Spring/Summer 2013 Fashion Show Coverage

Alberta Ferretti
The Ferretti show sparkled with feminine oceanic beauty. Delicate fabrics moved with grace against a backdrop of cerulean. Sequins on a few of the ensembles glittered in the light as a mermaids scales would glitter against the setting sun. Ferretti’s imaginative line shows true creativity. One of the more delicate pieces was an ethereal pearl white gown that displayed a sheer and intricate beaded bodice.  One of the more daring ensembles on the catwalk featured black satin shorts and an organza top with black lace overlays covering the models chest.

 

BLUGIRL
The runway for the BluGirl Spring/Summer show appeared as a group of sophisticated, and slightly provocative, women on their way to a garden tea party. With floral crowns and straw hats a top their heads the models were adorned in a sweet mixture of femininity. Sweaters paired with floral knee-length skirts and sweet ruffle-accented dresses cinched at the waist with bows, one might believe them all to be sugary sweet. On the contrary, BluGirl always shows us that a woman can have edge and with the overt sheerness of the pieces, paired with exotic animal printed notations; we are shown that the naughty pairs well with the nice.



DSQUARED
Female power dominated the DSquared catwalk. In a word the show could be summed up as simply as, attitude. Leather, chunky gold and silver jewelry and police style caps rounded out the show and tops were paired with skirts and shorts that sat high on the models thighs. Leather gloves and motorcycle jackets added a hint of raw masculinity in with the power of pure female sexuality. Following in the ever-popular animal print trend, black and white leopard dresses paired with leather hearts, were seen throughout the collection. Finally, the pièce de résistance was the all leather floor length dress with the buckled waistline, gold side zipper and dramatic gold neckpiece.



Fendi
The strength of geometric shapes and patterns of the Fendi line felt ahead of its time. A form of cubism in its own right the pieces were color blocks of mixed fabrics including the designers take on “summer leather.” An impressive note is that the leather is seamless and makes for a light wear. The multiple lengths seen through the jackets and dresses are “designed to have your eyes drawn into the pieces,” as opposed to being drawn to them, the designer goes on to say.  Save for a few hints of melon and teal in a high-waisted short ensemble the lines main color palettes falls in black, icy blues and warm caramels and yellows. The show ended with an explosive punch of color from the elaborate light reflecting stoned dress with capelet inspired shoulders.

 
Just Cavalli
Trending this season is a designers love to tie in oceanic inspiration to this seasons collections, and JustCavalli is no exception. Except this line isn’t about simplistic beauty in mermaids and crystal blue waters on the shore, with Cavalli’s line we get to dive a little deeper to see the exotic creatures of the sea that Cavalli counts as one of his inspirations for the pieces in his line. The beautiful bright hues of sapphire and lime can be seen in a sheer off the shoulder top and mini-dress. The models hairstyles reflect a refreshing, clean, beach wave feel and their natural make-up feels sun kissed with shimmer around their eyes. In addition to the tropical fish, Cavalli listed a trip to India as inspiration and wanted to capture the beauty in the exotic flora, which gives us the color rich drop-waist dresses, and multi-hued foot wear. Keeping to his love of the hip-hop style his lines are not constricting and play well with the models movement.



Prada
Miuccia Prada definitely brought something unexpected to the catwalk this season. The show started with boxy, almost space age, designs with largely oversized tops in black and deep green, paired with clam diggers, long shorts and metallic booties. As the show transpired it began to tell a story, showing vintage Japanese silhouettes, Geisha inspired looks, and a more traditional color palette as it progressed. Kimono’s and Japanese footwear appeared accentuated by florals and pops of deep red. The show ended with toned down neutral satin pieces in blush pink, tying the show’s theme together nicely and proving once again that Prada knows how to tell a story through fashion.

 
Versace
Donatella stepped away, if only for a moment, from gothic bondage and moved into simpler and softer pieces, mixed with a little Greek Mythology, for her latest line. “I wanted to challenge myself to do fluidity and lightness...” she stated in regards to the latest in her fashion empire, and with the miniscule size of a few of the ensembles, she has done just that. Dainty high-cut, lace-embellished shorts paired with cropped tops make a perfect addition to any jet-setting girls’ summer wardrobe, and her drop waisted brightly hued dresses are reminiscent of a fabulous beach soiree. That is, if you do not mind Medusa joining the party. While the show started with simple lines and circular lace cutouts, the rest of the line hinted at warrior chic, featuring Medusa’s head in print as well as on metal buttons. The gowns intricate details were worthy to be worn by Greek goddesses or warrior princesses. Leave it to Donatella to “lighten her style”, only to give us something even more beautiful and breathtaking.


Gucci
Gucci’s line takes us back to classic Italy. It is purely Rome in the 60’s and 70’s where women do not shy away from head-to-toe hues in bright pinks and cobalt. The show started strong with a bright pink belted tunic and trouser ensemble, paired with slicked back hair and oversized classics reminiscent of the time. Graphic patterns in similar hues and lighter fabrics followed until the show transitioned into classic black and white.  A beautiful, pure white, deep V-neck, floor length gown featured billowing ruffled sleeves and rounded out the show with beautiful dramatic femininity.