Dolce & Gabbana

Dolce & Gabbana cast a spell of luxury over their latest menswear collection, adorning every outfit – even humble underwear – with opulent gold embroidery. Set in a make-believe opera house complete with chandeliers, sumptuous red velvet upholstery, and famous Verdi arias sung by the late Luciano Pavarotti, the extravagant menswear collection was a perfect antidote to the current crisis gloom. Somewhere between Dorian Gray and the Gattopardo’s Sicilian prince, the winter 2013 collection by the designing wizards Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, is an ode to noble dressing from the fur-trimmed evening coats and capes, to the gold brocade jackets, to the gold embroidered breeches. Never forgetting their penchant for sportswear, the designing duo decorated distressed fabric with gilded fringes and lavish embroidery to create a dandy/grunge effect. The gilded grandpa wooly underwear also fit into the latter category. “In order to sell well today, a collection has to have the whiff of an old-fashioned trunk,” Stefano Gabbana said chatting with reporters before the show. For their curtain call, the duo sent out 70 models dressed in every imaginable cut of yesteryear’s elegant overcoat – all in “de rigeur” black.

Burberry

Ah, the life of a Burberry gentleman, toing and froing from town and country and back again, with just the right look for whatever the moment. The tailored suit and heritage trench are at the heart of the Burberry Prorsum collection for next fall and winter. So is the umbrella, which features duck and hound animal head handles. “I wanted the attitude to be polite. I wanted it to feel charming,” Burberry’s chief creative officer Christopher Bailey said backstage after the show. In the city, a tailored gray suit with black polka-dotted tie is topped with herringbone patterned tweed cap and a classic Burberry trench thrown over the shoulders. Besides the ubiquitous umbrella, the city persona carries a leather patchwork document case. In the country, the suit – fabrics ranging from corduroy to velvet – may be worn with a quilted and cropped bomber jacket or an oversized down-filled car coat. Perhaps inspired buy the English hunt, Bailey incorporates into some garments images of foxes, big, here’s-looking-at-you shrewd fox. “I think it is important to smile. I think that is what fashion is also about, making you think and making you smile. You don’t always have to be serious,” Bailey said.

Zenga

Ermenegildo Zegna is layering up for next fall and winter with menswear looks to cozy up against the winter chill. The collection featured slim plaid, checked or houndstooth suits under ample shearling jackets or capes styled for men. Suits are worn with shirts layered underneath with a turtle neck – or, when not, with chunky textured ties. The colors were warm – camel, sandy browns and midnight blue, playfully evoking the desert in a cold weather collection that also featured winter white – while the tactile, layered look was calibrated for warmth against the elements, suggested at the opening of the show by the crackle of a fire against a whipping winter wind soundtrack. Zegna states that his man is looking for a break from the global financial turmoil – but keeps his Blackberry handy in case opportunity beckons. Luggage is ready for a quick getaway, including carry-ons clad in plaid; large, flat messenger bags in fine leather, and ample duffels. The prime destination is clearly the mountains, where polished combat boots will protect against the chill while fringed moccasins await for the fireside. After a day in the elements, apres-ski evening wear is relaxed. Tuxedos are silky and quilted – quite the opposite of the stiff and formal image they normally evoke. A dark robe coat of a brushed alpalca called Spazzolino billows luxuriously over a white tuxedo shirt. It’s a collection that allows each man to find his own comfort level, even considering whether or not to shave: Zegna made beards a fashion option, from full on to a few days’ growth to stubble. Clean shaven, of course, is always in style.

Jil Sander

A grass green pullover, a similar style in tobacco brown and a series of collars embroidered with naif animal designs, were the only bright lights in the otherwise total black Jil Sander menswear collection for the winter of 2013. Pale-faced models walked one-by-one through a stage door onto a dimly lit runway in black coats, black jackets, black trousers, black gloves and classic black laced shoes during the presentation of Belgian designer Raf Simons, latest collection for the label known for its minimalist style. This round, more than minimalist, the collection is monochromatic and at times monotonous. The predominant look is tailored, with leather the favorite material. Jackets tend to fit close to the body, while trousers are super wide and cuffed. As in other shows seen on opening day of the four-day preview showings for next year’s chilly season, double-breasted styles make a come back in a season that promises to dwell on the safe past rather than the rocky present. Focal point of the revisited look is an extra long, black leather trench coat belted at the waist. Paired with the omnipresent black leather trousers, gloves and classic lace-ups, it lends a vaguely cloak-and-dagger feel to the entire collection. “Great, if you’re into serial-killer fashion,” one fashionista was overheard commenting after the show.

