Suzy Menkes reviews two shows from Italy’s version of couture Renato Balestra turns to pink As “La Vie en Rose”, with its swooning French music, filled the runway, Renato Balestra stepped out to take his bow in a rose pink satin neck tie. What else could Rome’s great couturier, 90 this year, have worn to compete […]

Suzy Menkes reports from Rome’s fashion talent-spotting contest. Their names are already part of the fashion lexicon: Nicholas Kirkwood and his fabulous footwear; Max Kibardin’s sensual and romantic shoes; the historical richness of the Aquilano Rimondi duo; the Grecian drapes of Angelos Bratis; the elegant decency from Esme Vie; and the joyous African prints of […]

Suzy Menkes reports from Altaroma, a new launch pad for emerging designers. Jubilant prints in controlled silhouettes, joyous embellishment to sporty shapes – the Beat of Africa resounded from the catwalk at this week’s Altaroma event. Ever since half-Italian, half-Haitian designer Stella Jean won the Who Is on Next award in 2011 – and was […]

Below the exploding fireworks, brighter than the bauble of a full moon, a bride bobbed on the surf in a little boat. The airwaves were filled with Fifties’ hit Mambo Italiano, played with gusto as guests dressed in Capri glamour danced on the rocky shore. Welcome to Southern Italy! In an exquisite fashion event, Dolce & Gabbana captured […]

An enchanted evening – with precise drapes in soft and slithering fabrics. That was the message from Vionnet at designer Hussein Chalayan’s second ‘demi-couture’ collection. And it was not just the airy elegance of graceful shapes that produced a fresh look. There was also a palette of red colours, from coral through to scarlet, to […]

Pearls are the jewels most associated with innocence. But there was not much womanly restraint in Alexandre Vauthier’s flesh-and-fur collection peppered with pearl-encrusted belts and blouses. The designer can produce covered-up clothes, cutting a cool pair of narrow trousers and shaping the waist with tiny pleats. But he really trades in skin – the flesh […]

Viktor & Rolf turn a joke into reality.   The clapping began even before the show started: wild enthusiasm! The only thing missing was a stream of glamour-pusses to walk the red carpet at the Viktor & Rolf show. There she was! A fiery red figure from head (russet hair included) to toe-slippers. This haute couture […]

‘Memory is an important part of our future’ – Pierpaolo Piccioli © InDigital The Valentino show that closed the winter 2014 couture season was romantic, graceful and very much in the spirit of the house’s recent revival. Backstage, Pre-Raphaelite paintings by artists like Alma-Tadema filled the mood board, along with images of Roman goddesses with […]

Evening dresses illuminated with crystal and pearls. © InDigital How many chandeliers does it take to light an Elie Saab show? Nine! How so? Because there was hardly a dress on parade that did not have crystals to illuminate, pearls to which to give a glow, and Swarowski prisms to shine like jet. © InDigital […]

Gaultier sinks his teeth into the vampire look. ‘He was the first real rock star designer and he had a great influence on us – he recognised and defied the conventions of the time, smashing preconceptions,’ said Baz Luhrmann referring to Jean Paul Gaultier and sitting front row in the blood-red House of Horrors that was […]