Milan Fashion Week: Gucci Fall 2015 Review

The highlight or lowlight of Milan Fashion Week for Fall 2015 had to be Frida Giannini's exit from Gucci and a lesser-known designer called Alessandro Michele's début for Gucci's first runway show after the veteran designer departed.

It was as if one was viewing several fashion shows at the same time and after that one would be pretty much done with fashion week. In other words, Gucci's Fall Winter 2015 runway show was filled with boring, non-distinctive pieces that either looked like copies of the previous menswear runway show or designs "stolen" from other fashion houses.

Leather and suits are best left to the Dsquared duo but nonetheless this new Gucci designer took the same idea.

Beret check, geeky glasses check, this schoolgirl look reminds us of a cross between Saint Laurent and miu miu.

Girl scout cookies or brownies anyone?

Missoni zig zags on a seemingly faux fur Shrimps coat - and it doesn't get more pretentious than that.

The Perfect Pair: Of course we are talking about pyjamas ladies and gentlemen. Sadly, there's nothing Scottish about this weed print dress that looks like a nightgown paired with furry slippers inspired by Celine, Marni or a butchered Chubacca from Star Wars.

The Saint Laurent schoolgirl has very clear intentions here indeed. Not sure if the leftover Gucci fans can take another see-through mesh or lace number.

Recycled clothing from the Gucci Fall 2015 menswear runway show made a lacklustre appearance on grumpy female models - how peculiar.

Perhaps Alessandro got indigestion from some fancy Japanese restaurant and puked out this Spanish flamenco dancer wearing a geometric grey fish-scale vest with a matching bale of shiny green sushi seaweed as a floppy skirt.

A poorer rendition of Giambattista Valli.

Who can forget the iconic classic Burberry trench coat? A bit confusing when you see it on the supposedly Gucci runway.

Going pretty last season's Saint Laurent in Fall again with see-through mesh and velvet skirts.

Even the bird is trying to fly away from this awkwardly turbaned missus.

How to look less like an old French lady. Avoid wearing whatever she's wearing here - fur coat, beret and flat shoes.

A bit Alessandro Dell'acqua with the see-through skirt as Alessandro Michele tries to do an oriental garden inspiration that looks more chunky, cheap and tacky than classy.

Yumi looks like she's about to fall asleep on the Gucci runway show in this dusty pink number.

Low hanging crotch pants are so unflattering in heavier fabrics. It makes it look like both legs are stuck together in a unipant.



He's probably thinking "Jesus!" in his head right now.

Menswear Fall 2015 Milan Fashion Week

Our review of the best and worst of Milan Menswear Fashion Week for Fall 2015.

1) Gucci Fall 2015 Menswear Collection

The resurfacing of luxe redux is a telling sign of harsh economic times. From furry slippers to a scarlet pussybow silk blouse more suitable for your mom than a grown-up, we can only wonder if this was Frida Giannini's revenge to a sadly still largely male dominated society that played a definitive role in her stepping down as Gucci's creative director.

A bad beret, old lady's glasses, wool vest and oversized granny print blouse and you're all set to look like an eccentric old lady from the French countryside. Just throw in a few baguettes and a bicycle to complete the picture.

Leaving us Speechless: Mom's blouse on a teenager.

Besides the women's blouse, extra fur popping out of the sides of Gucci's horsebit leather slip-ons reminded us of a creepy Japanese children's toy that allowed the user to shave off as much hair in any place they wanted on the hairy doll which was covered all-over with fur-like hair.

2) Roberto Cavalli Fall 2015 Menswear Collection

We love the mixture of different textures - chunky silver fox fur, silk, distressed denim and leather. 

Twilight: How do you spice up a cool grey grandpa cardigan? Pair it with a skinny silk scarf, spray-on leather pants and a nice shiny pair of booties.

3) Brioni Fall 2015 Menswear Collection

Can you see the subtle details in Brioni's expertly tailored suits? Look again to spot the gradient checks.

Style tip: Update a long wool coat by cinching it with a leather belt worn on the outside instead.

4) Ports 1961 Fall 2015 Menswear Collection

Social media is an integral way of life for most and hashtags have taken over the fashion world for some time now. From Lanvin to Ports 1961, luxury designers continue to feature statement hashtags on apparel and accessories.

