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Milan shows have glitz at start but black at heart
2007-02-18
Milan's womenswear winter 2007/08 fashion shows kicked off on Saturday with glitz and shine from Valeria Marini, although the "Next Generation" of new designers showed that the future will be black. Or gray. No change there then -- fashion's favorite colors are traditional for winter shows and likely to be the backdrop for a week showcasing what Spanish designer Paco Rabanne calls Milan's "international supremacy." The old master of black, Giorgio Armani, will unveil his latest artistry on February 19. The designer, who says "black is cool," shows his younger Emporio Armani line on February 21. During the week, which closes on February 24, established names such as Prada, Gucci and Versace will roll out their thoughts for what women should wear next winter. Golden boys Dolce & Gabbana gave hope that they might snub black and instead glitter when they sent out a gold envelope containing a leopard print invite for their show on February 19. Some of that glamour was already in evidence at Valeria Marini's Diamond Seduction show. Shiny black catsuits, an electric blue breath of a dress and finally a full-length negligee worn undone to show the model's breasts kept the focus on curves in clothes you couldn't possibly wear if you were skinny. Milan has banned models with a body mass index of less than 18.5 and insisted they present evidence they are healthy. "The human skeleton is very ugly. You need a bit of flesh on to make it beautiful," said taxi driver Gianpaolo Pontello outside the show. "Marini's women are the opposite of skinny." Shirt Passion's show took an outdoors theme, with fake snow swirling over models wrapping up Chihuahuas in woolen warmth. Skirts were short for skating in wools or curved inwards at the bottom with a drawstring in more elegant satins. BLACK AGAIN Earlier, young designers Andres Caballero, Francesca Marchisio and Mariateresa Mazzoni focused on black and gray. Caballero models wore gray leggings or thick black tights under elongated sweatshirts or shorts and boxy jackets, topped with berets (black), or cloche hats (black). Marchisio slashed her -- predominantly black -- slim fit trousers and tailored skirts with acid pink and shocking yellow, with metallic threads outlining hip bones. Mazzoni chose a 1960s sound to back her black geometric-embroidered outfits, topping them with huge black chiffon bows as hairbands. The fourth young designer being sponsored for the show by the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, Maria Elena Pino, reconstructed jeans to bring different shapes to the classic five-pocket model. The four designers, all under 30 years old, were picked from over 150 to have their collections made up free by the Camera.
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