Because you can't have depths without surfaces.
Linda Grant, thinking about clothes, books and other matters.
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Net-a-porter UK

Thursday 21 February 2008

A rocket aimed at Moscow

'That collection was like a rocket aimed at Moscow and Brazil and many other places that are influencing through capital and other means the rest of the world.'


So writes Cathy Horyn in her NYT blog of the Milan shows this week. We labour under the illusion that designers design clothes for us, whoever us is. She goes on

I kept thinking, as Zegna pointed to this row of fabulous shoes and that display of $10,000 vicuna jackets, “Who buys all this stuff?” America is hurting, so is Japan. But Zegna told me that nearly 20 percent of the company’s sales now come from the so-called emerging markets, like Brazil, Russia, China and parts of the Middle East, and that’s happened in just a matter of a few years. And the runways shouldn’t reflect that fact both in design and the casting of the models? It’s an interesting reality challenge for fashion companies, maybe more so for its design leaders like Prada.


Of the Gucci show, the Telegraph writes:

The Gucci designer, Frida Giannini, staged a Russian Revolution at Milan Fashion Week this evening.

Gucci autumn/winter 2008/2009 collection
Russian Revolution: Frida Giannini's new a/w collection for Gucci

Her models invaded the Gucci catwalk as a band of sexy Cossacks in folklore-printed tunics, heavy metal hip-belts, skin-tight jeans bristling with studs and riding boots, embellished with long, whip-like, leather thongs.

If, at times, they looked more like early 1970's Rolling Stones' girlfriends, this was exactly what Giannini intended.

Her aim was to combine the bohemian mood of Paris at the turn of the century when Russian émigrés transformed the arts and theatrical scene, with the kind of 'boho chic' in vogue when The Stones recorded 'It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (But I Like It)'.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gucci has produced cheap looking bling at great prices ever since Tom Ford left, or so it seems. Most of Guccis design seemed only to appeal to rich russian trophy wives - too much gold here, too many logos there, and that was probably what they wanted.
That said, I quite like the look of the new collection, it isn't as tacky and does have some style Gucci was seriously lacking in the last years.

Anonymous said...

So, perhaps we can make a connection then between the huge influx and huge increase in the use of Ukranian(skinny, wraithlike, but Ukranian nonetheless) models and marketing to the new Russian oligarchy? And, perhaps we can also make a connection then with the lack of models of color on the runways due to the same thing?

Linda Grant said...

Yes, Toby, you have hit the nail right on the head. That's correct.

Anonymous said...

Look at the girl, she looks great and a real fashonista. That's a real model for me, she know how to carry her self and the right way to portray what she was endorsing