Fashion & lifestyle

Milano Fashion Week 24

27 September, 2023 / Leave a Comment

Simplicity and practicality for Spring-Summer 24

Milano Fashion Week 24 is over. So we want to analyse the overall feelings. What’s in the air?

It looks like fashion designers had to focus on safety. So, they provided simplicity and practicality through those tailored techniques typical of the Italian style. In fact, collections were more down to earth. Easy to wear, which also means easy to sell. Market demands, not creative genius.

Spring-Summer 24

We were happy to witness the end of the circus Alessandro Michele made for Gucci. Perhaps Sabato De Sarno needs time to develop his own path, but anything would have been better than the flea market jumble. However, it would be interesting to understand to what degree this collection is the result of his view or a commercial request.

Still related to the above topic, there’s a discussion about the expectations on genderless fashion or the end of it.
We are astonished! Specifically, we cannot understand why people identify genderless style with the circus! Can anyone explain?
Take a garment without asking yourself if it comes from a specific gender category. Then wear it (with elegance, if you can). This is genderless! And it’s still here!

Indeed, isn’t the work of Mattieu Blazy for Bottega Veneta a blend of blurred gender identities? Though fabrics and outfits seemed too heavy for a Spring-Summer collection.

Thoughts on Milano Fashion Week 24

Overall, the impression is that clothing was the background as brands mainly plan to sell accessories. On the one hand, we are happy for the end of the circus. It was time to take a sense of elegance and Italian tailoring back. But on the other hand, brands mostly looked the same. Unless you have a trained eye, and so you can say, ‘this accessory is from this designer’ – it is almost impossible to tell the difference from one to another.

Milano Fashion Week 24 has probably satisfied people’s needs and the industry turnover. But, in this game of overlapping design codes, and by compromising to any current contingency, we wonder where brands are going. More precisely, do you think brands are reliable?

Visions and Glamour by Antonio Marras

25 September, 2023 / Leave a Comment

Fashion as cultural contaminations

The evening event “Visions and Glamour of a mythical set on the cliffs of Capo Caccia” by Antonio Marras confirmed our sensation: cultural events connected to fashion are more fascinating than fashion shows. The things you learn, the cultural depth, are amazing. And there’s no circus.

On September 21, during Milano Fashion Week, we were invited to Cinema Mexico for the documentary screening: “The Summer of Joe, Liz and Richard.” The docufilm by Sergio Naitza debuted at the last Rome Film Festival and was awarded in London as best documentary at the Kingston International Film Festival. It investigates the reason for the flop of the movie “Boom!” – which director Joseph Losey filmed in the summer of 1968 in Capo Caccia, near Alghero, Sardinia, with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

Before the screening, there was an introduction by the filmmaker Sergio Naitza, Alessandra Sento (dir. of Società Umanitaria – Cineteca Sarda), the art critic Francesca Alfano Miglietti and Antonio Marras.

This cult movie inspired “Lights, camera, action!” – the Spring/ Summer 24 Marras fashion show featuring Marisa Berenson and sequences of the documentary, contaminating the presentation of the items from the collection.

Visions and Glamour by Antonio Marras

Antonio Marras: fashion & cinema

“I use fashion to tell stories and I learned it by going to the cinema, an inexhaustible source of stories, dreams, moods, characters, costumes, sets, life stories. Cinema for fashion is an indispensable life companion. And even more so for me. Not by chance, I named my debut collection from ’87 ‘Hush, hush sweet Charlotte’ after the ’64 film starring Bette Davis directed by Robert Aldrich. So, how not to give in to the provocation of a Hollywood film like “Boom!”
Thanks to Sergio Naitza’s masterful documentary I immersed myself in that hot summer, where the line between reality and fiction, between true and false, between reconstructed and existing, between acted and revealed, was only a faint breath of wind. As if by magic, Hollywood lands in the wildest and purest land, on the cliffs of Capocaccia, Alghero, Sardinia.“

As the director Naitza explained: “The documentary aims to be the reconstruction of a cold case in the history of cinema, one of the most sensational flops despite the presence of the major stars of the time and a huge budget.”

