Designers: let's stop quickie fashion

MILAN, Italy - Fashion is on the move. While 2008 has just begun, the menswear preview collections currently showing on the Milan runway are all about how a guy should dress for the fall-winter 2008-2009.

To make matters worse, this round the Milan shows are crammed into four days to accommodate a busy Paris schedule which includes both menswear and couture the following week.

"Everybody is doing everything fast," Tomas Maier, creative director at Bottega Veneta, told The Associated Press after his much applauded show Sunday. "The consumer needs time to understand."

Maier's remarks did not refer specifically to the fashion calendar, but more broadly to a fashion philosophy that floods the market with notions and trends, at times sacrificing quality for quantity.

Maier's preview Bottega collection left much room for thought. Seemingly without effort he balances elegant with casual to create a contemporary country club look. Inspiration for the casual comes from the workman's wardrobe, from the chore coats to the driver's jackets and baggy painter pants. Fabrics range from canvas and denim to sturdy leather.

The more formal wear is as tailored as a made-to-order suit. Jackets are single or double-breasted and trousers are wide. Eveningwear is "elegantissimo," but free of the proverbial stiffness which can confine the wearer to an outgrown "Sunday best" look.

Accessories, a Bottega Veneta forte, include shoulder bags in signature basket-weave leather, woven belts and a rugged round-toed shoe.

Later Sunday, Giorgio Armani echoed Maier's laments, after his Emporio show dedicated to ski resort fashion.

"There is so much sloppiness out there," the designer said chatting with reporters backstage at his minimalist Milan headquarters.

The second-line collection opened with couples in ski outfits carrying skis, walking down a runway dotted with snowflakes.

For each male outfit, from the down coat to the velvet dinner jacket with incorporated silk shawl, Armani had a female counterpart in a look-a-like outfit. But while the men wore their trousers tucked into apres-ski lace-ups, the women except when on the slopes always wore a dress.

"It's time to put some order into fashion, starting with gender," Armani said.

Front row guest at his show was pop star Beyonce, Armani's ad gal for Diamonds, the designer's latest scent. Beyonce also showed up at Versace Saturday, causing quite a stir by keeping the fashion crowd waiting for almost an hour until she took her seat and the show could begin.

Dolce & Gabbana, one of the hottest labels in trendy menswear, also called for an end to fashion overdose at a pre-show chat with the media.

"What's happening in fashion is like inviting someone to dinner and stuffing them with double helpings. By the time desert comes around, they can't look at food anymore," Stefano Gabbana said.

As an antidote the duo's show on Saturday offered up rustic fashion for next winter. Going back to their roots, they outfitted a Sicilian shepherd from macho woolen cap to bulky knit sweater under a hefty sheepskin coat, to the all-purpose leather boots. When he goes to town on business, their shepherd wears a pinstriped suit complete with white shirt and tie and carries a crocodile briefcase.

Burberry designer Christopher Bailey, who also showed Saturday, was in the mood for romance. Silk shirts, vests, soft cardigan sweaters and legging-like trousers all combine to evoke a misty English countryside. A crocodile leather trench coat and pullovers fashioned with tufts of rooster feathers lent an extra dash of eccentricity to an already dandified collection.

Speaking of eccentrics, Russian designer Denis Simachev, stunned the Milan audience Saturday night with flamboyant styles that recalled Cossack fashion. To a rocked up version of "Kalinka," mustachioed models marched around the runway in embroidered shirts, and jackets with a businesslike pinstriped front and a colorful sweater back. Trousers were tucked into furry leather boots.

Earlier Saturday, Donatella Versace underlined the comeback of the top coat (seen in almost every show thus far) with an extra long double-breasted military version in deep purple. According to Donatella, the coat represents a male yearning for luxury.

"Luxury is a cure for the present market saturation, and a relatively unexplored route where men are concerned," the designer said after the show.

Prada: Schizophrenic Style

Milan - Sunday evening witnessed a most curiously schizophrenic collection by Prada in Milan's season of fall 2008 men's collections.

The central new garment was a minimalist harness/strait jacket that wrapped around torsos in half the looks; collars and bowties came in pairs; and young men wore mini skirts, ruffled, five inch deep over pants. We even got a series of jock straps in patent leather that reached up way above pant waists.

One could argue that these were all accessories, and styling tricks. But the garments themselves had a mournful air: while Prada's slickly cut suits looked cut for horror movie henchmen.

There were lots of great items - steel threaded double colored stripe shirts; black silk plenipotentiary pants; faded mad scientist two tone shoes, dandified mohair Rude Boy suits, yet they caused little cheer.

Models ascended a brilliant De Chirico like ramp and circled around a twisting walkway, as oblique lighting turned the set into a mimimalist Gothic cathedral. One has to doff one's hat and say that one way in which Prada simply blows away its major Milan rivals is in staging: Where Dolce, Armani, Versace, Gucci and Ferre all largely follow classic catwalks in their own personal theatres, Miuccia summons up every season an evocative cinema set experience, where you feel in new territory each time.

The music was also troubling, the imitation soundtracks of Daniel Motion, mixed by Frederic Sanchez with Julian Dore's "Aux Trois Lolita."

Adding to the somber mood, the door scene was tense. Prada, the target of Peta attacks, has probably the strictest door policy of any fashion house, anywhere. It's an incredibly hot show. But while a concern to protect guests from attacks is legitimate, forcing everyone to scan their invites, marked with a tribal digital thumbnail, as they are jostled through a phalanx of surely heavies, was pretty authoritarian. And definitely not chic.

Spice Girls gaze at gowns in Cavalli men's show

MILAN (Reuters) - Britain's Spice Girls turned out to watch Roberto Cavalli's winter 2009 menswear show on Monday and he didn't disappoint them, including in his show a gorgeous green evening shift and a black satin Cinderella gown for women.

The quintet -- better known by their nicknames Posh, Baby, Sporty, Ginger and Scary -- had front-row seats for the show, which Cavalli told Reuters was aimed at "a sophisticated man ... even a rock star type."

Geri "Ginger" Halliwell, wearing a beige ruched mini dress, was open-mouthed at a voluminous black satin long gown and pointed out to Victoria "Posh" Beckham -- wearing a black trouser suit and headband -- the green version.

Cavalli, smoking his trademark cigar, said his show was "for a man who doesn't need to find himself in eccentricities."

Models wore suits in shiny midnight blue and black jacquards. Cavalli brought back turn-ups to straight-leg trousers and threw roomy sheepskins or leopard print coats over the top of outfits.

He used shiny black for a hooded oilskin coat or plumped up duvet style gilets over thick rib jumpers.

Accessories featured alligator-look black briefcases and big scarves, while one model sported a sparkling black brooch on an evening suit lapel.

For the women, Cavalli offered feathered evening bags in pink or black to match dresses.

His glamorous womenswear was a big hit with retailer Hennes & Mauritz, where eager shoppers queued up when they went on sale on November 8.

Cavalli said he had no plans for any further collaborations and was keen to know who might be the next designer for H&M -- which has already used collections by Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney.

"I enjoyed myself, it was great," he said. "I'd like to see who does the next collection ... I don't think other designers want to put themselves up against my success."

(Additional reporting by Ilaria Polleschi, editing by Tim Pearce)

Spice Girls attend Cavalli show in Milan

By DANIELA PETROFF, AP

MILAN, Italy - The Spice Girls pepped up the Milan fashion scene Monday when they turned up at Roberto Cavalli's menswear show to thank him for designing their tour wardrobe.

The tour, which began in December, brings all the Spice Girls together for the first time in nearly 10 years.

"His clothes make you feel sexy," said Geri "Ginger Spice" Halliwell, 35, speaking for the pop stars as they sat backstage chatting with reporters before the show began.

Their glam Cavalli-designed tour outfits are in bright Swarovski-beaded silk and remain true to the playful styles the Spice Girls favored the first time around: miniskirts, cropped tops and body-clinging jumpsuits.

Talking like a gaggle of schoolgirls, they sang the praises of Italian men as "very passionate" and "more stylish" than their British counterparts.

"Italians are stallions," said 32-year-old Melanie "Scary Spice" Brown, summing it up, and quickly adding, "or so I've heard."

The Spice Girls, who also include Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham, Emma "Baby Spice" Bunton and Melanie "Sporty Spice" Chisholm, said they were enjoying the tour.

"We appreciate everything much more this time around," Halliwell said.

Another Milan favorite, Giorgio Armani, captured "Spice Girls" husband David Beckham for his underwear campaign. Asked what she thought of her husband's supertoned body being displayed in Armani briefs on billboards throughout Milan, 33-year-old Victoria Beckham said: "If I looked like that I'd walk down the street in my panties, too."

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On the Net:

Spice Girls:

http://www.thespicegirls.com

http://www.thespicegirlsgreatesthits.com/

Roberto Cavalli:

http://www.robertocavalli.com/en/home.do

Giorgio Armani:

http://www.giorgioarmani.com/ga_menu/EN/home.html

Jessica Alba in Purple Clothes (including prices)

Jessica Alba in Purple Clothes (including prices)

On with the Show: At the Critics' Choice Awards

Santa Monica - What happens when America's movie critics throw an awards party? Everyone comes, of course!

That's what happened Monday night in Santa Monica at the 13th Annual Critics' Choice Awards, as the Broadcast Film Critics Association honored the best films and performances of 2007. Unlike the Golden Globes, the Critics' Choice Awards show has never been written by members of the currently striking Writers Guild, which meant that actors, directors, and other Hollywood types did not have to cross a picket line to attend the gala event held at the Santa Monica Civic Center.

Which meant that Brad Pitt and best actress nominee Angelina Jolie sat front and center in the packed ballroom, where champagne flowed freely and light bites were served as the glittering night unfolded.

Best actor nominee George Clooney waxed eloquently on the strike as he awarded Don Cheadle the organization's first annual Joel Siegel Humanitarian Award in memory of the late critic, saying "When the strike happens, it's not just writers [who suffer]. Our hope is that all the players will lock themselves in a room and not come out until they finish. We want this to be done. That's the most important thing."

And while best screenplay scribe Diablo Cody (who won for "Juno") didn't make the show, just about everyone who is anyone did. In addition to Pitt, Jolie, and Clooney, the place was just teeming with gorgeously dressed stars, from presenter Katie Holmes in a cream off-the-shoulder, asymmetrical Lanvin sheath to best ensemble Winner (for "Hairspray") Queen Latifah, resplendent in a chic winter white pantsuit.

Daniel Day-Lewis sported shoulder length locks and stammered as he accepted his best actor trophy that "I wish that George Clooney was my speechwriter – he always knows how to say the right thing," while Nikki Blonsky shrieked with delight as she accepted her best young actress award.

A-listers were everywhere, from the "Into the Wild" group, that included Sean Penn, Eddie Vedder, Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, Hal Holbrook, and Catherine Keener, to presenters including Kyra Sedgwick, Snoop Dogg, Leslie Mann, and Marisa Tomei, as well as the stars of the best picture winner, "No Country for Old Men," including Javier Bardem, who also won for best supporting actor.

Later, at the rollicking after party held in a large tent next door to the ballroom, best actor nominee Emile Hirsch gave "Hairspray" best ensemble winner Brittany Snow all his attention, and presenter Eddie Izzard chatted with "There Will Be Blood" star Paul Dano. Izzard cracked up the house earlier with his goofily disjointed speech, a riff on the need for writers, and commented later that "we need them to make a deal and get back to work."

The Critics' Choice Awards also honored Julie Christie for best actress in "Away From Her" and Amy Ryan as best supporting actress in "Gone Baby Gone," but neither actress made the party, which could just be one of the only awards shows that actually happens this season. The Golden Globes have been canceled due to the WGA threat to picket the show, and the actors' unwillingness to cross those picket lines to attend.