Versace, Ms. Donatella, delivered a tough as nails collection complete with hard lines and rigid construction as well as “hard geometry.” The clothes seem to be simple but are complicated by the cut outs and the awkward straps, not to mention, the hideously cheap looking prints. There were moments of brief respite with a few peeks into what she is really capable of doing before all the junk gets in the way. This certainly was not a stellar moment for the house of Versace.
Gianfranco Ferre, the Aquilano and Rimondi boys, needs a serious recalibration to get straightened out. Save for a few passages, the clothes remain graceless and reminiscent rather than cutting edge, slick and sophisticated. Where are the tailored components, the precision, the drama and the grand gestures that the namesake made a house staple. These guys need to really examine their ”M.O.” or the new owners will be showing them the door very soon.
Etro is one of those brands which has carved an identity for itself and stuck to its DNA season after season. Here, it is never boring and before you enter you already know that you will witness a full tilt visual assault on your senses. The prints, the mash ups, the silhouettes are all part of the glory of Etro and this season there is a far more approachable outlook. There seems to be just a bit of holding back which has certainly worked to their advantage and certainly plays to the DNA of the brand
