Rugged/ladylike wool suits; wrinkled socks; craquelure leather aviator jackets; horn rimmed glasses; fur stoles worn in the crook of the arms—and all on an incredible cast which embraced womanhood. Plus: Miuccia Prada brought to life every Neo Realist and kitchen sink drama fantasy of mine. (If you even as much as hint at A Taste of Honey you’ve got me.)—Mark Holgate, Global Network Lead & US Fashion Features Director
I was back in New York by the time that Anthony Vaccarello sent those rich, rich colors—fuchsia, amber, lapis, indigo, vermilion, olive, and then leopard—down his marbled runway, but it had all the same effect from afar. Mark Holgate noted in his review that there was a vulnerability in the collection’s simplicity, which I guess goes to prove Brene Brown’s theory about the source of true power.—Mark Guiducci, Creative Editorial Director
Watching a show that you’ve spent years reviewing for Vogue Runway but which has been reassigned can stir relief or regret. Not gonna lie, I was touched by regret watching this bravura Dilara show. Because I wanted to hear her this season recipe for the feminocentric ferocity that stirred a collection full of boundary busting and ball-breaking heroines. Plus it was classic Dilara but also new Dilara: the angrily shaggy hair explosions and the closing leather tattoo look, where had those come from? And yet it was also something of a relief to be able to soak up this show (not quite her finest, but in her top three, for sure) without typing the notes that form the disjointed trail of crumbs that eventually leads to a finished review; instead it felt a fresh pleasure to passively watch her work, and be transfixed.—Luke Leitch, Vogue Runway Contributor
What makes a show memorable? The formula varies, but it often hinges on an elusive mix of showmanship and strong design. It jolts your pulse, sharpens your focus, and leaves your head spinning—much like downing a double espresso on an empty stomach. As I scroll through the countless fashion shows crammed into my overcrowded headspace, this season’s Marni emerged as a standout moment that had me on the edge of my seat.
I’ve been following Francesco Risso’s journey since he took the helm at Marni, and he has consistently proven to be both an entertaining raconteur and a designer who balances edge and poetry—with a dash of fearless, bonkers, almost Dada energy thrown into his repertoire for good measure. His work isn’t just visually compelling, it’s also an intuitive reflection of the cultural pulse, woven into a radically whimsical practice that sets him apart from most designers.
This season, in a Marni-fied cabaret with live music by Dev Hynes, Risso brought both theatrics and substance—constructivist tailoring with curved-back jackets worn over dervish-swirling skirts; entrance-making opera coats with flowers unfurling on shoulders; a red sharp pantsuit with a black sequined wolf climbing around it. A decadent lineup of ’20s and ’30s-inflected evening dresses was crafted in patch-worked satin, their luscious mermaid silhouettes and trailing trains trimmed with feathers, in a riot of dense, strident chromatic adjacencies. They had a cinematic swagger, and looked fabulous. I was instantly hooked—my fashion senses hit by the jolt of that Italian double espresso.—Tiziana Cardini, Vogue Runway Contributor
Anrealage’s Kunihiko Morinaga is an outlier in suggesting a world that could be. He does so by engaging collaboratively, and deeply, with technology to show us things we really couldn’t have imagined. Nostalgia isn’t going to move fashion into the future, Morinaga’s almost alone in going where no designer has gone before.—Laird Borrelli-Persson, Senior Archives Editor
I love love love Rick Owens. But as much as I can fantasize about one of his sculptural jackets, or his extra long flared trousers, they’ve never felt like something I could actually wear in real life—not that there’s anything wrong with that! I was most drawn to his hoodie-and-a-long-skirt propositions, especially the wet cement-colored version, though I also liked the short sleeve style in muscle-red, both made from “natural rubber” ribbons. The way they wrapped and undulated around the body was just so sensual! The leather “crochet” finale dresses were also just dripping with desire and unexpected glamour.—Laia Garcia-Furtado, Senior Fashion Editor, Vogue Runway
Photo: Daniele Oberrauch / Gorunway.com
