Dsquared² Fall 2010 Men’s

Not leaving Frankie Morello designers, Maurizio Modica and Pierfrancesco Gigliotti, way out in left field to fend for themselves, Dean and Dan Caten also give into idea of…sports + menswear = something great. Last season, the duo known as Dsquared² took us camping. Taking you there and back again with ant covered shirts, denim/plaid combos, and all around outdoor campfire goodness. As you know, with the end of every Dsquared² show starts a new adventure.

So, where to this season? Answer, ice cold Canada.

Playing with the idea of hard and soft, literally, hockey’s dangerous reputation gets put on blast and somehow cleaned up. Goin big for their show openings, as per usual, this season we see Tokio Hotel’s Bill Kaulitz making his runway debut, in feathers, leather, and chains. Though, the backdrop featuring the ideal Dsquared² hockey rink was enough keep you reminded of where things were about to head.

Expanding on the fact that Halloween also just so happens to take place in the Fall, like something out of a slasher movie, models were bruised, battered, and drenched in blood. All from hockey related accidents, of course. Mimicking the idea of fresh blood onto the clothes shown, like the bloodstained in embroideries of Dior’s Spring 2006 couture collection, blood can now be found on your standard button-up. Appearing also on polo style shirts and sweaters, dripping from underneath a very Jason Voorhees style hockey mask.

Showing mainly a wide series of tougher leather looks, in all forms, from patent shorts to classic bomber jackets and padded knee pant, the collection also had a softer side. A side seen through a blazer with a lapel covered in black pailettes, embellished shimmering denim, a pailette covered coat with an attached inner canvas piece, and scarves drenched in sequins.

Makes you curious to see what the women’s show will look, doesn’t it?

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Above, Fashion TV takes you backstage as models prep for the show, Nikola Jovanovic explains the make-up process, and the Caten twins talk you through the collection

On a Side Note – He may seem quite paranoid in the video (what’s a guy supposed to do when your half-naked and getting covered in what is most likely corn syrup?), wouldn’t Jacob Coupe be the perfect fit for the collection’s campaign?

The Full Collection / 36 Pics
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Gucci Fall 2010 Men’s

From glam rock in ‘08 to golden in ‘010, Frida Giannini wraps up the almost 90 year Gucci heritage in 44 looks. Still injecting the brand with that special extra coolness that came attached to her when was first named creative director of the house, back in 2006.

Going for the ‘typical’ fall colors, without paying homage to wildlife (unlike Etro); a color palette of rich browns, camel, and navy get the job done this season. In a much more refined direction from last year’s David Bowie inspired Gucci man, there was more of a focus on technique, less on acid trip prints of polka dot and checkerboard squares. Instead, traditional prints/patterns were seen on scarves and on knits. With even the season’s soon to be ‘must-have bag’ going simpler, and just displaying the classic Gucci stripe. A little intermingling logo action here and there.

Though we are no longer stuck in the ’80s with Bowie, you can now find yourself a decade earlier in the ’70s. Pairing almost everything, from wool coat to wool blazer, with a cropped/cuffed pant or fine-gauge turtleneck.

Unexpected color blocking also making an appearance at points, a half mohair knit/half suede sweater that would have normally been done in a bulky and generic H&M way, was made desirable again in it’s almost perfect shrunken fit. A fit mimicked throughout much of the show. Appearing even on cropped trousers that were equipped with little button closures at it’s bottom.

Honestly speaking, going into this Fall 2010 season, I was truly a bit nervous to see if Frida Giannini would drop the whole slim-fit look. A sense of dress that eventually brought us to a mystifying part-pant/part-legging combo. But seeing as it’s still alive and well, what’s not to about the Gucci man? Mark Ronson will certainly be pleased.

The Full Collection / 101 Pics
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Versace Fall 2010 Men’s

Replacing her usual crop of Versace regulars with guys like newcomer Johannes Niermann, Donatella Versace beams us light-years away this Fall. Traveling far from the softness of her Spring 2010 collection, into an age where wrap sunglasses and knuckle dusters replace man clutches.

Drawing a large portion of her inspiration from Disney’s upcoming sci-fi flick, Tron Legacy, black becomes the base color of the future, with slim-fit and barely breathable acting as the silhouette. As a backdrop of numerous lines placed together to create a very Versace cyborg, acted as the backdrop, night becomes day; a soundtrack featuring noises of motorcycles racing by.

Opening up the show with Sean Orpy dressed in head to toe black, displaying a jacket with details similar to that of the recent Atelier Versace collection, the patent leather seen slithering up and down suits and shirts in Fall 2007 get transformed into full fledged patent inserts and pants. Mixing leather and wool, using stitching taking off into different directions to give off a robo feel, zippers come in packs of three at pockets, then fly solo, up the side of a leather top.

