Dressful

On my unexpectedly free day during Milan fashion week, I popped into the Vogue Talents Corner at Palazzo Morando just off Via Monte Napoleone, one of Milan's most popular luxury shopping streets. Vogue Italia and thecorner.com have organized this exhibition for the second time to help emerging fashion designers from all over the globe gain international recognition. During the three days of the exhibition, you could also order pieces from the designers' Spring/Summer 2012 collections on the spot using Samsung tablets – one of the cleverest Fashion and Digital compounds I've seen.

The 11 brands that participated in the exhibition were: AI_Andrea Incontri, Pedro Lourenço, Leitmotiv, Benedetta Bruzziches, C.B. Made in Italy, Mungo Gurney, Vernissage, Joanne Stoker, Shourouk, Hexa by Kuho and Ricostru. Of course, with a large number of designers comes an equally large number of (different) visions. The exhibition was too diverse to be summarized in a single post, so today I'd like to share just my favorite part of it: shoes by Joanne Stoker and AI_Andrea Incontri.

AI_ANDREA INCONTRI
The pink pump with silver specks is fairy tale material, almost too fragile to be worn. Then again, fashion never comes quite alive when put on display.

JOANNE STOKER
Because I see an abundance of beautiful clothes and accessories at fashion weeks, my friends often ask if it's difficult for me to constantly be exposed to covetable pieces, all of which I obviously cannot have. The truth is that the more I immerse myself in fashion, the less often I feel the desire to actually buy it. I think it's precisely because I see so much of it – as terribly ephemeral as it makes it all sound, if I skip something I like, there will most likely be a new, similar piece soon that I might like even more. With Joanne Stoker's shoes, however, I immediately knew I need not look any further: the first pair, perhaps in a slightly brighter colorway, might as well be my dream pair.

Note: I couldn't live update from Milan fashion week because it was impossible to take photos at the shows I attended, and it doesn't make sense to publish posts without visuals. I'm still waiting for some press departments to send me official photos – reviews will follow accordingly.

Daniela Gregis staged her Fall/Winter 2012/2013 show in a small oratory at Piazza Sant'Ambrogio. It resembled a performance more than a regular show with glossy runway, VIP front row and music so loud it poses a danger for people with heart conditions. Here, a man played the xylophone throughout the show, and other than that there was total silence (after all, we were in a sacred space), except the sound of models pulling red wool threads out of a wall.

It seemed that this unusual approach to staging the show followed the intimacy of the collection. Every look was voluminous and baggy (think early Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo), not accentuating the shape of the body at all. Models were wrapped in huge knit shawls and wore thick socks. I appreciated the collection as a mix of rough and fine fabrics and shapes, but I felt that went in too many directions color-wise. While the combination of red and natural beige, straw and grey looks worked, the more playful looks with vibrant splashes of colors recalling contemporary paintings felt out of place, perhaps also because the show itself was so quietly solemn you didn't really think of frolic.

Daniela Gregis presented an uncommercial collection removed from the conventions and intrigues of Milan fashion week; the unconventional show further ensured we'll keep Gregis in mind (and not at the back of it!). I think her strong identity will be her most important asset in the upcoming seasons.

Photos: Daniela Gregis official.

2011 was an exciting and fruitful year for me as a fashion blogger.

In February I attended my first major runway show, Emporio Armani F/W 11/12 at Milan Fashion Week. Envisioning myself working in fashion before I started blogging, I thought I would have to spend years interning and assisting at magazines before my boss granted me a privilege to attend shows and write about them. I am my own boss at Dressful so nobody showers me with benefits, but thanks to the "democratization of fashion" we bloggers have become regulars at fashion weeks, be it catching street style photographers' attention with eccentric outfits or reporting from shows.

Concept Korea Spring 2012 presentation at New York Fashion Week.

In September I attended New York Fashion Week, which turned out to be a much bigger deal than I had expected. It's the collections shown in Paris and Milan that get the most international attention, but New York is the most blogger-friendly fashion week (Reuters claims that 40% of the press at NYFW are bloggers) and a great place for networking. As opposed to Milan and Paris, all shows take place under one roof in New York, which means you can hang out with people in-between events instead of wasting your time getting stuck in insane traffic jams.

When I started going to fashion weeks, I quickly realized there would be no way back, i.e. if I attend, I have to return next season to see more shows, meet more people and do better work. Due to unexpected health problems I didn't create as much content as I wanted to at NYFW in September. I will be attending NYFW again in February and I'm tickled pink to have a chance to improve. I haven't seen wintry New York in three years.

Invitation to the Emporio Armani Spring/Summer 2012 show
Celebrating Halloween with a Chanel pumpkin carved by my dad

Dressful has gained many new readers in 2011. I receive charming, encouraging emails from those of you who find it inspiring and I wish such perceptive and intelligent readers will accompany me in 2012 too. Constantly working on ways to reach more fashion enthusiasts, I'm satisfied with the direction Dressful is developing in. I've discovered that in my case, sharing original and quality content is the way to go. People like words and images they won't find elsewhere and I feel good expressing myself in different creative ways.