Costume National

Costume National has devised a novel system for hanging onto winter coats after stepping out of the cold and into a warm public place. Sewn inside coats in next winter’s collection are straps, call them suspenders, that can be used to hang a coat on your back, like a backpack, when not needed for warmth. Hands are free to shop, sip coffee, gaze at artwork, whatever has brought you indoors. Designer Ennio Capasa’s seemingly simple solution to an age-old wintertime dilemma was featured in Costume National’s menswear preview for next fall and winter. Capasa’s experiments with coats only started with the backside-suspension coat. He also combined bombers with trench coats, and knitwear with tuxedo jackets, so seamlessly that the view from the back suggested a garment completely different than the one seen from the front. The color scheme was mostly dark or winter white, with accents of teal and green. Knitwear was mostly fine, and not chunky, and Costume National also favored layered turtlenecks and shirts, a look popping up in this round of previews. The collection was set off by heavy-soled boots and shoes, with bold silver accents.

1. Prints and more prints

Spring goes bigger and brighter this year, and totally tropical. Who cares if the leopards and reptiles have gone into hiding? We still have plenty to choose from — birds, zebras, food, florals, digital images, ornamental designs, futuristic prints… you get the idea. To keep things in this day and age, the more conservative fashionista may opt to pair a loud printed blazer with a simple black top and pants. But we say, embrace the trend that was the big pattern story of the runways — sashay down town in vibrant, swirling, head-to-toe patterns and you’re bound to turn heads.

2. Geometric colour-blocking

It’s no secret that color-blocking has been trending for a while now. Likely one of the most exciting styles yet again this Spring, the latest version brings back the art world’s twentieth-century geometric abstraction movement. Play it up with two-tones, V-shapes, metallics and bling, you know it’s never too late to join in the fun.

3. Sweet tangerines and pretty pinks

If wild hues and sophisticated prints just aren’t your thing, fret not — we have your back (and front) covered. From sorbet shades to pastel hues and super sweet peaches to pretty pinks, this spring gives off a sense of airiness with its range of muted tones. Pick a prim skirt suit or a girly dress with lace and ruffles; look low-key, ladylike and lovely all at once. 14 February or not, love is in the air.

And if you haven’t heard, colour forecasters have a new squeeze for 2012 — a radiant red-orange aka Tangerine Tango. Invest in any LOD (Little Orange Dress) and hey, you’re all set for CNY!

4. The Peplum

The statement skirt steals the spotlight again. Continuing as a trend from last season, the new peplum — introduced in a smaller and sleeker version this Spring — saw its exaggerated flounce reduced to a light ruffle around the waist. Whether worked into a classic shell top, pencil skirt or sheath dress, the touch of volume on chic, wearable silhouettes accentuates curves and adds interest to a piece instantly. And why not? We get to ditch the belt too.

For a different look, modernise the ’20s style by opting for a drop waist silhouette.

5. Sports star

From jersey sweats to metallics and silks, the sporty vibe has been elevated to sophisticated places. This season’s athletic style doubles up as smart wear with its pieces more tailored and refined. Key items to keep? Bodycon dresses, luxurious hooded sweatshirts and track-style bottoms with heels or booties. Pair sporty signatures together to create fresh, new combinations, then off you go.

My favourite designer Stella McCartney also picked up an award for Red Carpet Dresser of the Year, but the ultimate award of the night – Designer of the Year – went to Alexander McQueen’s Sarah Burton who sent the label stratospheric this year after designing THAT wedding dress for Kate Middleton. While we’re on the subject of Great British brands, there’s good news for Brits living in Paris as M&S has just reopened in the French capital. After closing its store there 10 years ago, there were protest marches on the streets! I was living in Paris at the time and felt like joining in.

And more good news on the shop front – after the 24-hour sell-out success of Versace’s debut range for H&M, Donatella has said she’s already busy designing a follow-up range that will go online on January 19. Finally, it’s time to wear the trousers – leather ones, to be precise. Make like Alexa Chung and keep them skinny-legged. If you’re a little self-conscious or tired of breathing in, team them with a boyfriend sweater or jacket. Just be sure to wear with a heel or ankle boots, not flats.

