January 21, 2020

Burberry Pre-Fall 2020

January 21, 2020/ Ashlee Frederick

The main points of the Burberry women’s and men’s pre-fall are as difficult to encompass as is Riccardo Tisci’s task of covering the fashion consciousness of the globe. Perhaps that’s why he thought to include the motif of an old navigational map, which is printed on silk head squares and variously pleated, draped, and patch-worked. It’s a collection that isn’t anchored in any one idea; it travels between disparate tropes, representing the biggest British fashion brand to all generations, for all times and occasions.

Not that you can’t see who’s captain. Tisci’s eye for the elegant and sexy, his far-from-earthy, English-classic countrywear, his aspirational streetwear, and a Kim Kardashian West moment are all logged in this journey around Burberry world. (KKW already wore the beige jeans with a boned corset top in look 14. The skin-tight chestnut leather boot-chaps are actually built in, with pointy stiletto booties completing the sprayed-on illusion.)

Tisci always promised to expand eveningwear when he came to Burberry—he brought knowledge of the territory with him. Burberry evening suits are now a uniform go-to for men on red carpets, while the women’s nighttime is a fully calibrated repertoire ranging from a drop-dead backless goddess silver streak with a snaky train to a bubblegum pink plissé knee-length dress with slashed medieval sleeves, through to ingenuous black tailoring. Women looking for trouser alternatives for the awards season will doubtless leap on the standout opportunities of the graphic cutaway cape coat with a gold chain belt, and the sophisticated yet cool layering of a silk-fringed coat, tabard, and narrow trousers.

Branding for Burberry? Logos are threaded through, for those who care to carry the obvious house identifiers. The recognizable, rounded, retro TB designed by Peter Saville comes as a gilt buckle on handbags, printed on a vibrant padded gilet with a matching checked coat, and appears all over the place in linings. Otherwise BURBERRY is exploded in giant type on nylon parka sleeves.

The Burberry check is less in evidence this season, but Tisci’s translations of country fare very much are. With fashion in the mood for tweediness, his orange-lined checked poncho with a tunic trouser suit underneath looks highly viable for women who’d never go on a shooting weekend, but also for members of international country house society. Otherwise, Tisci’s sweeping view of demographics brings a Euro spin to what he does with quilting—turning a trad-boxy template glam on a jacket with a torso-clinching knitted insert and pairing it with a pencil skirt.

Men’s tradition is well served by a beige car coat that comes with a chocolate brown puffer lining, worn over a blue-and-white striped banker shirt with TB woven into it. There is something very Italian about that—the kind of Italian-ness that British men envy and are happy to buy for themselves.

For men too there’s a small section of Econyl outerwear, the branded synthetic fiber, which is regenerated from waste such as fishing nets, carpet, and fabric scraps. It’s one Burberry contribution to the new circular economy. At a moment when the climate crisis is at the top of everyone’s minds, resetting luxury to align with fossil-fuel-saving resources like this can’t happen fast enough.

Source: Vogue

FASHIONADO

October 18, 2018

Santoni's Luxury Mountain

October 18, 2018/ E. Vincent Martinez

FROM HIKING BOOTS TO MADE IN SANTONI MINK LINED MULES, HIGH ALTITUDE TRAVELING HAS NEVER BEEN SO CHIC.

Are you planning a weekend in the mountains between ski slopes and sub-zero temperatures? Then you cannot forget to pack the modern and dynamic Everest hiking boots in elegant hand-painted calfskin in tan shades and the precious and comfortable inside out calfskin mules with mink and beaver from the Santoni Fall Winter 2018-19 collection. Featuring a touch of style and incomparable quality, here are the ideal shoes for an active chic, high-altitude weekend.

fashionado

April 18, 2018

BALMAIN OPENS ITS FIRST ITALIAN FLAGSHIP IN MILAN

April 18, 2018/ E. Vincent Martinez

Balmain is pleased to announce the opening of its first Italian flagship. Set on Milan’s prestigious Via Montenapoleone, the 280-square-meter boutique sets out the brand’s women’s and accessories collections on two floors. The interior introduces a new store concept for the brand, conceived by Creative Director Olivier Rousteing and designed in partnership with the three young architects from Paris’ Studio AMV: Anna Philippou, Marie-Charlotte Prosperi-Fouchard and Victoire Guerlay.

The Location: Montenapoleone

“I was born and raised in Milan—but, the truth is, opening here has little to do with hometown pride,” explains Massimo Piombini, Balmain’s CEO. “Montenapoleone is one of the world’s iconic retail addresses—there are probably only five other locations in the world like this one—and after opening in SoHo, Mayfair and Melrose, this was the logical next step for Balmain.”

