Welcome to the Pendant and Ring Fashion Review part 2! In part one we covered the Givenchy, Prada, and Fendi Fall Winter 2021-2022 shows. We highlighted their similarities and differences as we will today for Off-White, Maryling, and Gucci.
Off-White’s show took cues from retro-futurism, gaining inspiration from early Star Trek mini-dresses in solid primary and secondary colors with shiny go-go boots to match. Add a dash of Donnie Darko and you can feel the vibes of a not quite cheerful, but not entirely dystopian future in the Off-White vision.
The clothes included a lot of leather in trademark neutral shades or dyed in pigment rich turquoise or vermilion. The men wore lose fitting trousers, walking the palazzo line in silky smooth – but not shiny fabric. The women wore pencil skirts, straight legged pants, and a few a-symmetrical cuts. The a-symmetrical cuts were not smooth though, instead they jumped from one length to another like so many strips waving at the end of an old flag. Alternately, dagged cuts overlapped to create the illusion of a single a-symmetrical slide.
Maryling favored T-length dresses and straight-legged capri pants in black, white, tan and warm patterns. The show moved between very feminine cuts and more gender-neutral attire, including a short-set and blazer combination reminiscent of young boys’ school uniforms. Leather slouch boots of every kind graced the catwalk in all the warm colors of fall. Layered, oversized sweaters and jackets with simple construction, and hemlines that fell to the upper thigh were paired with trousers, just short enough to show some skin before the mid-calf boots began.
The simplicity of the show in a bare concrete room with a large video wall felt intentionally casual. Colorful abstractions played behind the models in complimentary clothing like a gathering of friends about to eat pizza in someones parents’ basement. The music, however, did nothing to flatter. It almost turned a comfortable basement into a fallout shelter. If you are going to watch the Maryling show (embedded below) feel free to mute the droning.
Saving the best for last, we have Gucci’s 100th Anniversary Fashion Show. Visually stunning, the Gucci show is a treat. The show takes the viewer to futures past; from an urban night club through a corridor of cameras and flashbulbs with models in velvet bell bottom suits, oversized nearly zuitsuit, or judge-like/ capes with divine brooches and feathers, riding boots, leather riding accessories, crops, and occasional rhinestone studded whips. After the cameras, they move on to an after party where models mingle in the dark occasionally lit by flash bulb. Finally the angel-on-set, in lace and feathers opens the double doors and behold, they move to a Romanesque garden complete with albino peacocks and white horses.
The clothes are warm white, pale rose, and creme, or rich fall hues of tan, brown, burgundy, orange, rust, and the famous Gucci logo print. Occasional yellow-greens and green-blues balance the heavy the shades. The lighter colors pop in the garden where levity overtakes the models who become weightless aerial acrobatics falling in love. The suits come in velvet, and double-knit, balancing perfectly between form fitting and lose, on all models and boot-cut to bell-bottomed at the hem which hangs just above the ground. For shoes we see the riding boots on almost everyone and then kitten heals for those in lace and those wearing an abundance of feathers.
As for jewelry, there is a plethora of silver and gold, some stones, but mostly not. The necklace chains are thick and plentiful. The charms are numerous, even on one chain. Rings on all the fingers, and nose rings too. The belts are traditional G-belts and anywhere they could think to embellish an outfit with something closely resembling shiny silver horse tack, they did. Check out the show for yourself.
As far as I am concerned Gucci wins the Fall Winter 2021 / 2022 Fashion Show Review! Alessandro Michele was over the top, delightfully so, with idea and execution. I hope you enjoyed the shows here and in Part 1! Join us next week on Pendant and Ring.
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