The 23-year-old singer, who has appeared in advertisements and even a video for the Milan-based brand, is now apparently trying her hand at fashion design. The association with Armani represents yet another fusion between showbiz and fashion design. Some Hollywood celebrities have modeled for designers (Dakota Fanning for Marc Jacobs) and others have simply worn their clothes on the red carpet. And a few have actually lent their high-profile names as putative designers.

For Armani’s secondary collections — Emporio Armani Underwear and Armani Jeans — the sultry performer has created two styles of jeans, two T-shirts and underwear. This is not the first time fashion labels have sought celebrity participation in the design process. In recent memory Sarah Jessica Parker has designed a collection for Halston. And — to disastrous results — in 2009 Lindsay Lohan designed a complete collection for Paris-based label Ungaro. It was unanimously dismissed by critics as an artistic flop.

Celebrities including Jessica Simpson, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, and Kanye West all design collections under their own names. Rihanna, to her credit, has started small — skinny jeans, T-shirts and casual underwear — a far cry from the sultry fishnets and jewel-encrusted bras she’s worn on stage. The collection also includes a black biker jacket and a canvas bucket bag.

One T-shirt features an illustration of the singer’s high-profile face on a mottled animal print background. Another is emblazoned with the newly fashioned Rihanna/Emporio logo. Since July Rihanna has been the face of the two collections, appearing in advertisements in tight jeans, a cropped sweater, biker boots and short, blond hair. There’s even an Armani video of Rihanna shot in film-noire style in which she strips out of a sultry cocktail dress into casual jeans. Before attaching his brand to Rihanna, Armani recruited actress Megan Fox of Transformers to promote his Emporio brand, though she didn’t assume design duties. The collection is scheduled to be released in stores later this month.

Actress Blake Lively poses at the Versace for H&M Fashion Show and Party at Pier 57 on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011 in New York. (AP Photo/Starpix, Dave Allocca)

The clothes that debuted Tuesday night on the catwalk lived up to the hype surrounding the limited-edition collection as well as Versace’s own glitzy standards: There was a metallic disco dress, a studded leather bomber jacket and an animal-print-meets-tropical-sunset tank dress for women; and a hot-pink suit, studded tuxedo-style shorts and a palm-tree, second-skirt T-shirt for men.

The runway at the huge and historic Pier 57 in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District attracted a crowd that included Blake Lively, Uma Thurman and Jessica Alba. Nicki Minaj and Prince took their front row seats just before the show started, and then emerged on stage at the after-party that recreated a Miami nightclub. Minaj did swap the green feather fascinator she wore to the show for a crystal-covered trucker hat when it came time to perform.

Swedish fashion chain Hennes & Mauritz AB has partnered with big names before, including Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney and Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz, and Target Corp.’s joint line with the Italian knitwear brand Missoni earlier this fall caused a frenzy, causing its website to crash the first day items were offered. None had a launch quite like this, though.

Versace said in a backstage interview that she thinks it’s this sort of production, coupled with clothes embellished with sequins, studs, leather and lace, that will serve as the antidote for the struggling economy. “It was done totally wrong the last time the economy failed,” she said. “Everyone said, `Let’s do safe clothes of a good quality that people will invest in and wear year after year.’ That couldn’t be more wrong. The companies that survived the most were the ones that were recognizable, that stuck to their DNA, and our DNA is glamour.”

She added: “This is a very joyful collection.” Tropical floral patterns were splashed on tight leggings and tunic tops, and heart-print dresses were covered with beaded fringe. Many models wore hot-pink strappy sandals and carried printed handbags with the South Beach motif and Versace’s Medusa logo.

Many of the styles were updated (and, with top prices of $299, less expensive) interpretations of signature looks of the house as it was first designed by the late Gianni Versace and for the last 14 years by his sister Donatella. “I really wanted iconic moments of Versace,” she said. There even was a black dress with gold hardware reminiscent of the label’s safety-pin gown made famous by Elizabeth Hurley.

Versace said she thinks these head-turning styles are the right introduction to the next-generation shoppers — the ones who know how to mix top-tier designer labels with inexpensive trendy pieces.

“Young people like to dress up and look cool.” Versace said.

With 20-somethings as children, Versace said she has done her fair share of shopping with them at stores such as H&M. “I know this customer. I know what they want. They follow music, fashion. For the new generation, it’s all pop culture.”

