Italian Fashion Watch

Shoes are contemporary jewelry, designer Donatella Versace once said, and in recent years they have become an integral part of a designer’s fashion statement.

Dolce&Gabbana Sandals

Armani one season ennobled the running shoe by pairing it with chiffon evening wear. In the 1990s the stiletto became a symbol for racy chic. More recently, prewar platforms and wedges thought to have been relegated to the back of grandma’s closet became super hot again, especially with teenagers.

The heels have become taller with each season, and the inches are apparently taking their toll. Models at last month’s preview shows in Milan tripped, slipped and — in the case of one model wearing ankle-strapped high-heels at Prada — toppled over.

On the fourth day of Milan Fashion Week, there were shoe troubles for both Pucci and Dolce & Gabbana. The sensible footwear from Fendi, however, kept those models firm on the ground.

DOLCE & GABBANA

They might have chosen slippers to go with their pajama party, but the Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana duo accessorized their luxurious silk outfits with sparkling and soaring platform sandals. The super-high platforms were also used for their dreamy ball gowns in tulle and embroidered roses. Dolce defended the towering look, saying that every girl has the right to dream.

But if several of the trained models stumbled on the slippery runway during the show, how can one expect a debutante to negotiate the ballroom floor?

Fendi Shoes

FENDI

The Fendi show featured models wearing wild pinned-up hairstyles and futuristic lace dresses cinched at the waist by a cummerbund. The look may have been offbeat, but the overall effect was still the elegant and easygoing look preferred by Italian designers for the summer 2009.

The footwear at Fendi was strangely calm, though, especially for the house that made metal ankle straps a fashion fetish. The high heels were never towering, and favored was an open-toed saddle shoe fitted with a comfortable wedge.

Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren has been named as the most powerful person in men’s fashion and retail, for the second year running.

Giorgio Armani also landed the number two spot on DNR.COM’s rankings of the 100 most powerful people in men’s fashion and retail.

Both men undoubtedly have a lifetimes experience in the business and this is reflected in this years rankings.

After their 40th anniversary celebrations in 2007, Polo Ralph Lauren’s sponsorship of the US Olympic team in Beijing has proven a wise move, as this is primarily credited with keeping him at the top of the list.

Meanwhile, Armani’s empire continues to grow and flourish, having already launched his first men’s skin care line, Skin Minerals for Men this year. He’s also opened two stores in India and two Emporio Armani flagships in Moscow and Beijing.

Moschino

A front row filled with stuffed animals, an invitation made from a napkin tied around a set of silverware, and an open delivery truck with runway models flowing out of the back are just a few examples of how the Moschino brand continues to harness humor in the name of fashion.

For the past 25 years, the company has prospered with a foundation of irreverence, fun and a surrealist frivolity that runs counter to the way slick, big-business fashion functions today. And its creative director, Rossella Jardini, wouldn’t have it any other way.

“The glossy, glamorous and cool world of fashion have never particularly fascinated me: I adore fashion and many of its representatives not for those aspects but for the creativity, the research and the effort that remains behind every collection,” said the designer.

Jardini - who started working alongside the company’s founder, Franco Moschino, in 1981 and took over designing the brand after his death in 1994 - has long kept a low profile, letting the sunny brand image and the colorful clothing speak for themselves. But in the new fashion world order, where designers are almost as famous as the brands they work for, Jardini has started to step into the spotlight in hopes of giving a face to a brand.

A slim woman who often dresses in large sweaters and easy trousers worn with big jewelry and thick dark-framed glasses, she offered frank responses to questions about her approach.

“I don’t design the collection in my head,” she said in a recent interview, speaking in a mix of Italian, French and broken English. “I have a team that helps with that. For me it is all about the choice of fabrics and the mixing of textiles. That is always my starting point when I put together a collection.”

Donatella Versace with Patrick Dempsey

On Monday, New Yorkers hit the Whitney Gala, which this year was injected with some va-va-voom, courtesy of co-chair Donatella Versace. First of all, there was celebrity eye candy like Patrick Dempsey, Christina Ricci and Mariah Carey. Secondly, the top-floor gallery was made over to more resemble a nightclub than a formal dinner, complete with mirrored walls and flashing light installations.

“My 17-year-old daughter will be like, ‘You are kidding me,’ when she hears I met Patrick Dempsey,” said Whitney head Adam Weinberg. “I will rise considerably in her estimation.”

The museum’s monied board members did at least have one leg up on the stars. “I wish I had the luxury of collecting art — I don’t earn enough yet,” said Ricci.