5) Dsquared Fall 2015 Menswear Collection

Tough and rugged look: Nothing's more manly than returning to the basics of caveman era materials - fur and skins from animals to create that wild and raw look.

Jet-set ready: Dsquared2 ensemble ready for 24-7 stars.

Hunting Wild: Wool coats with over-sized shearling or fox fur collars never go out of style just as depicted by  the Canadian designer duo Dean and Dan Caten.

Victoria's Secret 2015 Swimwear Campaign

Our Top 3 Picks from the Victoria's Secret 2015 Swimwear Collection

Although it may be freezing cold and dark for half of the world, another half would be basking in the glorious sun on palm fringed sandy beaches.

Here are our top picks for the best bikinis from the Victoria's Secret 2015 swimwear catalogue that will be sure to put you in the spotlight at the seaside as modelled by none other than blonde bombshell Candice Swanepoel and pixie-faced cute Behati Prinsloo.

Plus we'll share what to wear for your body type. Our analysis of which swimwear is flattering for your body type will help you make the right decision for your next bikini shopping trip.

Bohemian chic: Paisley prints and contrasting colours add a tropical tribal flair to this simple but sexy triangle bikini and zip bottom combo.

Perfect for: Skinny figure



Neon pastels: Forget about a monotone colour bikini and try a mix and match combo with two gorgeous contrasting colours. As long as the bikini top has traces of the same colour from the bottom, there should be no worries sampling different swimwear styles.

Style tip: Tassels and ties add a flirty twist to simple bikinis.

Perfect for: Curvy, pear-shaped figure






The Handkerchief Top: Sweet, romantic, girly and a little gypsy-like is the handkerchief bikini top which is perfect to cover up skin and bones and leave much for imagination instead of baring it all out.

Perfect for: Skinny figure


An Unlikely Bikini Guide
Here's our bikini guide to looking your best by helping you find a bikini suitable for your body type.

Best bikini type for: Curvy, pear-shaped figure  


Flaunt that lovely, curvaceous body of yours in a sexy half-cup bra inspired bikini and matching bottom with broad straps to draw attention to what's needed.

Best bikini type for: Boyish figure

Use plenty of colour, patterns or a strappy design bikini to break away the monotonous chunky, block-like body silhouette.



Divert attention away from arms, torso and legs with a a more elaborately designed Brazilian style bikini bottom and sexy bandeau bikini top.

Best bikini type for: Skinny figure

A well-cut one-piece swimsuit with a low cut neckline is perfect for tall and thin women. The one-piece swimming costume places emphasis on the slender arms, neck and legs.

Best bikini type for: Average figure


This sweet and pretty white lace bra inspired bikini has subtle criss-cross detail to it and would compliment most average figure types.


Try a daring one-piece swimsuit like Candice Swanepoel. It doesn't matter of you're well endowed or not.


Image source: www.victoriassecret.com

Frida Giannini, Gucci CEO to Step Down

Gucci Creative Director of 10 years Frida Giannini will be leaving the luxury Italian designer label after the Fall Winter 2015 runway show during Milan Fashion Week next year. (Image: Kering Group)

Her husband and CEO Patrizio di Marco will step down shortly on January 1, 2015.

News of the shake-up at Gucci stunned us at first. Frida was just getting good again as she tried her hand at pastel fur jackets and coats for Gucci's Fall Winter 2014 runway. Her Spring Summer 2015 collection was filled with furs in fiery orange and red colours but was somewhat confusing as to what the whole theme of the show was. We will discuss this, her latest and earlier creations for Gucci in further detail below.

Overview of Frida Giannini's apparel and accessories design work at Gucci from 2004 to 2014

Iconic Gucci womenswear and menswear pieces from runway shows: 2004 to 2014

Frida started off her career at Gucci with a big bang. At that time, the little-known fashion designer carved out a name for herself by introducing timeless pieces on the runway in a mix of beautiful bohemian prints in a cool rock and roll style.

Vlada Roslyakova walking the Gucci Fall runway in tall fringe leather boots, bohemian style top and an exotic Persian carpet print fabric bag.

