Favorite of the Day: Gabriele Colangelo

Milan, much like New York, has felt decidedly unlike spring or summer. At least not in any of the obvious ways. Few pastels. No nautical references. A floral pattern here or there. Fur and leather cropping up everywhere.

It was in this vein that the Gabriele Colangelo collection shown on September 21st flowed. Prints that mimicked paint artfully dashed on drop cloths. Black belts that brought to mind an East Asian influence. 

And strong silhouettes that seemed to slouch ever so slightly.

Photos via

Favorite of the Day: Antonio Marras

Some of the prints that played such a large role in the London collections made their way over to Milan. At Antonio Marras, the shapes were simple and ladylike, but the prints were of two minds. There were the classic floral and fauna prints in aged colors that featured the occasional butterfly fluttering through the frame. And then there were the others.

At first they seem to be of the same variety, only differing in their reliance on the black and white motif that has been dominating the runways, but as you move on something else catches your eye.

Something slightly sinister and delightfully weird.


Photos via

Favorite of the Day: Ports 1961

After London's general discarding of the trend of New York, some of the themes seen in that first city began to make their return as the focus moved on to Milan.

At Ports 1961, the color palette was dominated by black and white, but this was about minimalism and modernity.

It was about something lighter, prettier, and very Italian.


Photos via

Favorite of the Day: Osman

Osman has always been about clean lines. Clean and sharp but without any harshness. That trend continued in the collection shown on September 16th.

But other ideas crept in. Prints both soft and loud, subtle and bold. Hemlines that played with the idea of asymmetry. 

It was the same game but with a new set of rules.

Photos via

Favorite of the Day: Preen

On September 15th, the shows in London continued to deal only lightly in the trends that informed so much of what was seen on the runways of New York. It's a shift that happens nearly every season, but the near 180 degree turn still comes as a bit of a shock to me.

At Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, floral prints and blocks of color were woven into geometric patchworks against backdrops that ranged from the starkest of whites to the murkiest of grays.

The trends of New York could be seen here and there, but this was the real story.


Photos via

Favorite of the Day: Holly Fulton

The best in prints and patterns is what many expect to see whenever the focus shifts from New York to London. And after a New York season full of stripped down "modernity", the lovingly creative jumble of London elicits a sigh of relief.

At Holly Fulton, the prints were front and center as they are every season. The colors were somewhat muted and the shapes more ladylike.

But in places the youthful rebel couldn't be contained.


Photos via

Favorite of the Day: Reed Krakoff

Searching for through lines in the world of fashion can be difficult. Designers often jump from inspiration to inspiration, sometimes in the same season. There are those who do so expertly, Prabal Gurung comes to mind, but many start to lose themselves in the process. Everything becomes a jumble of that painting they saw at the MoMA and that beach that they visited on the Mediterranean.

Reed Krakoff is the second of my Resort 2014 favorites to make an appearance here and for good reason. There is a clear thread that connects that collection to this one, yet the clothes are not weighed down by sameness. There was a progression forward, but that movement occurred while still keeping in mind what came before.

Timeless, easy clothing.

Photos via