The Brief: A Clear Focus on Balmain Paris

Each Balmain address channels the unique history of the house and the new Milan boutique is no exception. The iconic original Paris flagship was revamped as a classic Parisian apartment for founder Pierre Balmain, London was designed to be M. Balmain’s would-have-been Mayfair pied-à-terre and both the Melrose and SoHo spaces were inspired by Villa Balmain, Pierre Balmain’s cliffside mid-century retreat on the Italian island of Elba. For Milan, Creative Director Olivier Rousteing directed the architects at Studio AMV to focus on the house’s Parisian roots. “Since this design will serve as a prototype for all future addresses, Olivier wanted the stress to be placed squarely on the second part of the house’s official name: Balmain Paris,” explained Anna Philippou of Studio AMV. “He made it clear to us that he wanted Balmain to transport Paris to all corners of the globe, to make each Balmain visitor feel the atmosphere of Paris, wherever they may be in the world. But he also ensured—at every step of the process—that this was done in a modern fresh way, that avoided all the expected clichés.”

The Inspiration: The Classic Parisian Hôtel Particulier

Rousteing oversaw Studio AMV’s efforts to create the house’s new store concept. “Our brainstorming sessions took off from a consensus on the need to riff on classic Parisian residential architecture,” explains Rousteing. “From there, we ended up breaking down the codes of the hôtel particulier into ten particular elements, each of which was then associated with one key Balmain signature. Since I wanted the retail experience to stress experience, intimacy and discovery, we divided the space into a series of connected, distinct rooms, each inspired by the look of a living space (library, garden, boudoir, etc) and each dedicated to the display of one Balmain collection.”

The Choices: Classics, With A Modern Outlook

“In many ways, Milan’s interior echoes the guiding principles behind all of our Balmain collections,” explains Rousteing. “While each runway offering acknowledges and salutes the house’s singular heritage and impressive savoir-faire, my team and I always ensure that we are, above all, designing for how today’s generation lives and dresses. That same historic-modern duality can be spotted in the new prototype design for Milan. The parquet, moldings, chandeliers, curtains and mirrors all make clear references to classic elements—but we’re definitely not trying to create some sort of museum piece or dollhouse. Instead, what we’ve done is to play with each historical reference, making sure that designs are modern as well as elegantly crafted from the finest materials. This is a space where I know that the Balmain Army would definitely feel at home.”

Opening Celebration:

To celebrate the Milan opening, Balmain has set up an ephemeral lounge behind the flagship’s large arched window on via Montenapoleone. There, the house will present a virtual-reality adventure called “My City of Lights.” Visitors are invited to don an Olivier Rousteing-designed Oculus headset in order to immerse themselves in a special design journey, led by Rousteing, exploring the fears, inspirations and emotions that the Creative Director encounters each season while creating a new runway offering. “My City of Lights” will remain in the new Milan flagship until April 29th, after which it will begin traveling to other Balmain addresses across the globe.

fashionado

November 09, 2017

Our Favorite Winter Coats

November 09, 2017/ E. Vincent Martinez

As we move into November, for many, the cool breeze that accompanies autumn will start to have a crisp bite. As winter sets in and temperatures drop it’s going to be time to wrap yourself up in something warm. If you don’t already have one, the first thing on your shopping list should be a stylish yet warm coat that is going to keep winter chills at bay.

There are occasions where you want to have a coat that you can open up and have layers to add texture and depth while still keeping you warm. But equally there will be days this winter, you want to zip or button up and keep the bitter cold at away. We’ve shared our favorites at doing both. Here are some of the winter coats trending this winter.

PARKA

The parka coat has been in trend for the last few winters.

It can be retro or modern, and it’s definitely practical. It's a casual coat that sits well with jeans and boots.

The parka has variations, with vibrant and daring colors available, like an apt Autumn orange or electric blue, making it a statement coat, or of course, you may choose the more classic neutral colors like black, navy or tan, making the parka pretty versatile.

TRENCH

Very on-trend right now, and perhaps a coat to complement the parka is the trench coat. Having one of each is in your closet will have you covered for most occasions, literally .

The trench coat is great for making casual a little more elegant, but often works as a suitable coat for more formal occasions too. It doesn’t offer as much protection against the elements as a parka would so you need to consider wearing layers. With that said, the trench coat offers a lot of versatility, a good look open or closed with floor length and knee-length options to choose from.

DUFFLE

A dark horse this Autumn and seeming to stay on trend as we move into winter, the Duffle coat works really well with a pair of skinny jeans or cords making it perfect for casual dressing, especially when accessorized with the right scarf.

Most people love the classic burgundy red, navy
and black but similar to parkas, having a brighter color duffle to contrast the rest of your outfit has a lot of stylish fans loving this option.

PEA COAT

Continuing to be popular is the Pea Coat.

It’s a very cosmopolitan look, often coupled with a knitted sweater and scarf for both style and extra warmth.

Having a fur color is a new flavor to the look, offering a little more detail, an extra texture and some extra warmth to boot. A perfect coat for milder days, or with the right layers, for winter and evenings.

SHEARLING

Finally, probably one of the hottest and newer trends for coats right now is the shearing coat - it is everywhere.

We love layers and textures, but what’s great about the shearling, it’s not an overwhelming, bulky coat, like a parka is, but because of its lining, it’s as warm, if not warmer. At the same time, it’s suede-like exterior makes it a coat to fit many styles and needs.

Shearling coats can be dressed up or down. They are so hot right now, a must-have. There are an abundance of designer styles and choices available, so you can really explore the look for a great shearling coat that fits your personal style.