She pays attention to it, too, she said, and she mines it for inspiration. “Creativity comes from quantity and quality of information. I want to know everything: politics, music, movies. Only this way can you come up with each new collection.”

Hordes of passersby in the Omotesando and Aoyama shopping districts clustered outside each store Wintour entered. They strained their necks to try and catch a glimpse of her. They called out her name and even followed her down the street when she and her daughter, Bee Shaffer, decided to walk between stores they visited, which included Louis Vuitton, Tod’s, Burberry, Michael Kors, Rag & Bone and Marc Jacobs. In what was undoubtedly one of the key photo ops of the day, partygoers gathered to watch her pound rice cake paste with a giant wooden hammer at Theory.

The frenzy surrounding Wintour’s visit caught some observers off guard, given the Japanese people’s reputation for quiet reserve. “I’m surprised. I thought of all places, Japan would be slightly immune to that,” said Marcus Wainwright of Rag & Bone, just a few minutes after Wintour and Shaffer toured the brand’s quaint store in Omotesando as partygoers looked on as they sipped Asahi beer and ate cotton candy.

Wintour, speaking Friday on the eve of FNO after spending the morning signing autographs at Isetan with fellow Vogue editors Franca Sozzani, Emmanuelle Alt and Alexandra Shulman, expressed a desire to interact with as many people here as possible during her stay, her first visit to the country in 20 years.

“What I really enjoy is meeting the Japanese people. It’s very moving to see how much it means to them for all of us to be here.…It’s great that the designers are here but, you know, I see a lot of Michael and Rag & Bone in New York so really for me the most important thing is to meet as many of the Japanese customers as I possibly can,” she said.

Japan’s supersized FNO festivities kicked off Friday night with Vogue’s opening cocktail and gala dinner at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo. Wintour and Vogue’s international editors in chief started the evening by assembling for a rare “family portrait” shot by Frederic Aranda. The Vogue brigade then joined the party to mingle with a host of designers, fashion executives and other VIPs, all of whom made their entrance by descending a staircase and walking over a dramatic transparent platform covering scores of white lilies. Anna Dello Russo, editor at large for Vogue Japan, cut a dramatic figure in a floor-sweeping pale blue Nina Ricci gown and feathered hairpiece. Peter Copping, the house’s artistic director, accompanied her into the party by chance since they arrived at the same time. “There was quite a lot of stairs for her to maneuver, so I was there to help her. So it was almost like the service that comes with the dress,” Copping said with a laugh.

At dinner, Jonathan Newhouse, the chairman of Condé Nast International and the architect of the event, gave an emotional speech touching on the tragedy of the March 11 tsunami and the importance of the Japanese market to the fashion and luxury goods industries. He broke into song at one point, singing several bars of “Ue o Muite Aruko” — best known in the English-speaking world as “Sukiyaki” — a poignant song of love and loss.

“I thought, what if we could get all of the editors to come; that would make a very powerful statement,” Newhouse said on the sidelines of the event. “When there’s trouble, it’s not enough to send a sympathy card…in a way we’re the only ones that can do this,” he said.

Wintour, referencing the Newhouse family’s $1 million donation made immediately after the quake, also stressed the importance of coming together to support Japan.

“It’s not usual for 17 editors in chiefs of the different Vogues to be doing something like this, so I think it’s really a testament to Jonathan’s initiative and forward thinking and philanthropic endeavors that we’re all here,” she said.

During her time here, Wintour also took time to meet with Japanese designers, including Sacai’s Chitose Abe and a handful who show in Tokyo.

Gwen Stefani and hubby Gavin Rossdale are the parents of two sons, Zuma and Kingston, who regularly appear in the gossip mags for their kiddie sense of style. Hey, no surprise there, celebs are known for using their kids as their favorite accessories!

While little is known about what the Haus of Gaga have up their sleeve for this latest film, the clapper board does reveal some hints. The date on the board is 09.20.2011, perhaps a hint as to when Gaga, Formichetti, and Inez and Vinoodh shot the video. This isn’t the first time Gaga and Mugler have collaborated in this way. Besides the fact that Formichetti is her stylist, she’s also given fans brand-new music at his shows. In January, she debuted a remix of her Born This Way track “Scheiße” at a Mugler fashion show. Then in March, Gaga not only walked in a Mugler show, she also debuted her song “Government Hooker” during the same show.

