From September 21 to 27, all the biggest fashion and beauty insiders flooded the streets of Milan for one of fashion's biggest events: Milan Fashion Week.
With luck on my side, I was able to get a chance through Anastasia, my lovely roommate, to experience a runway show in Milan. So, on September 25th, Anastasia and I booked a train to the city to see the Spring/Summer 2017 collection of Arthur Arbesser.
Arthur Arbesser travels back in time with his latest collection. Inspired by the styles of the turn of the 20th century in Europe, Arbesser revamps the period's school dresses and holiday clothes.
The holographic, sometimes even glittery, twist on the classic gingham brought a futuristic spin onto the looks.
The color scheme was full of vibrant blues, reds, white, black and accents of a peculiar neon, slime-green shade.
This was my favorite look of the collection. In part because I have a soft spot for the sailor look. I also love Sailor Moon and the mix of the sailor top with a colorful pleated skirt just gave me hardcore Sailor Moon vibes. Interestingly enough, this was the only instance in the entire line that Arbesser references the sailor trend.
The statement piece that tied the majority of these looks together were the hot patent boots, designed by Arbesser and brought to life by Fabio Rusconi.
Arbesser's partnership with Rusconi was not the only partnership to be highlighted from the event. The stylish shades worn for the collection were designed by Austrian-brand Silhouette, and Arbesser was able to embellish his looks using Swarovski's crystals. Talk about productive partnerships!
As for the venue, Arbesser collaborated with architect Luca Cipelletti (who happened to oversee the renovation of old Austrian stables located within in the precincts of the Museo Della Scienza e Della Tecnologia Leonardo Da Vinci). The setting was fitting for the Austrian-born Milan-based designer, and it was quite favored by the show's guests, as many were taking photos of these ceilings.
Overall, Arbesser succeeded in bringing his memories of the past into the future. Said to have been inspired by his grandfather's photographs, the boyish, boxy silhouettes mixed with the gingham provides a blast from the past. Although I love his usage of holographic sheen and vibrant colors to modernize these vintage forms, the neon slime-green is a slight setback. The collection overall is very cohesive and great to look at in the name of art, but neon slime-green is a hard color to rock. The only time it's even acceptable to be covered head-to-toe in this color is at Nickelodeon's Kid's Choice Awards.
Fun little extra: Arthur Arbesser basically running away at the end of the fashion show.
BTW, here are my looks from my days at Milan Fashion Week:
Day (Photo credit: my other roommate, Ariana)
Night (Photo credit: Anastasia)
