Fashion News

Orange is the new black. So says Giorgio Armani, the master of understatement, who chose this most unexpected of colors as the running theme of his Armani Privé haute couture display.
It wasn’t the first time Armani has been wowed by a powerful hue — spring 2016 was an ode to mauve. But it takes a brave man to toy with a shade associated with prison uniforms, safety jackets and — eek! — Halloween, especially with two freshly minted Oscar nominees, Nicole Kidman and Isabelle Huppert, sitting in the front row.
The designer’s controlled introduction was a testament to his confidence and skill. Rather than sounding an orange alert from the get-go, he injected just a soupçon of coral via floral embroideries on one of his signature peak-shouldered jackets and the embroidered lace top worn underneath.
Armani turned up the dial with a curry-colored silk satin jacket and another in orange crocodile leather. By the time he unleashed a series of printed silk dresses, it felt almost natural to be drinking in bright citrus shades instead of his trademark taupe and gray.
Why orange? “Because it’s an optimistic color. Because it’s a color that suits blondes and brunettes. Because it goes beyond my usual

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For starlets looking for red-carpet options with modern attitude and a fun twist, Lebanese-American designer Rami Kadi’s proposition for fall was just the ticket. Off-white lace, tulle and silk crepe de chine was his blank canvas for an explosion of embroidered and appliquéd motifs in rainbow colors inspired by a visit to Venice.
Heraldic lions and snakes were part of the pop collage, as were hearts, stars, rainbows and the occasional lamppost, all part of Kadi’s upbeat Venetian mood board.
The motifs sprouted on a fishnet lace gown with ruffle details; a cute A-line skirt and graphic lace blouse, and a linear tuxedo dress with front slits in crepe de chine. He played with laser-cut foil motifs on a bib-fronted dress, appliquéd printed aluminum as a celestial vision on a floating tulle gown in what he described as “modern bling bling,” and stamped pop-colored wax disks onto a floral lace column dress with a feathered bodice. For the finale bridal look, Kadi dialed up the volume with an ample skirt and train, but toned down the color scheme, repeating his fun embroidered motifs in knotted ivory raffia, glass beads and Swarovski crystals.

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Barbara Bui’s pre-fall effort — while remaining true to her sexy, rock-tinged sensibility — veered toward grunge with more of a street-luxe, active edge. This was represented, for example, by a riveted parka lined with bright orange rabbit fur and tight black pants with punkish safety pins and zip details, a recurrent theme. Sporty looks included a black zip-fronted minidress with stripes in Liquorice Allsorts colors that were treated in a rough weave.
Subtle rockabilly details also found their way into the collection, defining the shape of certain shirts and suits. The glam factor came through in tailored pieces in gold silk or with graphic, tone-on-tone beaded embroideries intended to look like Bakelite. As for prints, Bui worked in animal motifs in bright shades of royal blue and pink with a blurred effect in the more fluid pieces in the collection.

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Haus of Yoshi, Bom.B and Gear3 formed a triumvirate to bring South Korean men’s style to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin.
Presenting 12 looks, Haus of Yoshi’s playful black-and-white printed shirts, batik jeans and leather jackets were juxtaposed to Bohyung Lee of Bom.B’s dark tailored pants and heavy wool coats with studded skulls, and Gear3’s sleek and sporty luxury leather bags. The three lines came together in a solid and fresh way.
“Berlin is such an international city that works as starting point for all kinds of artists and creatives, so the designers decided to come to show and collect feedback on how to better develop,” said Sangbeom Woo, manager at Idea Berlin, an agency that represents South Korean artists and other creative talent in Germany.
South Korean designers have been a fixture at the Berlin fairs such as Premium and Seek for the past seasons, and some brands, like Gear3, already sell in German shops like Voo Store.

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David Koma drew inspiration from the paintings of Tamara de Lempicka for his pre-fall collection for Mugler, which had a strong focus on tailoring.
“I wanted to do something very masculine, but with this kind of soft and feminine touch. And in her work I see a lot of it: the very graphic, sharp lines, but I read them very soft at the same time,” he said.
Jackets with a planed shoulder and curved waist were paired with wide pants — think Madonna’s suit in the video for “Vogue,” which coincidentally (or not) opens with footage of de Lempicka’s paintings. They were accented with silver rings and chains inspired by old-fashioned men’s watch chains.
Metallic studs and buckles appeared on everything from body-conscious knits to a black patent leather wrap skirt. Koma worked a mostly monochrome palette with shots of intense jewel tones, like the lapis blue of a heavy satin evening gown.
In addition to bulking up the label’s tailoring offering, the designer is expanding its handbag assortment with three new styles of its Choker line. Virginie Courtin-Clarins, general manager of Mugler, said the house plans to launch e-commerce to coincide with the relaunch of its web site in the second half.