Experts agree that the Mugler/Gaga relationship is one of the best in the business. “Gaga working with people like Nicola Formichetti has allowed designers like him and like the late Alexander McQueen to step out of the world of high fashion, which is often perceived of as elite, and become part of the mainstream music landscape as she’s used high fashion to build her own personal musical narrative,” MTV Buzzworthy blog editor Tamar Anitai said.

MTV Style blog editor Mary H.K. Choi calls their work together “a pop culture moment. … I think we can all agree that Lady Gaga’s relationship with Nicola Formichetti has been entirely synergistic,” she said. “When she walked the Mugler runway in Paris last season, not only did she model with aplomb, but her debut of ‘Government Hooker’ galvanized the show as a pop culture moment. The clothing was beautiful, granted, very much the sexy, bombastic Mugler aesthetic of the ’80s and early ’90s, but the confluence of Gaga, her music and Formichetti — all streamed live on Facebook — made the collection a must-see event.”

“So pretty, I want to wear it all, I will wear it all,” former “Baywatch” star Pamela Anderson said backstage as she tried to get close to Westwood. The clothes, for Westwood’s spring and summer 2012 Red Label collection, came from the last 20 years of her formidable archives, but the presentation was ultramodern thanks to the spectacular hair pieces worn by some of the models. Many hairpieces were tinted gold and white, while other models had their real hair piled eight to ten inches above their head, as if it was a unicorn’s horn pointing straight up.

The models wore brightly colored makeup, include aqua-blue around the eyes, and some looked like burnished pieces of art as they strutted down the uneven stones at Smithfield Market, a venerable meat market that counts its history in centuries — it was a livestock market 800 years ago. Only Westwood, with her roots in the punk movement, could stage a fashion show in the country’s best known meat market without apologizing. Still, she seemed more interested in environmental issues than in fashion, using the show as a platform to tout a plan for saving the planet’s rain forests from destruction.

“I use my fashion as an excuse always to talk about things on my political and cultural agenda,” she said before the show began. “Fashion gave me a voice, it gave me credibility. People think I can do such and such so they are willing to listen to me, and that’s really good.” Westwood said she is now working with a team of experts on a low-cost plan to save three of the world’s principal rain forests from destruction by working with indigenous peoples. The plan will soon be announced and detailed, she said, and should be far less expensive that more conventional initiatives.

Westwood seemed unusually relaxed as her talented makeup and hair team created fanciful looks for the models, who had to risk their sky-high heels — and their balance — walking on a slightly uneven stone surface instead of a smooth catwalk.

She said her Red Label represents her low-cost line, not her experimental work.

“It’s designed to make women look sexy,” she said. “Fashion is there to help.”

The designer, for four decades at the forefront of English fashion, downplayed her creative work and said she would advise young people drawn to a career in fashion to consider something more interesting instead. The outspoken Westwood softened earlier criticism of Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, conceding that the youthful royal had “looked quite good” in several of her recent appearances. Six months ago, she said Middleton wasn’t very with it in a fashion sense and needed to take more risks.

But Westwood offered Middleton some instruction: recycle, recycle, recycle.

“My advice to her is to wear the same thing over and over and over,” said Westwood, who has decried the practice of wearing an outfit only once as wasteful of resources. She said Middleton should use her high profile to change the perception that there is something wrong with wearing an outfit more than once. ”I’m a big supporter of the royal family, and she is quite a good ambassador,” said Westwood, who has in the past allied herself with Prince Charles in support of his environmental initiatives. Westwood’s show drew a number of celebrities, including artist Tracey Emin, who joined the crowds backstage to toast the designer. ”Even if I’m wearing shorts and Birkenstocks. I wear Vivienne every day because I always wear the perfume,” Emin said.

According to WWD, Kris and Bruce Jenner’s youngest child will make her runway debut during New York City Fashion Week Monday at the Abbey Dawn by Avril Lavigne show, where she will take three turns on the catwalk inside the Metropolitan Pavilion.

Sister Kendall may be the modeling maven of the family, but this isn’t the first time Kylie has stepped in front of the camera for fashion: the tween starred in a series of TV ads for Sears last year.

Considering the family connection to Lavigne — Kylie’s half-brother Brody Jenner is the designer’s current beau — we wouldn’t be surprised to see a few famous faces lining the front row come Monday, cheering for their favorite fashionista. Tell us: Are you excited to see Jenner walk the runway?