In 2011 I rejected various proposals that would have brought me money but didn't align with Dressful. I've been hesitant with monetization because I find some methods largely inefficient and because this blog is my personal space where I only recommend what I absolutely love and know well.

I have seen bloggers rush into monetization without thinking it through; in the end, they were not compensated fairly, the brand or product they promoted didn't fit their blog, the banner ads looked out of place … If done wrong, such deals can do more harm than good to the blogger, despite the money they earned. That being said, there are several types of collaborations I am interested in; I will soon create a separate page to outline them more precisely.

Sens(n)ation Maison Martin Margiela exhibition in Ljubljana.

I would like to thank everyone who takes time to comment on my posts; your comments are not of the "nice shoes check out my blog" variety; rather, they contribute valuably to the post and discussion. I truly appreciate it when you share my posts on Facebook, Twitter and other platforms – this is the easiest way to help me reach more people. Next to providing quality content, expanding my audience is my number one goal for 2012.

Though the world is far from perfect, the opportunities I've had in 2011 make me grateful to live here and now. Five years ago it would have been impossible to jumpstart my fashion career with a blog.

The blog is just the beginning.

I wish you happy holidays and lots of health, love, creativity and success in 2012.

Laura Biagiotti's Spring/Summer 2012 collection is a romantic tribute to Venice, a city she adores. A luxurious harmony of colors, materials and decorations evokes the grandeur of Venice as an independent state, the "Most Serene Republic". Biagiotti translated the myth of the city to delicate lace dresses and lightweight knitwear in white, peach, lilac, pink and nude hues. Models strutted down the runway wearing shoes and accessories in gold, reflecting domes of St. Mark's Basilica. Beading and ornaments were reminiscent of colorful Venetian souvenirs made from Murano glass.

The collection was made for women attending decadent dinner parties in old palaces along Venice's Grand Canal. This is a fantasy of mine, I don't know if the parties still take place today, but I like to imagine exciting and extraordinary events going on in those stately buildings lit with crystal chandeliers.

This is not the first time Laura Biagiotti has explored the theme of Venice - the city inspired her iconic fragrance Venezia, released in 1992. Venezia, i.e. a modern orchestration of the original, was relaunched earlier this month after years of having been discontinued. Every guest received a 25 ml bottle of the fragrance after the show (I've never smelled the original Venezia so I can't compare them, but the new fragrance is so delicious I've decided to adopt it for the season).

I like how Biagiotti united different divisions of her brand in one event; it's impossible to say whether the perfume relaunch complements the collection or vice versa.

Another reason why this show meant a lot to me is that it was the first one where I had a seat. It was an amazing seat in the third row so close to the runway I was overcome with giddiness when I realized where I was sitting and couldn't stop smiling. I had a chance to absorb every detail, so it's far from surprising the collection left such a memorable impression. When Venice wakes up in spring, these are the clothes she's going to wear.

This morning I attended the Emporio Armani Spring/Summer 2012 show in Milan. It was my second time at Emporio Armani (the first show I saw was Fall/Winter 2011/2012), but it will take quite a while before I get immune to the thrill and excitement of major shows. The best part of fashion week is the goosebumps you get when you realize the designers' efforts and inspirations in the past 6 months have united in a perfect, seamless whole. I am incredibly happy and honored to have attended Emporio Armani this season, especially because the collection is the loveliest I've seen in a long time.

The Emporio Armani Spring/Summer 2012 collection by Giorgio Armani is bringing back the plastic trend. We saw clear plastic handbags, bracelets, wedges, sandals, as well as striking big black or white flower-like accessories worn as headpieces, on the shoulder or around the neck. The color palette is mostly black and white with some flower prints. Models wore short blonde wigs and boaters. There were peplum dresses, sequin vests, snakeskin bags and wedges. Of course, the collection would not be complete without Armani's signature tailored blazers and pants.

For me, the highlight of the show were the shoes (I would wear every pair, not to mention this is the only instance in my life when I've admired plastic shoes! They are effortlessly fashionable.) and white dresses with hooped hemlines. Beautifully delicate, they reminded me of morning dew and the uneven shape of petals. It's interesting that a collection brimming with references to flowers was executed in black and white (we usually buy flowers in more lively colors). I also loved the use of boaters, a men's hat, with elegant, feminine pieces.

When I got back to my hotel after the show, I turned on the computer and caught the last few minutes of the second Emporio Armani show livestream (Emporio Armani schedules two consecutive shows: one for press, one for other guests). This should give you a good idea of how late shows start in Milan (the hotel I'm staying at is quite far from Teatro Armani where the Armani events take place). It also speaks volumes about how much I loved the collection and the show. A sentimental wish to relive the experience through a computer screen. I cannot wait for spring to see these beautiful pieces alive in the streets. Please, can we skip fall and winter?