MILAN —
The fourth day of Milan Fashion Week belonged to ex-Pucci designer
Peter Dundas, who made his celebrated debut as creative director for Roberto
Cavalli.
But he wasn't the only one getting his day in the sun: Young
designer Daizy Shely made her Milan runway debut Saturday, showing her
womenswear collection for next spring and summer in Giorgio Armani's theater.
The focus of the day was on youth, freedom and renewal. Here are
some highlights from Saturday's shows in Milan:
ROBERTO CAVALLI
Peter Dundas sought to underline a sense of ease and freedom in
his much-celebrated debut collection for Roberto Cavalli.
Dundas had the delicate task of reviving a brand that was widely
viewed as past its prime and paying due homage to the brand's founder, who
hand-picked Dundas and remains an important stakeholder in the fashion house
bearing his name.
"I wanted to accentuate the ease and the freedom that the
brand represents to me," Dundas told the Associated Press backstage.
A 1980s vibe grounded the collection and kept it close to the
Cavalli roots: denim, rock 'n' roll sequin jackets and billowing chiffon skirt
trains, with just a splash of animal print for old-time's sake.
Dundas put a fresh emphasis on daywear, staying away from more
glammed-up evening wear that the designer says seems less youthful than the
looks he was after. Also for night, a long suede dress hugged the curves, where
it was fastened by skin-revealing buckles.
Denim was central to the debut collection. The high-waisted
washed-out jeans and matching cropped jacket — immediately recognizable to
anyone who lived through the '80s — was a bold move. There also were
tough-looking stonewashed denim biker jacket vests and a pretty-in-pink belted
denim mini-dress. Shoes included sweet suede booties with bows or
double-buckles.
In a twist, sequins and fringe were deployed on day, not
eveningwear, worn with a silvery zebra-striped pant. Long chiffon open-front
dresses, fastened with big bows over mini-skirts, were meant for the night. The
billowing chiffon train was vintage Cavalli.
___
DAIZY SHELY
Daizy Shely finished on top in a Vogue Italia young designer
contest last year and her colorful fashion has been chosen to dress
"Scream Queens" stars Emma Roberts and Lea Michele.
Despite her accomplishments, 30-year-old Shely was taken aback
when she got the call six weeks ago that Giorgio Armani had selected her to
make her Milan runway debut in his theater, one of a series the designer has
hosted to promote up-and-coming talent.
"It is beyond every kind of a dream," the
Israeli-born, Italy-based designer said backstage. She had a collection ready
for Milan Fashion Week, but thought it would be a presentation with a
look-book, not an all-out runway production.
"I had a very short time to organize myself. But usually I
make my collection ready to go on the catwalk, so it was not so
difficult," she said.
Aerial photos inspired Shely's ideas for shapes — and the
colorful results are for a woman confident in expressing a strong fashion
point-of-view. The looks ranged from a long-tiered gingham and eyelet skirt
paired with an Oxford shirt, to a feathery mini-dress created from hundreds of
fabric strips, to form-fitting asymmetrical pencil skirts with cascading
ruffles.
"The effect was a little bit a California girl — very, very
colorful, very fresh," she said.
___
BOTTEGA VENETA
Tomas Maier's long dresses for Bottega Veneta next spring and
summer catch the wind like sails, kept in place by climbing rope laced through
grommets. It's a collection inspired by the outdoors but meant to be worn on
city streets — a dichotomy running through Milan Fashion Week this season.
Maier employed technical fabrics, including fleece and a
cotton-poplin mix that helped suggest a ship's sail. He also used trappings of
the outdoor world to add a flourish to the designs, like hiking ropes that
secure dresses or are used as colorful trim and drawstrings pulls, or climbers'
clasps to fasten tops.
Sportier looks included shorts with halter tops and fleece
hoodies with Lederhosen-style knee-hugging pants in camouflage mixed with
animal prints. The season's shoe included clunky clogs decorated in animal
prints or with circular metal grommets, or flat crisscross sandals.
"This is for the individual, the eccentric, the
exceptional," Maier said in his notes.
Copyright
The Associated Press
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