Versace Spring-Summer 2010 Collection at Milan Moda Uomo

Donatella Versace’s Spring-Summer 2010 mens collection featured simple chic shirts, loose long pants, and leather bracelets and bands on the wrists which matched the belts. Lots of long-sleeve earth color shirts with open button collars. Every outfit sent down the line was made of more or less matching pieces, so it was a bit like seeing a series of young millionaires’ uniforms paraded out, but not costumes per se. Overall a rather rugged appearance for summer.

notes by Freda Henry
photos by Boris Marberg

Donatella Versace’s Spring-Summer 2010 mens collection show featured simple chic shirts, loose long pants, and leather bracelets and bands on the wrists which matched the belts. Lots of long-sleeve earth color shirts with open button collars. Every outfit sent down the line was made of more or less matching pieces, so it was a bit like seeing a series of young millionaires’ uniforms paraded out, but not costumes per se. Overall a rather rugged appearance for summer. Continue reading “Versace Spring-Summer 2010 Collection at Milan Moda Uomo”

Summer In Milano, Looks for Now

A few months ago I was in Milan and had the opportunity to shoot this fashion editorial in the Italian National Showroom of the Herman Miller furniture company. It features Herman Miller’s new Embody chair, which is the next generation of ergonomic office seating beyond their iconic Aeron. I love the spine on this thing, it’s such an interesting form. So are Jolita and Barbora in these fabulous summer looks.

photographer Charles Beckwith
models Jolita and Barbora from Models Plus Milan

A few months ago I had the opportunity to shoot this fashion editorial in the brand new Italian National Showroom of the Herman Miller furniture company. It features Herman Miller’s new Embody chair, which is the next generation of ergonomic office seating beyond their iconic Aeron. I love the spine on this thing, it’s such an interesting form. So are Jolita and Barbora in these fabulous summer looks.

Continue reading “Summer In Milano, Looks for Now”

Burberry Prorsum Spring-Summer 2010 collection at Milan Moda Uomo

Burberry shows its colors, as hints and accents, in this diverse but uninspiring summer collection.

story by Charles Beckwith
photos by Alexander Palacios

Burberry shows its colors, as hints and accents, in this diverse but uninspiring summer collection. Continue reading “Burberry Prorsum Spring-Summer 2010 collection at Milan Moda Uomo”

Missoni, Spring-Summer 2010 Collection at Milan Moda Uomo

A blanched hardwood runway, like a long pier, is lit as if by moonlight, setting off the warm pastel accent garments in Missoni’s predominantly sky (comfort) blue Spring/Summer 2010 men’s collection.

story by Boris Marberg and Charles Beckwith
photos by Boris Marberg

A blanched hardwood runway, like a long pier, is lit as if by moonlight, setting off the warm pastel accent garments in Missoni’s predominantly sky (comfort) blue Spring/Summer 2010 men’s collection. Continue reading “Missoni, Spring-Summer 2010 Collection at Milan Moda Uomo”

CoSTUME NATIONAL, Spring-Summer 2010 Collection at Milan Moda Uomo

CoSTUME NATIONAL designer Ennio Capasa has said about his new collection, “I wanted to bring a symbolic jungle into a metropolis; a jungle made of emotions that would take us back to our deeper, more authentic side; recharging us with harmony and joy.” We read the words, but we don’t see the execution, unless that organic metropolis is supposed to be represented by the junior partners at a post-apocalyptic architectural firm.

story by Boris Marberg and Charles Beckwith
photos by Boris Marberg

CoSTUME NATIONAL designer Ennio Capasa has said about his new collection, “I wanted to bring a symbolic jungle into a metropolis; a jungle made of emotions that would take us back to our deeper, more authentic side; recharging us with harmony and joy.” We read the words, but we don’t see the execution, unless that organic metropolis is supposed to be represented by the junior partners at a post-apocalyptic architectural firm. Continue reading “CoSTUME NATIONAL, Spring-Summer 2010 Collection at Milan Moda Uomo”

Ermenegildo Zegna, Spring-Summer 2010 Collection at Milan Moda Uomo

Ermenegildo Zegna opened Milan Moda Uomo, the Italian men’s fashion week for spring-summer 2010 collections in Milan on a perfect warm summer day. Perfect for a fashion show and perfect for his new collection.

story and photos by Boris Marberg

Ermenegildo Zegna opened Milan Moda Uomo, the Italian men’s fashion week for spring-summer 2010 collections in Milan, on a perfect warm summer day. Perfect for a fashion show and perfect for his new collection. Continue reading “Ermenegildo Zegna, Spring-Summer 2010 Collection at Milan Moda Uomo”

Interview with Anna Molinari, legendary designer of Blumarine

“I would love to have a 25hours-day! I’m an early riser and I often work even 10 hours with only a quick break for lunch. This is a very hard job if you put your soul into it: I carefully study every detail and I follow each step of production. It takes a lot of time. Anyway, the need to create makes me feel never tired and gives me the same willingness to improve.”

story by Charles Beckwith
photos by Boris Marberg

My grandmother always had an interesting taste in clothing. She was a woman who wore color, who wore excitement. The last few years she was on oxygen for emphysema, always a little “out of it” since that started, and recently chemotherapy for stage 4 lung cancer. So, she slowed down, and wasn’t really the whole person I remember from my childhood. It has been a while since I felt like when I was talking with her, I was really talking with her.

So, a few months ago, when I saw a video clip of the last resort collection from Blumarine, it was a deeply personal jolt I felt. I saw a collection I knew my grandmother would have wanted to wear. Every piece that was coming down that runway was something she would have been crazy for. So, when I was in Milan in December, I made it a point to visit their showroom. There is an energy to these collections that you rarely see, where style and life meet and dance.

I’ve had this interview for a few weeks now and had not posted it because my grandmother was near the end, and the ideas in my head about her spirit and the Blumarine label are linked. She passed away two weeks ago, and I finally feel a release, because I know she is free to be herself again.

Here finally, is my interview with the famed Italian designer, Mrs. Anna Molinari, and select images from her most recent collection. Continue reading “Interview with Anna Molinari, legendary designer of Blumarine”

Milan, Umbrellas, and The Color Yellow

So here I am, sitting in my Italian hotel room in Milan’s Piazza Diaz, two blocks from Il Duomo, flipping through a book on French fashion by an American, and thinking about my green German umbrella that I bought to take to India, its black British replacement, and their tie to the color yellow.

by Charles Beckwith

So here I am, sitting in my Italian hotel room in Milan’s Piazza Diaz, two blocks from Il Duomo, flipping through a book on French fashion by an American, and thinking about my green German umbrella that I bought to take to India, its black British replacement, and their tie to the color yellow. Continue reading “Milan, Umbrellas, and The Color Yellow”