MODERN NOMADS

The dust has settled on Milan fashion week. I didn’t have specific expectations but never imagined that the only noteworthy show would turn out to be Missoni!
With its formidable knitwear heritage and the brand’s deeply traditional roots and formula, it was great to see Missoni following a new modern path. This was a crucial collection representing a new language for the company, a clear turning point in its history. The signature patterns continue to reverberate in most of the pieces but there is a new sense of freedom, as if all the undesirable restrictions of the past have been eradicated and replaced by a more quirky edginess woven through the colour palette, exceptional styling and multi-layered elements. I found the entire collection surprisingly accomplished. I loved the leg warmers, leggings, cropped mohair cardigans, long chunky cardigans, the almost floor length scarves, the hooded scarves and cardigan scarves all knitwear focused in various weaves and weights. And the layers, lots of layers! Missoni’s statement with its injection of craftsmanship is enchanting and irresistible. The models looked like contemporary city tuaregs and nomads, reflecting the influence of a complicated tapestry of people and cultures. The outfits were evocative of the regal, formidable desert warriors and nomadic life. The richly sophisticated designs in cool blues, a variety of grey, muted beige, and taupe offer innumerable possibilities as desirable separated pieces, all fluid and highly adaptable. I saw this collection as a triumphant success marked by creativity, individuality and confidence. Missoni has forced out all my old prejudices with its newly acquired unconventional panache! Masterful.

By the way, am I the only one who felt disappointed by Balenciaga’s latest collection? And Balmain was a grotesque regurgitation of previous pieces, only more 80s, more disco and more euro-trash accessorized by “Scream” era Michael Jackson boots!

All pictures: Style.com and cultprairie.livejournal.com