Daily Front Row

2010 September 27

Runway Reviews: Bottega Veneta, MaxMara, Jil Sander, Emilio Pucci

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Bottega Veneta Spring 2011
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(MILAN) BOTTEGA VENETA
"What does a woman want to wear every day?" This was the question Tomas Maier pondered when putting the final touches on his spring, along with, "Can something be both casual and ultra-sophisticated?" Of course, many designers ask themselves those questions, but Bottega Veneta always seems to answer them better. On a very rainy day, Maier sent girls down the runway with wet hair and lot of light attitude. Particularly strong were his opulent crocodile and energized metal chain leather jackets, as well as the intricate and nude laser-cut dresses. With mostly flats and cotton, this Bottega was essentially about the ease, looseness, and overall chic nonchalance. During a season overrun with neons and print, Maier's take was certainly masterfully refreshing.

MAXMARA
Urban minimalism was the loose theme of the MaxMara's spring that was mostly comprised of the masterfully tailored whites and pops of color blocks in yellow, fantastical red, and violet. We witnessed a strong variety of dedicated jackets, nautical stripes, and cleverly cut open backs. Pleasant surprises included the sleek sorbet hued evening and high-cut pants. This was certainly a right step for the brand that managed to present a collection with lots of sure-hit retail offerings.

JIL SANDER
To the haunting music of Psycho, Raf Simons’ spring parade commenced with a procession of tees and full neon skirt pairings. The collection wa s a very absorbing exploration of stripes, bold prints, pretty knits and above all, energizing color. Simons’ girls looked like deconstructed agents of postmodern galleries. It was refreshing to see Simons translate the brave, joyful palette of his men's collection into a very inspiring and optimistic women's showcase of unforgettable skirts and parkas.

EMILIO PUCCI
It's always fun to seen a Norwegian like Peter Dundas to pay tribute to the hot islands and Florentine maisons—and do it better than most hot-blooded designers could. For yet another season, Dundas scored another bang with his super light silks, gold heeled myth-inspired sandals, the hottest bikinis of the spring, and hot Cycladic-hued dresses. Dundas also reworked classic Pucci prints thanks to bleach, hand-dyeing, and some good-natured imagination. There was once again something energizing about Dundas' eager crochet numbers, bombastic runway soundtrack, and an excited Kylie Minogue in the front row. “There was just this lightness and sexiness to everything,” she raved. “You immediately want to pretty much own everything!”