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International Herald Tribune

10 Wednesday, September 26, 2007 Fashion

Nilsson at Ferré
From Page 9

arrival at Ferré will be just in time, for the collection sent out
by the current team, filling in for this season, did not really
work. With its high-rise draped pants and floating dresses and
girly interpretations of Ferré’s noble white blouse, the show
was clearly an attempt to soften up the late designer’s signature
grand gestures.
But the effect was like taking solid architecture and rework-
ing it in putty. For fluid, read floppy. Add a play on fabrics that
endlessly spliced shiny and matte for dresses and pants, and
the effect was not as strong and clean as the silver sculptures in
the show’s museum setting.

BA LLY
Giovanni Aponte

MISSON I
Missoni’s sweet moment
From Page 9
The models with their smooth Gauguin hairstyles,
each caught with a flower, may have worn the soft
rivulets of color of a sunset in Tahiti, but the overall
effect was of womanly ease.
‘‘It’s a man’s world,’’ sang a series of artists from
James Brown to Joss Stone. But a modern show
‘‘wouldn’t be nothing’’ without a sharp take on
style. From the first exits, when a sleeveless vest,
rippling at the edge, or a kimono coat, its brief
sleeves revealing a ballooning blouse’s full sleeve,
Missoni caught that tipping point when a girl turns
into a woman. Hemlines were still short but dresses
were loosened, often with a square silhouette that
reinforced graphic pattern.
But the most lovely prints were new blooms for
Missoni — giant computer-manipulated flowers
with a suggestion of hibiscus, oleander and frangi-
pani. They were shown as float dresses in scarf
GIANFR ANCO FERRE silks, often in the long, draped toga styles that seem
to be a current trend. There was a hint of the 1970s
Hippie spirit
ippie super de luxe!’’
‘H claimed the Ba lly designer
Brian Atwood as he showed the
feather-light dresses in shades of
burnt umber with tile patterns
from Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace.
They were inspired by a photo-
graph of the French movie star
Vanessa Paradis as a sex kitten in
the early 1990s, exiting the Chat-
eau Marmont hotel in Los Angeles
BOTTEGA VENETA and looking like a Hollywood hip-
Photographs by Chris Moore/Karl Prouse
pie.
Atwood’s skill is with shoes, and
his designs were the product of im-
mersion in Bally’s Swiss archives.
(‘‘Going into a room with 15,000
pairs of shoes is like a candy
— Missoni’s glory years — in the mirror jewelry store,’’ he says.) Those inspirations
and even mirror embroidery set in skirts and rem- included gilded metallic edging on
iniscent of early Prada. But this was a sweet mo- platform soles; shiny metallic la-
ment for Angela Missoni, who put the brand back bels from the 1930s on soft, over-
on track. sized bags; and a rope theme that
Every fashion generation needs a leader and the twisted its way through both flat
influence of Nicolas Ghesquière, who had the su- sandals and seashore bags that
preme courage to shake up an iconic brand, is were as much Paradise Isle as
everywhere in Milan with shrunken blazers, i kat Pa radis.
prints, neckerchief scarves and the little flared Yet Atwood caught a spirit in
skirts above spindly legs and platform shoes. this 1970s/1990s vibe that looked
Veronica Etro picked up those trends but made distinctive and very young Holly-
them her own with the usual manic mix of prints, wood.
showing both the short and cute and more languor- ‘‘There is something effortless
ous long dresses. They might have roots in the about it,’’ said Atwood, referring to
1970s, but with Etro’s imaginative new computer- the attitude, not to the craftsman-
manipulated prints, they looked fresh. And there ship, that went into a seductive
were patchworks of knitted squares for brief dresses shoe travel bag lined with pink
that brought out the best of upbeat energy at Etro. suede or into the defining details
that are giving Bally a stylish up-
Suzy Menkes is fashion editor of the International grade. — Suzy Menkes
Herald Tribune. ETRO

Geisha girls Graffiti wear Casually chic

t was a ‘‘Memoirs of a Geisha’’
I moment at A lessandro
Del l’Acqua as the designer took
as motivation the underpinnings
of that most traditional way of
dressing. The collection,
however, was not a history les-
son.
In typical Dell’Acqua fashion,
the demure base was sexed up
though the use of translucent
nude fabrics, body-hugging cuts
and lingerie details. And truth
be told, the two aesthetics
worked incredibly well together.
The mélange of textiles, like
plastic-coated organza paired
with bands of Chantilly lace or
cherry blossom branches em-
broidered on tulle and used to
mute an electric blue skirt, com-
bined to create outfits that
looked both strong and delicate.
Obi belts in corset fabric and ki-
mono jackets with abstract com-
puter graphics also kept the col-
lection looking contemporary
instead of theatrical.
— Jessica Michault
A LESSANDRO
DELL’ACQUA
oschino took its playful spirit
M to the streets this season. In a
nod to the art of graffiti, smiley
faces were ‘‘sprayed’’ onto the
backs of high-waisted shorts and
on most of the show’s handbags.
Boxy jackets were ‘‘tagged’’ with
sprayed-on pockets and buttons
that dribbled down the front, and
short skirts were tricked out with
street-art portraits.
The Moschino Cheap and
Ch ic collection was almost exclus-
ively filled with full skirts and
ruffled dresses. When paired with
oversized tank tops covered in
paillettes, a sleeveless nylon wind-
breaker or a stripy T-shirt, the col-
lection had a sporty vibe.
While a form-fitting scuba dress
seemed out of place in the scheme
of things, the neoprene high-heeled
sandals and flats worked well. The
graffiti gimmick lost its way a bit at
the end of the show, when it came
out as sprayed-on polka dots on
bright fuchsia, lime green and yel-
low dresses. Constructed from a
nylon-silk organza blend, they un-
fortunately ended up looking more
MOSCHI NO like garbage can liners than mod-
CHEAP AND CHIC ern ball gowns. — Jessica Michault
striking trompe l’oeil ice blue
A coat with a deceptively worn,
‘‘well-loved’’ look opened the Tr us-
sardi show. It was sharp and modern
start to a collection of casually chic
cloth ing.
As the brand’s greyhound logo
came to life as long and sleek ac-
cessories, acting as counterbalances
to the loose and forgiving clothing, it
was clear that the house was moving
in a more youthful direction. Drop-
waisted suede and calfskin tunics in
warm tones were matched with wide
belts, and cropped leggings and
drop-shoulder, creamy leather coats
had a slouchy appeal. And a honey-
comb effect of perforated suede on
dresses and capes added a bit of tex-
ture to the collection.
Bags, as one would expect, were in
luxe materials like ostrich and
supple suede; one leather shoulder
bag, treated to look like burnished
wood, was a particular standout.
A year into her reign as head de-
signer for the house that bears her
last name, Gaia Trussardi seems
comfortable balancing the heritage
of the venerable brand with the
TRUSSAR DI needs of modern women.
— Jessica Michault

