collection that could be developed ad infinitum in boundless variations.

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Milan: Fashion Week - Giorgio Armani and Richard Hambleton exhibition

Teatro Armani:  Richard Hambleton - The American Pop Expressionist.  Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld and Andy Valmorbida in collaboration with Giorgio Armani presented the paintings of Richard Hambleton’s New York at the Teatro Armani. 

Above: Hambleton is photographed in his Lower East Side studio.

Teatro Armani:  At the flashpoint of the downtown New York 80’s art scene, Richard Hambleton was one of the founding contributors of the burgeoning art community.   Along with Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, he created a sensation in the early 1980’s that is still relevant today.  Hambleton’s army of shadow silhouettes are reminders of human life – vulnerable and intense.  Hambleton today remains the only surviving member of that early cutting-edge downtown art movement, and continues to live and create in the neighbourhood to which he laid claim for over thirty years.

Above: Richard Hambleton - Shadow Split, 2010, acrylic on canvas.

photograph courtesy Giorgio Armani

Teatro Armani:  Richard Hambleton.   The curators of the Hambleton exhibition, Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld and Andy Valmorbida with Giorgio Armani.

Giorgio Armani Fall – Winter 2010/2011 Collection.  “Times change and change brings with it a new concept of chic: an indefinable attitude and mood that is not limited to the eternally reliable black skirt and white shirt, but explores nuance and shade, and interplays and contrasts, which define an unmistakable style and taste.   In the new chic, nothing is vague, approximate or uncertain – instead all is precisely stated in shape and colour, proceeding from black to a world charged with vigour of coral red and Tibetan orange.” Writes Armani about the collection.

Seen at the Giorgio Armani Fall – Winter 2010/2011 collection. Saks Fifth Avenue’s senior VP of marketing, Terron Schaefer.  Terry has a very good eye for photography,  and is an aspiring photographer.

Seen at the Giorgio Armani Fall – Winter 2010/2011 collection. Velvet’s editor in chief, Michela Gattermayer has great style, like her magazine, which talks about fashion, trends, music and lifestyle.

A Detail.  Michela is wearing:
Mink jacket: P.A.R.O.S.H.
Custom made leather trousers: at Cut
Scull and crossbone watch:  Zadig & Voltaire
Crocodile ring: Paul Smith
Big chunky ring: Lucifer Vir Honestus
Chains, necklaces and charms:  antique and vintage
Hand of Fatima charm: bought in Morocco
Madonna charm: Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Rue du Bac, Paris

 

Seen at the Giorgio Armani Fall – Winter 2010/2011 collection. Twilght actress, Ashley Greene.

Seen at the Giorgio Armani Fall – Winter 2010/2011 collection.  Rachel Zoe, American stylist and author of the reality show, Rachel Zoe Project.

Seen at the Giorgio Armani Fall – Winter 2010/2011 collection.  French Vogue’s edior in chief, Carine Roitfeld and Andy Valmorbida, who curated the Richard Hambleton exhibition at the Teatro Armani with her son, Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld.

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