The Purple Haze

My attention was caught by the two big names MaxMara and Versace, simply because I absolutely loved their runway collections for spring 2008. Their designs captured two sides of my coin: the bold and the beautiful. Hahaha On one hand, MaxMara worked the ramp by Japanese-inspired cuts and the basic black. Its colors comprised of an array of shades from black to white, both for plains and stripes. The clothes are perfect for the moody weather now, both for aesthetic and utilitarian purposes.

The photo above was one of MaxMara’s bold pieces. For other pieces, the fabrics used ranged from silk to leatherette, to even tunic.

Being a contrast lover that I am, Versace also grabbed my eye for not only being theatric, but for taking her design this season two notches down from silky, uber-goddessy flowing pieces to clothes that are actually, as Sarah Mower put it, believable. Although Donatella Versace still had her signature “flowies” imbibed all throughout the collection, they were tamed and balanced through her use of overcoats, laces and belts.

The outcome for Versace was “woman, but not overly so.” I love it!

It’s out for New York and in for Milan!

This week set a go-signal for the release of Milan’s Spring 2008 RTW collection with an array of designs from top Italian houses like Bottega Veneta and Prada. Maier, creative designer for Bottega Veneta, has created that classic, versatile look for this season that is perfect for the busy, modern-day woman. The good thing about his earthy, clean cuts is that they’re absolutely perfect to accessorize somewhat heavily, without going overboard. Maier’s is in stark contrast to Miuccia Prada’s “late sixties to early seventies” designs, which are also described as Art-Nouveau.

Personally, I prefer donning the likes of Bottega’s designs for everyday wear (whether for school or for work). However, if I feel like gathering my muses, or when it’s time to party with my ever-reliable gal pals, clothes alongside the concept of Prada would come into play. Prada’s designs are too playful and artsy for a regular Hayz to wear. I bet Regina would looooove those silk prints, though.

I’ll be keeping an eye out for other cool stuff (that I could never afford in this lifetime, most probably).