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HAPPY FEET: British luxury footwear brand Malone Souliers is translating its colorful aesthetic to children’s shoes, with the launch of Minismalls, a new line for young, stylish girls, aged three to 10.
The new range will debut with one key style for spring 2017. The brand’s founders, Mary Alice Malone and Roy Luwolt, chose the signature Robyn flat — a pointed-toe, strappy style — and re-created it for bite-sized feet with a rounded toe and a variation of colors and textures, from bright glitter to soft suede and napa leather.
The collection, which goes on sale in February, was made with the same methods and materials as the main women’s line.
“The collection has been designed in direct response to the wishes of our clients whose daughters have long had shoe envy for their mothers’ Malone Souliers, which, due to their impressively evolved tastes, are naturally hard to find in toy stores,” said Malone, the brand’s creative director.

Malone Souliers launches Minismalls. 
Courtesy

Luwolt, the brand’s managing director, added that a children’s line has always been an “intended phase” and after seven seasons and retail growth, the timing seemed right.
Malone Souliers has been gaining increasing popularity for its lace-up styles and bold use of texture and

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MILAN — Moncler celebrates the Chinese New Year, kicking off Jan. 28, with two Special Edition men’s and women’s designs. With the looks, the company pays homage to the Year of the Rooster, which also happens to be the brand’s logo.
The jackets come in bright red and gold details. A fiery brocade print of a rooster stands out on the women’s model, while it adorns only the back panel of the men’s style. Both jackets are reversible, showing Moncler’s staple down motif.
The pieces will be available in all Moncler boutiques and online starting this month.
As reported in November, Moncler sales in the first nine months of the year in Asia and the Rest of the World grew 27 percent to 216.2 million euros, or $240 million. During a conference call with analysts, chief corporate officer Luciano Santel emphasized Moncler’s strong performance in China, the brand’s second-largest country in the region, “thanks to the strength of the brand and a good response to the fall collection.”
Santel emphasized the company’s focus on the expansion of Moncler’s Hong Kong flagship, “three times bigger and much more visible” and with two main entrances.

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GOING GREEN: Pantone has teamed with Airbnb on a sustainable house in London. The color specialist firm has worked with the online home-stay network to list the newly revamped central London home. Located on 4 Dingley Place, in Clerkenwell, the 2,000-square foot, two-story, loft-style flat will be hosted by Pantone.
The design and the focus of “Outside In” house was on Pantone’s 15-0343 Greenery — the company’s color pick for 2017. The trans-seasonal hue has been described as a “zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring, when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew.”
The house was created with a sustainable and nature-driven concept with recyclable materials and decorated with an abundance of plants and trees. The reception area, welcomes guests with lush woodland greenery and includes a dining room that also acts as an indoor greenhouse, filled with sprawling ferns, succulents and cacti. In the bedroom, a landscaped garden structure is lined up against walls and features a wooden trellis at the head of the bed with wall-climbing ivy. The space also includes a cozy, tented nook. Meanwhile, the kitchen contains various herbs and botanical structures along with glasses, mugs and kitchenware — all adorned in the Pantone shade.
Among

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LET IT SNOW: High-level street style — literally and figuratively — came to the sidewalks of Park City, Utah when The Hollywood set descended on the mountain town for the Sundance Film Festival, which kicked off Jan. 19 and wraps up Jan.29.
For Angelenos, it was a chance to break out the puffer parkas, vintage fur, wooly overcoats and snow-proof boots that spend most of the year in storage, along with the winter-appropriate accessories to finish off the look. Those would be cross-body bags, scarves, shawls, gloves and hats. Unlike Coachella, where Millennials spend half the year sourcing the perfect music festival ensemble, most Sundance-goers wear clothes they already own or have stolen from mom’s closet (or whatever designer togs they’re lucky enough to be loaned if they’re an actor). This year, Mother Nature cooperated with the fashion theme, dumping fresh coats of snow over Utah on a daily basis. It might have made it harder to climb steep Main Street in Old Town, but it sure made the wide-brimmed hats, knit caps and beanies useful; ditto the rubber-soled footwear.
Underneath the outerwear, most festival-goers paired colorful sweaters and blouses, high-waisted jeans, cropped pants (all the better for showing off boots). Funnily

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GREEN GAL: The Duchess of Cambridge paid a visit to the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice in Quidenham, Norwich on Tuesday.
Located near Anmer Hall, her country home in Norfolk, the young royal took in a tour of the facility and met with children who have life-threatening illnesses, and with their families. She also met with charity representatives to discuss updates on the Nook appeal, which she helped launch in 2014. The facility, which opened in 1991, will see a new children’s hospice called “The Nook,” developed on the estate. It will be run by East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices, where the duchess is a royal patron, and already has facilities in Cambridge, Ipswich and Milton, England.
Kate Middleton arrived wearing an emerald-green peplum skirt suit from the Hobbs fall 2015 collection.

The Duchess of Cambridge in Hobbs 
Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock

The Duchess of Cambridge in Hobbs. 
Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock

Last week, she joined the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry at an event to promote mental health at the ICA in London. The young royals met with members of British business, charities and media to discuss their objectives for the year as a part of their work for Heads Together, a campaign that aims to support children and teens battling

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