Fashion Trends & Tours in Italy

The women’s fashion week in Milan ended Saturday. A few themes and features of the collections fall-winter 2006-2007 showed by Versace, Fendi, and Roberto Cavalli.

- Donatella Versace, showed a collection based on geometric silhouettes, avoiding the fur trimming and embroidery so heavily featured in most of the shows seen in this fashion week. A-shaped high-collared coats belted at the waist, and triangular shaped mini dresses for the daytime, and seductive silk gowns for evening, have mostly underlined the Donatella Versace show.
British actress Elizabeth Hurley was Donatella Versace’s special guest.

- Roberto Cavalli showed a soft feminine collection. The look was well-mannered with the silhouette caressing the body; the colection featured many coats trimmed in chinchilla, and light chiffon gowns decorated with bird feathers and sequins.

- Fendi collection was inspired by 14th century Italian art. It featured voluminous cashmere cape coats, micro-pleated bubble skirts and a swathe of Fendi furs, from chinchilla to ermine, sable and shearling lamb. The famous Fendi bags underlined the luxurious mood of the collection.

Napoleon and Josephine have inspired Dolce & Gabbana for the Autumn/winter 2006/2007 collection.

Military and masculine tailored look was the main theme of D&G’s collection.

Jennifer Lopez, the singer/actress who was Dolce & Gabbana’s special guest, said :

“It was everything you expect from Dolce & Gabbana - sexy, powerful, ethereal”

The show has featured models in decorated empire dresses, embroidered with gold and draped from a high waist, in tiny Napoleonic brass- buttoned jackets, in floating Josephine gowns.

From Dolce & Gabbana a kind of femininity that is different from before; military look, but in a romantic way.

According to a survey conducted by the market research company ACNielsen, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, and Versace are the three favorite fashion brands.

The survey was conducted among 21,000 online consumers in 42 countries in Europe, Asia and the Pacific region, the United Arab Emirates, and North and Latin America. It was polled a sample of Internet users in each country who are representative of the percentage of the population who shop online.

Consumers were asked which designer labels they already owned and which they would buy if money were no object.
The study revealed that Armani, Gucci, and Versace were ranked respectively as first, second , and third in the table of most coveted brands. (Source)

Browse Armani, Gucci, Versace clothing and accessories

Saturday, February 18 was the kick-off for Milano Moda Donna 2006, the Women’s Fashion shows Fall/Winter 2006/2007 in Milan.

The shows that run through Feb 26, feature 101 women’s fashion collections for Fall/Winter 2006/2007 season.

Below, the complete schedule of the collections will be presented through Sunday, February 26.

Time — Designer —-> Address

Mon Feb 20
09:00 — Debora Sinibaldi —-> Milano Moda Donna - Sala D

10:00 — Blugirl —-> Milano Moda Donna - Padiglione 17

11:00 —

(more…)

The fashion itinerary we suggest, includes the Biella area, north of Piedmont, best known as the most prominent district for manufacturing of wool yarns and fabrics in Italy.

The roots of the tradition of Biella in manufacturing of wool fabrics are witnessed by a museum, in the city, which houses tools, machineries, and fabrics dating back to the first textile factories were established in the area.

In the area are several factory outlets, where to shop designer clothing, ranging from men and women’s suit, knitwear, sportswear, and underwear at bargain prices.
Starting from Turin, within a 70/80km range, mostly along the A4 Highway, you have many factory outlets are worth to visit.

Below a list of the outlets:

- Diffusione Tessile (Max Mara)- Collegno, www.diffusionetessile.it (high quality women’s clothing, shoes, accessories, knitwear)
- SUPERGA Calzature - Turin (Via Verolengo, 12), (ski’s clothing, sportswear, sport and outdoor gear)
- Superspacciosport - Turin, http://www.superspacciosport.it (sportswear, outdoor)
- Un mondo di maglia - Biella, www.unmondodimaglia.it (men/women’s clothing, knitwear)
- Lanificio Fratelli Cerruti - Biella, http://www.lanificiocerruti.com/ (men/women’s suit, blazer)
- Liabel - Biella, www.liabel.it/ (children/men/women’s underwear, knitwear)
- Lanificio Tessilgrosso - Biella, http://www.tessilgrosso.it/apps/inglese/home.htm (men/women’s clothing)
- Samar - Mottalciata (Biella), http://www.samar.com/uk_home.html (T-shirt, Underwear, Pigiamas)
- Laifel - Benna (Biella), www.laifel.it/where.html (women’s clothing)
- Lanificio Luigi Colombo - Novara, www.laifel.it/where.html (men’s cashmere coats, blazer)
- Fratelli Gagliardi - Oleggio (Novara), www.gagliardi.it (lingerie, sportswear, bathwear)

In Piedmont, but off itinerary :
- Mc Arthur Glen Designer Outlets - Serravalle Scrivia (Highway Milan-Genoa, exit Serravalle), www.mcarthurglen.it (outlets center including more than hundred designer outlets; prices 30-70% off)

- Museums -
Biella: ‘Museo del Territorio’ (section ‘Lavoro’), houses witnesses of the first textile factories in Biella.

Are you traveling by group? Are you a travel agent? If you want build your own customised fashion Tour in Italy Ask advice to Italian Tour Operators specialising in Fashion Tours

( Browse Accommodation in Piedmont bookable online )

A conference organized jointly by the Norwegian design institute Norsk Form and Italian Institute of Culture, on interaction fashion & design, will be held in Oslo, during the Oslo Fashion week (Feb15 - 19).

The conference will be featuring three interaction design experts: British Suzanne Lee, author of ‘Fashioning the future’, Italian designer Francesca Rosella and American Ryan Genz, founder of CuteCircuit.

As experts in “wearable technologies” and “interaction design” Francesca Rosella and Ryan Genz will explain a few prototypes of interactive fashion they created. Among them: the ‘hug-shirt’, shirt rendering a huge feeling, and the ‘kinetic dress’, dress changing color based on the emotions of people who wear it. (Source)