Roberto Verino, Spanish fashion designer

 (Cross posted on LUXOS.COM)

Luscious fabrics, elegant silhouettes and dark tones with splashes of vivid colours swept the runways in Madrid this past March when Roberto Verino presented his fall/winter 2011 collection. Every item, from dresses to coats to handbags, had Roberto’s signature mark – his impeccable craftsmanship.

Roberto Verino, Spanish fashion genius

An introduction to Spain’s hottest designer and man of many talents

By Eva S. Saravina

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When he launched his first prêt-à-porter collection in 1982, Verino turned many heads in the fashion world. Two years later he confirmed his position with his first runway show at Cibeles, Madrid’s fashion platform, where everyone of note in Spain’s fashion world was his audience. Keep reading...

Fall Trend: Prints and Pattern

(Cross posted on LUXOS.COM)

Bright prints and colourful patterns will make you stand out this season

 

Bold splashes of colour - women's fashion for fall/winter 2011

Bright prints and colourful patterns will make you stand out this season

By Alessia Sara Domanico

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We spot the sporadic appearance of colour and pattern peeking through, like an old lover who once enticed us to try something different, but the inability to work them into our daily lives left them behind. You pluck a printed jacket and slip it on, it still looks great, but uncertainty strikes as you ask yourself, “where can I wear it?”

For centuries, fashion has been used as a means of expression. Solid and dignified cuts were reserved for a sophisticate, modest upper class, while vibrant hues and intricate decorations became associated with eclectic circles. Trend-setting crowned heads shrugged off stiff conforms to indulge in richer textiles and embellishments. Indian Rajas have their clothes custom-made in pricy interlaced fabrics and printed silks, the Florentine court favoured intense violet and Marie Antoinette refused to tone her wardrobe down and let her father-in-law’s mistress have all the fun with extravagant, ultra-chic garments.

A myriad of patterns are mixing things up in a big way this season from Versace’s bright geometric shapes to Emilio Pucci’s perceptually provocative figures. To ensure these trends don’t end up at the back of your closet, let’s take a look at the best ways to pull off the dominant prints for fall/winter.

Bohemian Chic

Swirling prints bouncing along flowing skirts, scarves, gypsy dresses and loose fitting shirts make up the ‘boho chic’ DNA – a trend that calls to mind a playful and free-spirited lifestyle. We’ve spotted the style everywhere from the streets of Los Angeles to the beach boardwalks of Saint-Tropez. The trick to making ‘boho chic’ everyday appropriate is to use it sparingly (a scarf, a skirt, an accessory). At Etro’s women’s show in Milan, we spotted ways to wear their collage and textile-inspired designs. Keep reading...

Men's Fashion Tips for Fall and Winter

(Cross Posted on LUXOS.COM)

Fashion has become much more man-friendly, with catwalks, showrooms and specialist boutiques being dedicated to the male trends. Maybe they don’t talk about it as much as their female counterparts, but that doesn’t mean that men are any less consumer-driven or less enamoured by beautiful materials and original pieces. It is obvious that the male wardrobe essentials must always have some revivals. Having browsed the new collections, attending shows from Milan to Paris, we bring you the five hottest male trends for this fall/winter. Keep reading

Alexander McQueen, a life remembered

(Cross posted on LUXOS.COM)




In the moment of tragedy following the suicide of Alexander McQueen, anecdotes poured in, most of these regard his rebellious and unconventional approach to his work in the fashion industry. But far more important in his work is his aesthetic approach based on a solid foundation of hard work and experience in many areas of the clothing trade. He started making dresses for his three sisters even when he was a child, and by the time he was 20, he had already amassed a remarkable heritage of fashion skills. Continue Reading

Brunello Cucinelli Spring/Summer 2011-12

(Cross Posted on LUXOS.COM)
 

Exhibiting the best in the latest urban fashions, Italian fashion house Brunello Cucinelli presented its Spring/Summer 2011 collection in Milan in a lovely showroom near Chinatown. Four large rooms were filled with the collection, my favourite so far for spring/summer 2011 fashion week. A tribute to minimalism, and the natural elements, the collection was apparently inspired by the global nomad, the metropolitan traveler. The clothes are meant to be easily worn, and stylish, whether in a cosmopolitan or rural setting. And this goal is beautifully accomplished. These clothes are about style, not fashion and are wonderfully understated, and of uncompromised quality. Keep reading

Cultural Dress in the Elegant Abaya

Mauzan revisits the traditional abaya with modern designs
(Cross posted LUXOS.COM)

They move graciously with each gesture-elegant pieces of fabric which continuously fold and unfold making the feminine form at once visible yet hidden. Embellished with exquisite gems, French lace, and Swarovski crystals, these garments adorn those who wear them with sophistication and mystery. They are the abayas of Mauzan, an Emirati brand which has bestowed the traditional female Islamic dress with a new level of refinement and contemporary individuality. KEEP READING

Make your own Custom Suit with Bespoke from Brioni

Bespoke custom made suits from Brioni mean luxury Italian tailoring
(Cross referenced on LUXOS.com)



Brioni means unique. Its status can be gauged from an independent survey conducted by the Luxury Institute of New York in 2007, which named it the most prestigious men's fashion brand in the United States. Even though today the company is a world-class industrial concern and a major player in the international luxury sector, every garment is worked as a one-off piece. Even a regular collection suit can be considered as carefully personalized. In fact, a Brioni suit incorporates the work of dozens of tailors and seamstresses, each specializing in a certain technique, in an almost obsessive quest for perfection. Keep reading.

Fendi fall/winter 2011-12 runway report

 (Cross referenced on LUXOS.COM)

LUXOS hits the Fendi fall/winter 2011-2 runway



F stands for Flawless Fendi Fall Fashion at the Paris runways. The Creative Design team of Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi  brought us a collection that's trendy and functional, with just the right colour combinations. The line's theme was all about collage inspired by the work of German Dada artist, Kurt Schwitters. What Fendi has done is taken the concept of collage and implemented it into the collection's fabrics creating 1970s fashion shapes and styles in the iconic colours of the period. The colours are rich and wonderfully complement the designs. The Fendi fall palette includes violet, teal, jade, mustard and burgundy. Lagerfeld stuck to a more practical outdoors style with a line of coats in the various colours paired with knit tweed skirts and trousers inspired by jogging pants. Keep reading

BCBG designer Max Azria talks fashion and American lifestyle

(cross referenced on LUXOS.com)


LUXOS talks to BCBG's Max Azria, the man behind a fashion empire



Max Azria and his BCBG empire are worth a few million dollars, a fact that seems to please the designer considerably. The smiling and relaxed French-Tunisian (turned American) design sensation immigrated to the United States years ago. He now successfully manages 22 labels and has just bought out the German department store chain Karstadt. LUXOS sat down with this creative and resourceful fashion designer and businessman to ask him about his inspiration and why he chose to make the US his home. Keep Reading