Visions and Glamour: icon of style

Also the critics rejected the film. But they later re-evaluated it as a true cult movie after the rehabilitation of great cinema voices of our time, such as the famous US director John Waters. The film is also an icon of style and a timeless reference for fashion and glamour, thanks to its costumes, atmospheres and landscapes. Astonishing details made the movie special: a young boy designed the clothes, and it turns out he was Karl Lagerfeld. And Bulgari made the jewels for Liz Taylor.

The “Visions and Glamour of a mythical set on the cliffs of Capo Caccia” event by Antonio Marras prompts that fashion is culture, revealing intriguing connections and contaminations between seemingly separate worlds. Indeed, it was a pleasure to learn from it.

Triennale: “A conversation with Pierre-Alexis Dumas, Hermès”

22 September, 2023 / Leave a Comment

Insights for the future of fashion

Yesterday at the Triennale Teatro Milano, we witnessed a special event: “A conversation with Pierre-Alexis Dumas, Hermès.” For the level of culture transmitted, the interview was worth it an entire fashion week. Yes, because fashion is culture.

Cathy Horyn – “The New York Magazine” and “The Cut” fashion editor – with Marco Sammicheli – director of the Museum of Italian Design, Triennale Milano – conducted the interview.

Pierre-Alexis Dumas, Hermès: A history of culture & craftsmanship

The creative director of Hermès made us know more about the Maison in an attempt to analyse the issues, challenges and transformation the fashion industry faces in this rough time. Dumas narrated the anecdotes, the history of the family and his personal journey, and craftsmanship as fundamental elements of the Maison. No arrogance, only passion. In fact, the word culture has emerged several times.

“Being a creative director is turning off the ego to listen to others’ ideas.”

“Robert Dumas once said: luxury is something you can repair.”

“We don’t need marketing.” (Like saying we don’t need to trick people).

“My values are sincerity, honestly, quality.”

Most of all, he focused on the creative and artisanal process. Also, he talked about “Petite H” – a workshop where they collect all the scraps and pieces that do not pass quality control so that designers can give them a second life. In other words, they recycle and upcycle.

However, he’s been clear on one point: “Sustainability, that’s where we have a problem in fashion.”
In fact, they are experimenting with vegetable leather and undertaking low-impact practices. He said, maybe, in 15 or 20 years, the industry will reach sustainable standards. But we are afraid we do not have 15 years to make change.

A conversation with Pierre-Alexis Dumas Hermès

Martin Margiela & modern luxury

The conversation ends with a note about Martin Margiela, wanted in the company by Pierre-Alexis’ father.
“Margiela helped redefine the idea of luxury. He could go straight to the essence.”
At that point, we were moved by everything that no longer exists and by what is now fashion.
The image projected onto the screen was the one we reported here as a quote. It was 1999, and we can find everything there:

  • timeless style par excellence, i.e. timeless fashion
  • simplicity as added value
  • quiet luxury
  • genderless

The words culture, tradition, craftsmanship, design, and creativity stood out throughout the event “A conversation with Pierre-Alexis Dumas, Hermès.” Specifically, the whole story of Hermès brought out what is now missing in fashion: family businesses disappeared, and so have their soul. Corporations took the place of family businesses, but brands and maisons have no souls anymore.

You know, there is always something to learn.
Hello, fashion industry!

Selecting fashion for connoisseurs

21 September, 2023 / Leave a Comment

How to navigate the fashion weeks

In a finite world of endless options, most of which have a massified concept, selecting fashion for connoisseurs represents very specific research. Less but better, timeless fashion and quiet luxury are fundamental values for people like us.

By the way, given that overproduction ignores the current dramatic situation, we find it thoughtless to focus on brands that still operate on such a pattern.

So, we are keeping an eye on some international brands, and of course, we are curious to see what happens around us in the fashion field. But that’s just what it is – curiosity. In order to survive all the fluff that overwhelms the industry and contributes to making it less fascinating, we need to be very clear.

Fashion selection

Our preferences and choices reflect our values. We know what we need and what we don’t. So, let’s recap what it is precisely.

First, what we don’t need:

  • obsessive trends
  • poor design
  • mass products, quantity, overproduction/ overconsumption
  • fake sustainable products
  • exhausting social media presence

Too much noise and confusion. There’s too much of everything put out in a compulsive manner. That is not for people like us.

Now, what do we want?

  • clothes made to last: staples and meaningful garments. Once you consciously purchase, they will become a constant element of your wardrobe. That’s what timeless fashion means
  • tailoring: well-crafted clothes made with care and attention
  • beautiful fabrics: when you touch and wear them, you feel the difference on your skin
  • good design and quality

The market is large, crowded and oversaturated with pointless stuff. Should we fit in? No, thanks. Brands’ social media presence doesn’t impress us. Influencers don’t influence us. We prefer less, much less, but better. Niche fashion. It might not be for you, which is fine.

Selecting fashion for connoisseurs, people like us, we want unique clothes for unique people.

Back to fashion design

18 September, 2023 / Leave a Comment

Were unskilled designers worth the ride?

There’s a process happening in the fashion industry, a change of direction, which takes brands back to fashion design.
What does it mean? Real fashion designers are back in charge of designing fashion brands. Wasn’t their job? Yes, of course. But the fashion industry loves insta-fluff to generate revenue. So, popularity won over skills.

But, after a decade of sportswear, big exposed logos, and poor designs, the wind is finally changing. Specifically, the heart of the matter is that celebrity designers with a pervasive social media presence and a huge following base have oversaturated the market with products. But that doesn’t sell anymore.

The sense of improvisation, lack of skills, clothes taken from thrift shops and assembled by chance, or designs clearly stolen from other designers was really too much. It has contributed to impoverishing the perception of fashion, which has become a game for clowns rather than a matter of culture.

Therefore, the vision of a creative director having more knowledge about fluff than expert hands seems over. Perhaps some fashion Maisons made a lot of money overflooding the market with pointless stuff, but they destroyed their heritage. So, were unskilled designers worth the ride?

For instance, we are curious to see what Sabato De Sarno will do with his much-awaited Gucci show. Indeed, deleting everything from Gucci’s social media account seems to be a good start to cleaning up the image.
Also, we are curious to see Phoebe Philo, known for her minimalist and timeless style, launch her namesake brand.

Fashion design: what makes the difference

Though we think contemporary fashion Maisons are not so interesting because they are just a game of finance and overproduction, we appreciate the idea of moving from big logos to skilled fashion design.

Exposed logos don’t make the difference but represent a poor idea of style, which sounds more like marketing than actual fashion knowledge.
What makes the difference is good design, pattern-making, tailoring, and craftsmanship. That is what adds value and makes garments stand out.

Ultimately, we wonder what credibility those who play these games have. Most importantly, can those who fed their clients with garbage educate their audience to something more refined?

Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts with us! Comment below or WhatsApp directly from here!

The fashion dinosaur

15 September, 2023 / Leave a Comment

Why aren’t fashion people adapting to the new context?

The fashion industry looks like a dinosaur that, no matter what happens around it, keeps doing the same stuff as it has always done.

In Milano, we are boiling. Literally. Physically. Around 26 to 30 degrees Celsius. We’d rather go back to the beach! People wear short-sleeved cotton T-shirts and lightweight cotton jackets for the office. But we sweat like in August. And even if there’s a light rain today, it’s definitely not the wool weather. The situation doesn’t seem much different across Europe.

We are going to get Fall/Winter clothing collections soon, which we postponed a little. It didn’t seem so urgent, at least from our viewpoint, to sell wool trousers. Well, unless someone plans to go to Norway! In that case, let us know, and we’ll find something cool for you.
Also, the Milano Fashion Week is about to start, but the fundamentals are always the same.

Climate change & the fashion dinosaur

Hey, climate change is real. In this abnormal context, which seems the new normal, does it make sense to work as we have always done? Can’t we evolve towards something different?

For brands: What’s the point of planning collections as they have always done? Following a pattern totally disconnected from reality – is it what we need now?

For people who buy fashion: Does it make sense to follow brands, shops, or people who urge you to purchase clothes out of the actual context?

More seasonless fashion: the style #formodernhumans

What changes should the fashion industry make to adapt to the new context? The industry needs to set up collections differently, choosing natural materials and leaner selling patterns. Less mass products, more tailoring and made-to-order. More seasonless designs.

However, it would be interesting to understand why people don’t understand brands that offer an alternative fashion concept. Indeed, we would like to hear your thoughts on this point.

Do you know you can buy seasonless items if you need something new? More and more, it makes sense to focus on seasonless clothing because it is more adaptable to different weather conditions. And with a proper layering style, you can wear these garments throughout the year.

In the end, dinosaurs have gone extinct. So will the fashion dinosaur if we do not make a change.

Share your thoughts with us! Comment here below or WhatsApp directly from here!

The London Fashion Scene

13 September, 2023 / Leave a Comment

Creativity, business and fashion education

The London fashion scene is undergoing a change. In fact, the news that Sarah Burton exits Alexander McQueen after two decades offers the opportunity for reflection on the field. In the fashion industry, London has always been synonymous with rebellious creativity. We’ve always admired British designers for their openness and innovative style. However, the economic situation impacted corporations, designers and fashion schools, disrupting the fashion scene.

Kering Group owns McQueen, Gucci, Balenciaga, Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta. The conglomerate needs to revive sales and grow. Yes, they are among those who talk about sustainability and growth at once, which is nonsense. But that’s another story. Yet we think the first question the group should ask is: Can McQueen be a mass brand? Especially after the death of diffusion lines, McQ included?

London, creativity & fashion schools

By the way, London has always been the perfect place for those who want to express themselves in an avant-garde style with a fresh take on fashion. We have been working in the fashion industry for about 27 years now, and we have been inspired by the way designers in London pushed the boundaries of fashion. It’s been truly amazing!
In London, also, you can find some of the top fashion schools. Each one with its unique approach to teaching, these schools have produced some of the most successful and influential designers in the fashion industry.

Over time, from McQueen to Hussein Chalayan, to mention a couple of our favourites, we’ve been selecting some great pieces of clothing for our boutique and our clients. Of course, the scene is much wider. For instance, look at the great work Kervin Marc does!

Now, because of Brexit, costs have gone up, skyrocketing. So did taxes and duty fees. This makes it difficult for young designers and small brands to run their fashion businesses even because exporting to other countries is more complicated.

Ultimately, it is challenging for London to remain the place where rebellious ideas can grow and where new and upcoming designers can give space to their creativity. Furthermore, from the perspective of education, now only very wealthy kids can access London fashion schools.

We might face the beginning of a new phase in the London fashion scene. But if creativity gives in to business interests and fashion design is for rich kids and celebrities searching for an exciting pastime, what should we expect in the future of fashion?

Small parts to preserve the environment

11 September, 2023 / Leave a Comment

Are fashion brands really doing enough?

According to some news, top luxury fashion brands and other popular ones do their small parts to preserve the environment. And, following their reasoning, these “small parts” are enough to make a big difference. But is it true?

Fashion industry & climate change

It is proven that human actions have caused climate change. Also, we know that fashion is a big polluting industry which discards tons of waste everywhere. So, we wonder, what are they trying to say with these pieces of news? How do these messages translate into facts? Are they really making a positive impact?

For instance, in the context of brands doing their small part for a lower-impact fashion industry, a newsletter said that Dior launched a pair of recyclable sneakers. So, they say, the brand is doing its part for climate change. But, for a juggernaut, is this single move enough to preserve our planet?

In today’s world, it’s a common concern whether the sustainability efforts made by corporations are genuine or just a form of greenwashing. Some argue that any small step taken towards sustainability can bring about a positive change. But that could probably work decades ago. At this moment, the situation has gotten so much worse that this news seems ridiculous.

In the face of a climate emergency, forget small steps – we need radical change!

Marketing: The realm of greenwashing

In fact, we agree with those who believe such efforts are simply a PR tactic without any significant systemic change. These news are part of fashion marketing plans, which should be labelled as greenwashing.

Corporations or brands of any size set up their marketing plans and release that kind of information, which has no basis. Magazines, fashion journalists or influencers get paid to share the great news. Hey, it’s business in the end! Who cares if it’s misleading?
The point is that most people take that kind of news for granted. So, whoever shares them is complicit in promoting greenwashing.

Now, please tell us, do you think brands make a big difference by doing their small parts to preserve the environment? Do you really believe it?

Comment here below or WhatsApp directly from here!

The sofa story

8 September, 2023 / Leave a Comment

Is circularity feasible in the era of overproduction?

The sofa story is a personal anecdote we share. As a matter of fact, overproduction is devastating our planet. Since a large part of communication is about repair and reuse, we try to understand if circularity is feasible in the era of overproduction.

A couple of months ago we ordered a new sofa. When it was ready to be delivered, we called the seller to inform them we wanted to restore the old one and bring it somewhere else. They said they would take the measurements and let us know the cost.

The sofa: understanding quality

When they came to deliver the new sofa, we noticed some differences. The new one was much lighter. The old one was heavy. While the new one had no structure, the old one had a stable, solid body. Furthermore, the old one had a soft hand 100% cotton cover. For new sofa coverings, you mainly find polyester because cotton would be too expensive, so they say. In fact, the old one was a great quality sofa, which lasted about 25 years. We are doubtful the new one will last so long.

However, having the chance to check the internal structure quality, we confirmed the boy to bring it to their workshop and let us know the repair/restoration cost.

Repairing vs. buying a new one

Here comes the fun! When they tried to carry the old sofa downstairs to the ground floor, they realised it was too heavy. So they started disassembling it, but the boy in charge, all of a sudden, destroyed the sofa underneath his feet. “Yes, it was good quality but you better buy another new one. The repair cost would be too high.”

Obviously, he exclaimed that for two reasons:
First, he preferred to avoid the effort of carrying the heavy weight downstairs.
Second, he couldn’t understand, for real, the quality of what he had destroyed.

So, “buy a new one” is the easy solution in a consumerist society. But when sellers tell you there’s no difference in terms of quality from one item to the other, it’s not true.

It’s like you show us an archive Saint Laurent garment or a couture dress from your wardrobe, and we tell you to get rid of that and buy a new item! “You know, it’s cheaper than repairing the old one!”

That is a complete lack of understanding. Indeed, the sofa story represents the contemporary way of handling commerce and fostering a consumerist lifestyle. Also, whatever the category – fashion, furniture, technology, automobile – the trick doesn’t change. Industries do not stop their overproduction patterns, so repairing won’t work on a large scale, which we need in order to reduce our impact on the planet.

In the end, if those who sell products cannot distinguish quality, materials, and finishings, how can they even mention the option of repairing?

Disappointment with the fashion industry

6 September, 2023 / Leave a Comment

Out of the crowd & why


Any disappointment with the fashion industry? Can fashion be a source of frustration? For us, it can be. And we would love to hear your viewpoint on this matter.

Fashion mavericks don’t need to wear, read or do what all the others do. We are independent thinkers who are not afraid to challenge the status quo. Fashion, as the research of niche brands and designers, is still the exciting side of our job. Unknown or less popular brands, most of the time, offer creativity and real quality designs like no others. That is what we select for you. Also, we love mixing garments to create unique outfits.

Mainstream fashion

But fashion, as the mainstream industry wants it to be, so as it is right now, isn’t exciting. In most fashion brands, there’s a total lack of elegance and style. No creativity, no good design, just marketing. Do you agree with us? Also, there’s no consistency towards the hypothetical sustainable claims. Fundamentally, there is no understanding of how serious the climate emergency is. In fact, the fashion industry is not open to evolution, which is now necessary and much talked about but ignored. However bad the situation is, it is only going to get worse.

As we see it, fashion is a language. Specifically, it’s a reflection of who we are. Indeed, it is a lens through which we can analyse society. So, looking through this lens, what kind of society do we see? 
If you go walking in big towns, most clothing shops and new openings are fast fashion brands. And if you scroll through social media, fast fashion brands have saturated the market. While on holiday, we’ve been to different places: the most present brands were fast to ultra-fast fashion. 

That is what people want. And the fashion industry makes what people want. It seems there’s no escape. But this trend of lowering the bar and erasing any sense of quality is frustrating.

Unique style for unique people

For people like us who love reading, don’t like advertising, and don’t even much like social media’s doped content, the disappointment with this fashion industry is quite profound. We’d buy nothing rather than take the most popular pointless stuff. 

The fashion industry holds so much power in manipulating people. On the other hand, people can access information in order to educate themselves but don’t do it. They follow influencers because they cannot make independent decisions. 

However, as fashion mavericks, we won’t stop making choices out of the crowd. That means stop trusting the fashion industry and follow our own path, creating unique styles for unique people.

What are your thoughts on fashion? WhatsApp us directly from here or comment below!