Welcome to the second instalment of our Fall Winter 2019 2020, Fashion Review. To see the first instalment click here.
After exploring what Off-White, Balenciaga, Valentino, Fendi, Prada and Hermes have to offer, it seems we are in for a cozy season wrapped in capes, sheers, shimmers, and lace.
As stated in the first instalment, black is back. Each show included a great deal of black as an accent, and in all but Fendi and Hermes, as a main clothing color. Fendi and Hermes favored dark patterned fabric combinations instead of black monochromatic sets. Sheer and lace items accentuated every runway and stole the show in the Prada lineup where lace capes paired with combat boots provides a fresh look for the powerful feminine vibe.
In every show, almost every dress had actual functional pockets. Many models used the pockets to hold floor-length hemlines just high enough to walk. The excess fabric and voluminous ruffles Valentino used caused more than one stumble but looked luxurious in the greenhouse settings. By far the brightest of the shows, Valentino embraced the soft colors of the garden mixing shades from the 1960’s with tailoring from the ruffles and shoulder pads of the 1980’s. Agnes Moorehead’s character Endora (from the late sixties television show Bewitched) would have approved of Fendi’s and Valentino’s colorful and flowing designs.
Hermes’ show was similar in tone to Ralph Rucci’s. Both designers embraced browns and warm rouge colors. Hermes liked creams, tans, rust and something along the lines of dark tangerine. Staying in the orange-brown family made his pieces muted and reminiscent of fall. The patterns on the runway included stripes from Hermes, twill from Prada, marbling from Fendi, extra large florals from Valentino, checker-board and large plaids from Balanciaga, and grids and denim from Off-White.
Every show had a sparkle of silver: Prada paired silver and blue (3:56) and walked in silver shoes (5:24, 5:58), Hermes wove with silver sheen (2:28), Valentino rocked a silver statement collar (6:50), Off-White sported a silver jacket and shoes (1:39), and Balenciaga strutted in silver lame trousers (16:04). Even Fendi, who adhered religiously to gold hoop earrings, belt buckles and purse chains could not prevent the luster of silver sheen in the sparkle of perfect plum fabric (5:52), nor shining silver trim (7:56) on a sheer dress ensemble. Fendi even provided silver-gray wigs for some of the models.
As with the previous shows, these had many variations of sheer and satin fabrics. Monochromatic outfits with fur, feather, and sheer accents glided down the runways. Asian-inspired details, turtlenecks, mock-turtlenecks, shades of blue from navy to baby blue, and soft rich fabrics like chenille invite us to indulge in some hygge time this fall.
Our two favorite trends for the upcoming season are pockets and turtlenecks. I’m not a lover of clutches so it’s nice to see some functionality in the wardrobe planning this winter. Thank you fashion designers for incorporating pockets into evening wear!! And turtlenecks? Yes please! Wrap me up in a dark tangerine turtleneck, a pair of light denim bell bottoms, a pretty silver coin pendant, big silver hoops, a sleek leather jacket with a pair of black booties and I’m ready to go anywhere!
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Pendant and Ring 