Later, Sting’s three-song set had Leonard Lauder clapping along enthusiastically while others, such as Lauder’s table mate, oil baron John Hess, didn’t want the party to end. He and his wife, Susan, headed downstairs to the Studio Party, where they boogied on the dance floor to hip-hop beats alongside Rose Byrne, Emma Roberts, Jane Krakowski, Juliette Lewis, Brian Reyes, Gilles Mendel, Thakoon Panichgul and Patti Hansen.

Carey also made her way downstairs to support her husband, Nick Cannon, who spun tunes (including her own “Fantasy,” which had the songstress blushing). She admitted she wasn’t exactly an art collector. “All those billionaires outbid me.”

Not so for Dempsey, who took a break from dancing with Versace’s daughter, Allegra Beck, to exhibit a bit of buyer’s remorse. “I don’t know what happened up there,” he grinned. “I think I just bought a Julian Schnabel apartment for $5,000 and he’s going to paint it for me.”

Here’s Roberto Cavalli’s men’s catalogue for this fall winter 08/09 season.

Critics noted that this is one of Cavalli’s most commercial and restrained collections, with classically-tailored suits reinterpreted in a more relaxed Cavalli style.

As usual, the collection had to include animal prints. This time he used leopard and giraffe textures. The artesan style typical of Florence was reflected in the suede jackets with brocade touches.

Close your eyes and open them again. Here’s a quick glance at the women’s collection from Luciano Barbera.

The entire line is soft appearance, for a romantic woman. The clothes suggest a person dedicated to her work, but who at the same time knows the importance of the moments of relaxation with the family.

Knots, ribbons, bows, ties, all these details give the Barbera woman a touch of dreamy femininity. The trench becomes soft and romantic, courteous in line bolloon slightly.

The materials and exclusive fabrics come from the historic woolen mill of Carlo Barbera. They are used for chick woman, sophisticated and attentive to the quality of the materials and the perfection of details. In addition to kasmir, a nee type of wool calle Kashima is used to add effect. This wook is usually used in suits, jackets and overcoats.

The colors and designs are sophisticated, and include small paintings, micro fantasies in Bermuda shorts and dresses, geometric designs. The Cinzano beige linen and Tubino used in jackets combine and the result is almost gold-like. The red jackets are particularly beautiful.

Among the accessories scarves are the corollary to all issues.

In a recent interview with Il Sole, Giorgio Armani mentioned that he has not yet decided on a successor at the head of his massive fashion empire. The 74 years old Italian designer says that he’s still in top shape to run the business and he is not planning on retiring any time soon.

The reasons for not retiring may go well beyond his great condition. A departure from the head of the fashion firm could impact negatively on its sales and the reputation of the brand itself. I will happen some day because the new generation will eventually have to take over the old, but for now Armani is still in charge.

Here’s what he had to say about it:

“The founder is linked to the brand and represents its style. When it comes to replacing the founder there is always a doubt as to whether to change the style. The young designers have all the talent that is needed, but in a system made up of only ‘untouchable icons’ that cut off all oxygen, you can also die.”

LG announced that it will release an evolved version of their first designer cell phone, Prada II. It will hit the market by the end of the year, just in time for Christmas shopping.

The new phone will feature a slim QUERTY keyboard that will slide on the left site. It will have an evolved HTML browser, support for 3G with video calling, a 7.2 Mbps HSDPA, Wi-fi and of course, a 5 megapixel camera, a standard at the moment. The camera has a Schneider-Kreuznach certified lens, a 3 inch display with a 400 x 240 resolution.

Of course, the screen will be all touch sensitive.
The price will start at 600 euros and will be available at major carriers in Europe.

The previous Prada phone, released in 2007 sold over 1 million units in only 18 months of its launch.

Bottega Veneta opened its second store in Manila at the first level of Rustan’s department store in Makati.

The store — designed by creative director Tomas Maier — offers Bottega Veneta’s women’s accessories, handbags, luggage, shoes, eyewear and scent.

The 678 sq.ft. store is intimate and comfortable. Every element of the boutique’s interior, from the walnut tables and handcrafted vitrines to the door handles sheathed in leather, are custom-made.

Among the notable design features mohair furniture upholstery, and custom-dyed, pure New Zealand wool carpets. A quiet palette of matte neutrals and earth tones further enhances the feeling of privacy and sophistication.

“We are proud to open our second store in the Philippines. It’s great to be a part of the Asia-Pacific regions’ growth and a pleasure to offer our clients in the Philippines another contemporary, timeless Bottega Veneta store,” said Mr. Maier.

The first Bottega Veneta store is located at Greenbelt 4. The brand is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc.