A NEW SEASON of fashion was paraded at the Pitti Bimbo show in Florence and the Fimi show in Valencia and it heralded a variation on the padded jacket, which saw cocoon shapes and a distinct A-line influence. At one end of the colour spectrum, red roared; at the opposite end, grunge was prominent and its muted palette permeated many collections.
Rich textures Knitted cardigans and jumpers were hugely popular on the catwalks, from chunky cable knits to the boldly coloured knitted-like-your-gran styles, as seen at Sarabanda. Echoing the trend in adult collections, there were rabbit and mink trims on coats, hats and handbags, but the British market is more likely to have faux-fur versions of popular pieces. Girlswear featured an assortment of pearls, beads and sequins at the likes of Miss Grant, Miss Blumarine and Roberto Cavalli.
Bright ideas Valentine red and berry tones were the colours of choice. In fact, Miss Blumarine even sent out five models dressed entirely in red from shoes to hats! Il Gufo also opted for pinks, but they were no less vibrant. Emerald and turquoise was splashed on accessories from bags and hats to jewellery and rosettes, as seen at Floc Baby. Darker colours were often used to offset these bright shades including stoney greys, blacks and navy blues.
Shape shifters The padded jacket was reinvented with a new sculpted silhouette that was softer at the edges. This new ‘cocoon’ shape proved popular across the catwalks and Roberto Cavalli offered a dashing variation on this theme with its A-line padded number, while Tuc Tuc experimented with padded shapes. Fitted styles were evident in military-inspired coats with brass buttons, which proved popular with both boys and girls, as seen at Miss Grant. Dress coats had tulip silhouettes.
Grunge in all its glory Maybe the darkness of the clothing reflected the mood of recession but whatever the reason, grunge played a prominent role in Florence and Valencia. Calvin Klein led the charge in Italy as it sent out a troop of models dressed in black with workman boots and oversized grey waistcoats . Roberto Cavalli featured distressed denims and cute biker jackets covered in pearls, while Boboli’s collection had dark glasses, baggy jeans and shirts. Even Monnalisa, with its pristine military coats (right), displayed grunge overtones with big black boots and tights with black hoops.
Lots of layers Layering was seen as the perfect way to style a winter outfit. Custo Growing and AKR Kids layered with mismatched prints, while Monnalisa featured leg and arm warmers and knitted leggings under skirts. Floc Baby utilised oversized accessories – such as scarves and hats – to decorate outfits.