Injecting the collection with shocks of purple and plum, prints were scarce, except for their slight appearance on tops. Made to look the colorful lines created by a motorcycles every move, seen in the Tron Legacy trailer.

Mostly keeping fabrics sleek and smooth, you will also find raised leather coats and bags perforated with tiny slash-like cutouts, giving of a ‘just with showered in bullets…yet managed to come out unharmed’ appeal.

Invincible and unstoppable.

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Above, Details Magazine takes you behind the scenes while Donatella preps the day before the show. Explaining her inspiration and the collection in under a minute.

On a Side Note – With a slight hand gesture, the sunglasses come off, and Donatella continues to tend her nails. Only Donatella.

The Full Collection / 36 Pics
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Etro Fall 2010 Men’s

Never one to leave us color deprived, Kean Etro has once again set out on a mission to bring some life into your winter wardrobe. Making an attempting at minimizing the blacks, grays, and other dismal hues that plague most of us once the temperature begins to drop, and scarves/gloves begin to appear. Despite the collection’s highly saturated and highly inanimate added extras, last season’s Etro man still lingers about…just here this season with more of a quirky sense of humor.

Stepping out of the box, or the end of the runway if you opened the show (see video), if nature was not the first thing that you picked up on as the show started with miniature birds and the sound of hooting owls in the backdrop, the colors to soon follow would have been enough to surely take you on a wild winter’s night ride. Typically, when you display looks upside down on ginormous picture frame, you would expect a whole lot of unusual, and very little normal. Though, cropping pants and displaying boots just as any other designer this season, nothing was too much out of the ordinary.

Aiming for a slimmer and a more classic fit, in every color that you would ever expect to see walking through a park in the midst of Fall, as leaves change color, leather transitions from green to brown in the form of bomber jackets and multi-pocket coats. Whilst, boot covers come in check patters and stop just at the knee.

The Full Collection / 46 Pics
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Pringle of Scotland Fall 2010 Men’s

One collection, a million and one techniques. Who ever said that simplicity had to be boring? Clare Waight Keller gives us her all this season, fully equipped with sleeveless mohair degrade vests, detachable kilts, classic kilts, and enough knit to keep any knit lover going for a season or two. All of what we should expect from a Scottish luxury knitwear manufacturer at the top of their game.

While you may have had your eyes glued to the collection’s plush fur and knit blend mittens (almost reminiscent of Balenciaga’s Pre-Fall 2009, though these appear twice as cozy), you may have also overlooked an underlying message of versatility. Detachment, that is. From a shadow tartan coat that features a detachable kilt, to a trench accompanied by a detachable vest, if Neil Barrett has recently left your mind flooded with options too out in there left field, Pringle of Scotland well set you back onto a path of normality with a new edge. If your collar isn’t either knit, detachable, or snood-like next Fall, why bother?

Doing what the brand does best, our good ol’ reliable knits and wool this season are now come in cut-out lattice form (as seen in the house’s current pre-fall collection), blended with mohair, and even meticulously cut here and there to give you all the appeal of Balmain Homme, without later regret.

The Full Collection / 36 Pics
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Interview with Oliver Welton, Jil Sander FW10 Exclusive

Backstage at Jil Sander Fall 2010

Hailing from Elmer Olsen, an internationally renowned modeling agency, launching successful careers like Casey Taylor, Alex Loomans, and Gordie Walker, Welton landed one of the most coveted new-comer spots as a Jil Sander exclusive in Milan. You would be surprised to hear that he is actually originally from Chester in England, he moved to Canada at 12 years old and resides in Kelowna, BC ever since. After much favour from Raf Simons, there is no doubt that this will be the face to watch.

Before you did the show did you know of what a big impact it would have on your career?

No, I had no idea. I knew that Jil Sander was a good show to do, and obviously being exclusive was awesome to get, but I only realised what it might do for my career once I started talking to others about it.

What did you think of the industry before and how does that compare to how it really is?

To be honest, Fashion never really occured to me at all until after I became a model. Before that I was just coming out of my young teenage grunge phase, haha. I mean when I first started modelling, I began to imagine what it would be like to do Fashion Week and such, and what I thought then was definitely not how it actually is. Some parts are a little less glamourous than I first imagined, but definitely as fun as I hoped it would be.

Could you ever see yourself doing something like Jil Sander or becoming a model before?

Not at all, never even crossed my mind that I could ever get into this industry until I was scouted by my wonderful mother agent, Tara, from Elmer Olsen Models.

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