United Colors of Benetton opened Milan Fashion Week with its first runway show, under the artistic direction of Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. The Rainbow Machine was United Colors of Benetton’s first ever Milan Fashion Week runway show, a tribute to industrial production, innovation and color. “Rainbow” represents a vision shared by Luciano Benetton and Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. “Luciano and I are all about color”, says the French designer, who explains that the collection’s palette is mainly based on the primary colors of the rainbow – yellow, red, green, blue – with some touches of black. “Machine” is a tribute to Benetton’s great industrial tradition, its know-how and its one-of-a kind technological expertise. The runway featured actual knitting machines in a set with enormous close-ups of products photographed by Oliviero Toscani.
For the new collection Sergio Rossi unveils “Sergio” a new product line offering a striking, audacious and modern take on the brand’s signature sophisticated elegance injected with a sharp graphic style. Paying tribute to the label’s heritage, “Sergio” is defined by a geometric re-edition of a Sergio Rossi archival logo dating back to the Seventies. Printed on the shoes’ insole, it contributes to the outspoken attitude of the collection. Pointed toes and chunky heels developed in a wide range of heights create the foundation for a collection which reflects the versatile spirit of the dynamic and elegant women of today. Taking inspiration from the colorful tracksuits shown on the dance floor in the late Eighties and early Nineties, patchwork stripes infused with a retro sporty feel stand out in a range of over-the-knee and knee-high boots, as well as booties and pumps crafted from a combination of different materials, spanning from nappa and laminated leather to crystal mesh.
Kering Eyewear and Montblanc held a special party for the launch of its first Montblanc Eyewear Spring/Summer 2019 Collection, which turned into a unique occasion for celebrating the partnership agreement reached in 2018. The event took place at Nilufar Depot contemporary design gallery, a 1500 square meter space founded by Nina Yashar as a privileged stage for emerging talents and young artists. Over 800 attendees had the opportunity to discover and experience Montblanc’s new eyewear product line immersed in a cool visual urban atmosphere. This innovative and versatile collection follows the fast pace of the globally-connected generations offering both style and functionality to urban explorers, style conscious and creative thinkers driven by individuality and self-expression.
Agnona, once again, are in a pivotal moment of change where sportswear and tailoring compete, contrast and collide. Acknowledging this, creative director Simon Holloway brings a new mood to Agnona; a slouchy formality. As the very essence of tailoring has shifted, Holloway proposes two jacket moods; sharper shouldered, fashioned in wool cashmere jersey or cut from double-wool gabardine with a leather lapel. The alternative is cut, gently oversized, in double-faced wool and cashmere, Platino tweed jersey or knitted in punto Milano cashmere. Jackets are sometimes suited, with a slouchy or gently flared pant, both worn extra long or in the case of Platino tweed jersey, mixed with knits fashioned from the same exclusive yarn. When paired as suits, a sliver of a chiffon checkered shirt tail and cuff or a 12-ply hand knit beanie hat nods at the new mood. In wool and cotton bias-cut tweed, scoop neck jackets are shown with pants as are tunics for a new idea of pairing. Holloway proposes a new take on the twinset with ankle length fine-gauge cashmere dresses worn under long sleeved fully-fashioned cardigans, cropped or maxi.
The ASPESI Women’s Fall/Winter 2019 collection shares a vision with the brand’s menswear, all the while preserving individual identities. Medley is the keyword for the creation of a positive, dynamic and eclectic point of view, in a mixture of different fabrics, shapes and attitude. Glimpses of bold colors pervade the offering. Oversized and slim silhouettes harmoniously coexist while traditional men’s fabrics such as checks, Prince of Wales and herringbone take on a softer, feminine touch. Most of them are ASPESI exclusives, such as the three-dimensional floral cloqué jacquard. Or the more technical ones, like cotton turned into ultra-neon vinyl, and boiled wool innovatively cut and sewn by lasers for a seamless finish. The peacoat and the trench coat, two iconic ASPESI styles, interact with novel outerwear, including the duvet which is wittingly re-thought. And with wool patterned coats and shearling jackets, the latter occasionally developed in an inside-out shorter version.
