Next up was Sportmax, where Caroline had two looks. The first was a boxy, bright blue coat, while her second was a glitzy gown paired over a turtleneck with long leather gloves, not unlike those previously seen at Jaeger London. I found look number two to be particularly interesting in its combination of colours and textures, as well as the convenience of it: the frock could be worn as shown, but just as easily fly solo for a fancy dinner party, or perhaps a red carpet event.
At Roberto Cavalli, The Brasch again walked twice. I have to admit that when it comes to Cavalli, I must retract my earlier statement about over doing detail. I DO think that the man needs a good lesson from Phoebe Philo, but at the same time, I love looking at his clothes. There's just so much there. Such an extreme amount of detail, from colours, prints and patterns, fabrics, textures... You could look at one outfit for a month and still see something new at each glance for weeks afterwards. His collections are like an adventure with little surprises at every turn. While I may only recommend the use of one piece of Cavalli per outfit in real life, I completely support the viewing of his collections as one would a piece of Renaissance art. I really loved the addition of armour-esque details in this collection; it's a trend that seems to be subtly working its way into a few collections this season, and it's being done quite well, I have to say.
Pucci has occasionally looked similar to Roberto Cavalli in recent years under Peter Dundas, but for Fall 2011, a more stately aesthetic was in order than the usual hippie/gypsy inspiration. Still present were the gorgeous prints for which the house is known, but th decadence was toned down a little bit, resulting in looks that still held the sex appeal and femininity of the label, but in a more mature way. There was also a transition in the focal point of the body that the clothes were meant to highlight from the scantily clad leg to the bust. This was done through the use of cutouts excellent for the presentation of the most spectacular cleavage, assuming you have the cahoonahs to create such mountains and fissures. Caroline had one look in the show, and I have to say that it was my favorite, no bias included. She was looking very suave; I loved the trilby, the print, the strong shoulders on the dress. I would probably love it even more without the tassels, but on second thought, if you were to find yourself bored at a party, they could make for a bit of entertainment with some twisting and shouting.
First up on Sunday was the Marni show. Caroline had a repeat performance from last season with two looks for the eccentric label, the first of which (like last season) included the donning of a pair of sunglasses (I wonder if Consuelo Castiglioni watched the First Face video from last season and noted the appreciation Caroline expressed? :P ). Marni itself has changed a little bit since last season. While still inherently quirky, this seems to have gone a little underground as Castiglioni favours a less abstract look for this season. Personally, I hope that this is not a habit that grows. Not that I disliked this collection, it was very wearable indeed. But Marni has always been a unique show in the fashion world, and I would hate for it's trademark oddball humour to be lost in search of greater commercial profits.
Next, at Missoni, Caroline took part in a show that had me thinking of not but candy floss. Well, there were other things too, but that was the first thing that came to mind. The heavy knits that we are used to seeing from the house were back in full force for fall, and they made their return in pastel shades of pink, orange, and yellow. For the most part, everything looked very somewhere-over-the rainbow soft and fluffy, but a bit of edge was added with snakeskin jackets (perfectos and full length) and moto boots. My favorite piece? The dual coloured python jacket sported by Colinne Michaelis... Brilliant.
At Dolce & Gabbana, The Brasch took a turn for the androgynous. She was not alone, as half the models in the show joined her, while the other group played at being more on the feminine side (I, for one, was surprised that Natasha Poly was in the more masculine of the two groups, but having seen it, I don't doubt the decision.). Personally, I thought Caroline was positively adorable with her musical bomber jacket and fedora. You're looking very Freja today, my dear...
The Salvatore Ferragamo show ended Caroline's weekend, where she had one look. This season, Giornetti brought back 80s power dressing. He also brought sexy back, in case you were wondering. The Salvatore Ferragamo woman of Fall 2011 works in an office, she's likely a CEO or manager of some sort, and when it comes to plummeting necklines, she has absolutely no inhibitions. Caroline had one of the tamer looks in the show, but have a look at the rest of the collection and you'll see what I mean. I highly doubt we'll be seeing Anna Wintour in any of these pieces (though, I wouldn't put it past Carine Roitfeld), but the label won't think much of it, because they're bound to have an expanded customer base after this one... Hellooooo Kitty.
Caroline's week in Milan ended on Monday with a two-look topper at Iceberg. Her first consisted of a slightly oversized sweater adorned with... Well, to be honest, I'm not sure what they are supposed to be. Flowers? Birds? I don't know, maybe they're butterflies. The second look was more straight forward, being a bronze toned, long sleeved gown with a neckline reminiscent of what we saw at Salvatore Ferragamo.
All in all, it was a successful week in Milan, which as always, turned out some great collections, many of which Caroline walked for. She opened one show (D&G) of the 17 she walked, and had no closings, certainly less than I was expecting, but I'm happy that she's getting booked for so many shows! With the addition of the 26 looks she had in Italy, The Brasch is now at a total of 82 looks, 5 opens, and 1 close for 53 shows. Who knows what Paris will bring...
Photos courtesy of vogue.it