For the latest in virtual fashion, just add 3-D

By Eric Sylvers ‘‘Never say never,’’ said Mario ly with the room it would be possible to
Boselli, chairman of the chamber of substitute the fashion shows,’’ Fa rioli
MILAN commerce for the Italian fashion indus- said. ‘‘But there is still the human as-
he music blares as a line of try. ‘‘That said, while this 3-D room pect, which is particularly important in

T models, showing off the latest

fashions, strut up and down
the catwalk.
Suddenly, an image of the leather
purse that one of the models is carrying
comes into focus right in front of a
guest’s eyes, almost close enough to
touch, and the smell of the designer’s
new perfume wafts through the air. The
10 viewers in the darkened For room
shift a bit in their chairs and some adjust
the 3-D glasses resting on their noses.
This could almost be one of the
dozens of fashion shows taking place
this season in New York, Milan or Paris,
but there actually are no models and no
catwa lk.
This is IBM’s new 3-D multisensory
facility — essentially a dimly lit room
with black walls, a three-dimensional
projector, a screen and foldable 3-D
glasses. The company says that, one
day, the setup could make the dash from
one fashion capital to another obsolete.
The room, which had its first public
demonstration in March, will be built on
demand at a cost of as much as ¤150,000,
about $200,000, depending on a buyer’s
specifications — or about the price of
staging one fashion show in Milan.
While the room is not mobile, it can, with
some effort, be dismantled and moved.
IBM, which developed the room at its
research center here, hopes to make its
Guests watching a fashion show that isn’t really there — thanks to IBM’s prototype of a multisensory room and its 3-D images.
first sales by October. Among the po-
tential markets are the medical field —
which could use the room for remote
teaching, 3-D ultrasounds and organ
examinations — architects and indus-
trial designers.
But IBM says large department
stores seeking a leg up on their compe-
tition are the most likely to use the
room first.
‘‘Keeping people to stop in a shop or
department store is often a challenge,’’
said Maria Cristina Farioli, IBM’s di-
rector of marketing for Italy. ‘‘The
multisensory room gets the client to
stop and involves them, but it is also
sends out a message, more or less sub-
liminal, to buy a certain product.’’ Fa ri-
Courtesy of IBM
oli said IBM had had talks with a retail-
er in Saudi Arabia and two hospitals.
The likelihood that the room might
actually replace fashion shows is re-
mote, but in a world in which custom-
er-service calls from New York or Lon-
don are answered in India, industry
insiders will not exclude the possibil-
ity.
could be useful to the industry as a
technical instrument to have simula-
tions for buyers, I don’t think it can be a
substitute for the fashion shows.
‘‘The emotions that the fashion
shows elicit cannot be substituted. We
tried to have more static events during
fashion week, rather than the fashion
shows and there was so little interest
that we stopped trying. People want the
fashion shows.’’
Robert Triefus, executive vice presi-
dent of communications at Armani, has
not experienced the multisensory
room, but he had a similar reaction to
the idea that it could replace live shows.
‘‘For a long time,’’ he said, ‘‘there has
been a general discussion about the
value and tradition of fashion shows, so
it’s not surprising that a company like
IBM is exploring the possibilities that
new technology open up. But nothing
has yet been developed that can replace
the fashion shows.’’
He added: ‘‘Seeing is believing for the
buyer from a big department store and
there is nothing like sitting there in the
front row of a fashion show and seeing
the fabric.’’ He noted that the events
usually ‘‘are part of a general trade fair,
with showrooms and lots of other
things going on at the same time that
are important for the industry.’’
Even IBM has its doubts. ‘‘Technica l-
the fashion industry, and then there is
the touching of the fabric, something
that is still very important.’’
If you use a bit of imagination during
a 10-minute session in the multisensory
room, the effect is not much different
from a real fashion show. The models
seem to be there in the room and the
music is loud enough to replicate the
show experience — but if you sneak a
peek to the left or right it becomes clear
that you are almost alone and the entire
effect is muted.
IBM now has a prototype room set up
at its Milan headquarters near the re-
search center and is considering the
possibility of renting it out.
That would allow fashion buyers to
come to the city at their convenience
rather than having to be present during
fashion week or let smaller designers
who cannot not afford to stage multiple
shows to record one show and have it
projected at any time.
While replacing the traditional fash-
ion show would save companies’ time
and money, it might have unexpected
consequences that could damage the
industry, Boselli said.
‘‘The emotional rush of the fashion
shows feeds the creativity of the design-
ers,’’ he said. ‘‘The designers live for that
rush and if you take it away you take
away a good part of what they live for.’’