What Went Wrong

Time for Change

For obvious reasons, it was time for a change. Even when Frida was struggling to find herself again in Gucci's designs, winning bit by bit and then losing again, it was time for change to happen for a designer brand with falling profits that had not experienced cutting edge designs or made fashion headlines in the past couple of years. 

Fatigued Fashion World
In a world where black is the new exciting colour year after year and ugly, boring retro-wear from the twenties, thirties, fourties, fifties, sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties pervade the mass marketplace in the form of hideous round collars, too-long granny skirts and ill-fitting pouffe skirts just to name a few, the demand for basic and boring black and white apparel and accessories has sparked the demand for so-called "minimalistic" designers such as Marc Jacobs, Givenchy designer Ricardo Tisci, YSL designer Hedi Slimane or Balenciaga's Alexander Wang.

Economy in Doldrums
Another sign of times when excitement and colour are deemed too much to have in life reflects the sombre state of affairs the lacklustre economy in recent years which has led most consumers to become soulless monochrome maniacs who are too afraid to stand out from the crowd. Dressing "boring", "normal" or "simple" seems to be the norm to gain wide acceptance from the general public.

Frida's Fashion Fallacy
A favourite of mankind is to go back to one's comfort zone, reminisce the past which was deemed "better" due to the challenging times at present. However seeking salvation in the bygone days of present-day's fashion reject trends can prove to be a catastrophe in all sorts for a brand to survive today.

Swinging sixties in the form of blotchy-coloured bad rabbit fur jackets as interpreted by Frida Giannini for Gucci's Pre-Fall collection that took place last week.

Frida went totally erratic for Gucci's Spring Summer runway show. Some notable pieces were an elegant beaded oriental inspired dress, a hippie-chic bohemian style patchwork fur vest and a disastrous denim dresses with huge shoelaces - a stark reminder of eighties rock and roll rejects.

The menswear collection for Gucci Spring 2015 centered around the overused theme of boring, standard nautical which was hardly anything special for genuine fashion lovers.

Besides a Buberry-esque python trench coat, Gucci's Resort 2015 collection was filled with nothing more than Gap inspired "normal" design stripe sweaters and unflattering baggy cargo pants from the eighties.

The saving grace for Gucci came along when Frida decided to update the sixties fashion look in a contemporary way using pastel colours and a mix of exotic leathers, fur and shearling for Gucci's Fall Winter 2014 runway.

Gucci's Fall 2014 menswear runway was filled with similar colours and textures borrowed from the womenswear show in more reserved tones. The model is pictured wearing a pale pink sleek leather shirt, eggshell blue blazer and matching pant-suit in a modern cut.

Conclusion

A brand new fashion designer who doesn't come from an established luxury label would certainly bring fresh ideas to the nearly century-old label and help reinvent Gucci's future.

Yumi Lambert for Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2014

We love our exotic mixed models. This week's flashback friday feature is Belgian supermodel Yumi Lambert walking for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show ( VSFW 2014 ) in London.

The lingerie pieces were mainly in gold and was split into a couple of highly predictable segments focused on models such as Adriana Lima and Karlie Kloss and her passion for ballet in the last segment where Taylor Swift and Karlie all wore boring, black, unimpressive lingerie.

The 2013 VSFS was way better and more creative than this year's catwalk. We guess bulk of the budget was spent on the amazing floor lightings that looked more like the models were walking on high-display liquid crystal TV screens, than the actual lingerie. The usual million-dollar Victoria's Secret jeweled bras were mediocre and cheap-looking. However, this wasn't the fault of any one of the gorgeous supermodels.

Stick thin high fashion models that rule designer runway shows such as Magdalena Frackowiak  and Behati Prinsloo made normal sized women such as supermodel mum Doutzen Kroes look big.

Here are some of our favourite moments of Yumi from the Victoria's Secret fashion show and after-party.

Yumi backstage, excited at her very first debut at the 2014 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

Yumi is of Japanese and Belgian roots. The ridiculously tight start print T-shirt dress looked unflattering.

The metallic silver puffer vest reminded us of DKNY's Metallic Shell Padded Coat.

Girl Crush: Yumi looking sleek and svelte in a form fitting low V-neck halter cut-out dress that flaunted her washboard abs and incredibly slim figure.


Image source: yumilambert.tumblr.com